When should the colostrum start? Especially if nursing??

[BlessedMommy]

When does it usually start? 6th or 7th month? Or a little later? Does nursing during pregnancy change it's timing?

My milk supply has seemed to disappear, so I'm anxiously awaiting the grand entrance of the colostrum so DD gets a little more reward for her effort and some antibodies to boot, LOL. :)

I'll bet that if we make it through the pregnancy nursing and do tandem, that she'll gain about a pound in the first couple of weeks, when my milk comes back full force.

Anybody have any thoughts? Especially moms that have nursed through a pregnancy?

Thanks!

[Ashlee]

IDK... but I always wondered how that would work. When tandem nursing how can you make sure the newborn gets the colostrum? What if the older child gets it all before the newborn even arrives? Is that something that would be of concern? Sorry to add more questions Ruth but I have always wondered how that would work.

[MommyJessy]

I'm not an expert or anything, can't even speak from experience but it intrigues me that you would get colostrum while still nursing, I just assumed you would just continue your normal milk flow and it would increase for the new babe. :) Sorry, no help, just a thought. [verycool]

[MommyJessy]

I found this and thought it was interesting!

http://www.storknet.com/guests/anne7.htm

[PianoMama]

Good article, Jessy!!

[cjropher]

That was an interesting article. I never came near tandem nursing, but had wondered about that for those who do.

[BlessedMommy]

Yep, that article pretty much sums up a lot of it.

[BlessedMommy]

Oh, nice. According to one article, the milk should start to change to colostrum in the 2nd tri. I hope that they're right and I hope that Hannah likes colostrum, lol.

[BlessedMommy]

IDK... but I always wondered how that would work. When tandem nursing how can you make sure the newborn gets the colostrum? What if the older child gets it all before the newborn even arrives? Is that something that would be of concern? Sorry to add more questions Ruth but I have always wondered how that would work.

You continue to produce colostrum throughout pregnancy and it's not a fixed amount. No matter how much your toddler nurses, your body will still make colostrum after the birth. You have to be careful, though, not to have the toddler go on a nursing binge right after delivery, but if the baby nurses first and more often, having the toddler nurse a few times a day shouldn't be a big deal.