 Transitional milk is the creamy breast milk that immediately follows colostrum and is produced anywhere from about two to five days after birth until ten to fourteen days after birth. Your breasts will enlarge and become firm as is will have to produce a much greater amount of transitional milk than colostrum, This fullness and heavy feeling may be uncomfortable for both you and your baby. It may be more difficult for him to latch on to the breast correctly. With practice, however, you will help your baby latch on and continued breastfeeding will ease the pressure in your breasts.
As your baby latches on and begins to breastfeed steadily, you may notice a tingly "pins and needles" sensation. This feeling indicates that the milk let-down reflex has begun, causing breast-milk to be pushed out of the milk-producing cells into milk ducts and sinuses into your baby`s mouth. The let-down reflex can be stimulated by your baby`s suckling, an approaching feeding time, or just the sound of your baby`s hungry cry. Once this hap-pens, your milk will flow copiously and your baby will en-joy a satisfying feeding. You will hear him swallowing more frequently. You may notice milk dripping or spurting from your other breast when let-down occurs.
The increased demand for breast feed from your baby will result in increased supply of breast milk. You may feel that you are constantly breastfeeding during this early period. Daytime feed-ings may be less than two hours apart and its duration may vary from ten minutes to close to an hour each. Soon, however, the nursing pattern will stabilize, and feedings will become less frequent. Over time, feedings will continue to change in frequency and duration depending on your baby`s needs.
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