Kathleen,
To answer what happens to colostrum if the mom doesn't BF right away - it
stays in the alveoli. The clock towards onset of copius milk secretion starts
when the placenta delivers. 30-40 hours later, the cells begin synthesizing
lactose which draws water into the cell, thus increasing fluid volume.  The
protective proteins and fats in colostrum are still there as a baseline, with
added carbohydrate and fluid.  It appears that if milk isn't removed, the
buildup diverts the proteins back into the cell where lysozyme destroys the
molecule. (Lysozyme is what dissolves the protein in tadpole's tails). As
fluid pressure builds up in the alveolus, it squishes the secretory cells,
disrupting their structure and interrupting their function. In dairy cattle,
3 days of unrelieved milk stasis causes the death of the secretory cells for
that lactation cycle. They grow back during the next pregnancy. This process
is unresearched in women, but at the cellular level mammary tissue is all the
same.

Dr. Floyd Schanbacher will be speaking on this at ILCA's 1996 conference.
He's from Wooster Ohio and absolutely fascinating to hear.

Linda Smith in dairy country (Ohio)