Ahh, engorgement. It’s an unpleasant but common sign of an important hormonal shift.

Giving birth triggers this hormonal shift in the new mom’s body. Usually, as a result of that shift, two to four days after giving birth, the mom will experience an abrupt increase in her milk supply. This happens around the same time as her baby’s stomach grows in size a bit to readily accommodate feeds that are larger than the previous colostrum (the first milk) that the mom had.