Transitional milk begins around which postpartum days?

• A. Immediately after birth.
• B. Day 1-2.
• C. Day 3-7.
• D. After 2 weeks.

Answer: (C)

Milk tissue shifts after birth from colostrum to transitional milk before mature milk, and this transition happens over a brief period in the first week. Transitional milk starts to appear as colostrum tapers off and milk production increases, typically around day 3 to day 7 postpartum. It bridges the very protein-rich, antibody-packed colostrum with the higher-fat, higher-volume mature milk that comes later. By about two weeks, the milk is generally mature and continues to become more stable in composition and volume. So the best answer is the window of day 3 through day 7 because that’s when the transitional stage commonly occurs. Immediately after birth is mostly colostrum, day 1-2 remains largely colostrum, and after 2 weeks you’d expect mature milk.