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38 Weeks, Still No Milk?

QUESTION

Dear Midwife,
I'm currently 38 weeks along, and I have read in several books and websites, that I should be producing some kind of pre-milk substance? Nothing so far, does that mean I will not be able to breastfeed when my baby is born, I'm just a little concerned?

ANSWER

Not to worry, most women don't make anything before the baby is born, and only microscopic drops of colostrum for the first three days with a first baby. There will be more activity sooner with subsequent pregnancies. As long as your breasts have changed during pregnancy, chances are you will be able to breastfeed just fine. Good luck!

--Cynthia, CNM. PhD.

Cynthia Flynn

Cynthia Flynn, CNM. PhD, is the General Director of the Family Health and Birth Center which provides prenatal, birth, postnatal, gynecological and primary health care to underserved women and their families in Washington, D.C. Recently Cynthia served as Associate Professor of Nursing at Seattle University. There she not only taught, but remained in full scope clinical midwifery practice at Valley Medical Center where she cared for pregnant and birthing women, and practices well-woman gynecology, family planning, and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases.

Cynthia founded Columbia Women's Clinic and Birth Center, where she took care of pregnant women and infants up to two weeks of age and attended both birth center and hospital births. Before Cynthia earned her CNM, she worked as a registered nurse in labor and delivery and postpartum and is a certified Doula and Doula trainer.