How does milk production change over the course of lactation?
For the first few days, up to and including the point at which mom’s milk “comes in,” milk production does not depend upon milk being removed from the breast. After those first few days, it is necessary for milk to be regularly removed from the breast (via baby or pump) to continue milk production. The breasts will begin to shut down milk production within several days if milk is not regularly and effectively removed. During the early weeks, assuming nursing is going well, a mom will often have more milk than baby needs. Many moms also experience varying degrees of leaking and/or breast fullness/engorgement in the early weeks — this is not the norm for the entire breastfeeding experience but simply a period of adjustment as mom’s body determines and adjusts to the amount of milk her baby (or babies) actually needs. In exclusively breastfed babies, milk intake increases quickly during the first few weeks of life, then stays about the same between one and six months (though it likely in
