The First Few Weeks of Breastfeeding
Important information:
Your milk meets the nutritional needs of your growing baby. Your milk contains vitamins and minerals that can protect your baby from infections. It is easy to digest. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that infants be fed only human milk for the first 6 months of life. When your baby is around 6 months of age, you will begin to offer food while continuing to breastfeed for as long as you and your baby want to.
Instructions for successful breastfeeding:
Feeding basics
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Most babies will breastfeed 8-12 times in a 24-hour period.
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Your baby’s stomach is small and human milk leaves the stomach in 1-2 hours.
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Feed your baby when they are showing signs of hunger, even if they just ate.
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Signs of hunger: alert, rooting, smacking lips, sticking out tongue, hands to mouth. Crying is a late hunger cue and may make latching difficult and stressful.
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Feed your baby on the first breast until they seem satisfied, and your breast is soft. Burp or change your baby’s diaper before offering the second breast.
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Alternate which breast your baby feeds from first.
Milk production
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Milk production is based on milk removal.
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Each time you remove milk and stimulate your breasts, you tell your body to produce milk.
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With regular, effective feeds, your body will make what your baby needs.
Positioning
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Get comfortable. You can sit up and use pillows to support your arms and your baby. It may help to use a footstool. You can also hold your baby on your chest while you slightly recline. This is called the “laid-back” position.
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Position your baby snugly against your body, facing you “belly to belly.” Their body should be well supported with head level to breast. Align baby’s nose with your nipple.
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Avoid pressing against the back of your baby’s head (they will push back and arch away). Support them at the shoulders and neck.
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You can support your breast to help baby get deep onto the breast using a “breast sandwich.” Make sure that your fingers are close enough to the nipple to guide it into the baby's mouth but not so close that baby cannot get the nipple in deeply. Your fingers should mirror the direction of your baby’s lips.
Latch
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Wait for a wide-open mouth (like a yawn) before bringing baby onto breast with your nipple pointing deep towards the roof of their mouth.
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Both the upper and lower lips should be flipped out.
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After the first few sucks, it should feel like pulling or tugging, not pinching or biting.
Signs of a poor latch
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Your nipples are sore during the entire feeding or are cracked or bleeding.
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Your nipples are pointy, creased, or slanted when your baby comes off the breast.
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Your baby is coming off the breast repeatedly after only a few sucks.
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Your baby’s cheeks are dimpling in with each suck.
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Your baby acts hungry all the time after nursing.
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Your baby has less than 6-8 wet diapers and/or less than 3-4 mustard yellow bowel movements in a day.
Signs baby is getting enough
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Baby is breastfeeding between 8-12 times in a 24-hour period.
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Baby's wet diapers are pale yellow:
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Baby has at least 1 thick, tarry black stool on day 1. Your baby’s stools become looser and gradually change from black to green to yellow. By day 5 your baby should have at least 3 loose and seedy, yellow stools every 24 hours.
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The latch feels comfortable, and your nipples are rounded with no damage after feeds.
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You hear or see your baby swallowing.
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Your breasts feel softer after a feeding.
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Baby is satisfied and content after feedings.
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Baby wakes to feed and has periods of being alert and calm.
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Baby is gaining weight appropriately. Babies lose weight in the first 5 days of life but after that, your baby should gain about 1 ounce per day and return to birth weight by 2 weeks of age.
Supplementation
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If your baby needs supplementation with additional milk (expressed, donor, or formula), pump each time your baby gets a bottle to increase and protect your milk supply.
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Use a slow flow nipple and paced bottle feeding when switching between breast and bottle.
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Babies need Vitamin D as well. Your baby's healthcare provider will guide you with dosage.
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Babies born prematurely or babies with a low birth weight may need more iron.
Call your baby’s healthcare provider if:
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You think your baby is not getting enough milk.
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You notice your baby has a yellow coloring of the skin and in the white part of the eyes.
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Your baby is inconsolable and not feeding.
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Your baby is overly sleepy and difficult to wake up.
Call your personal healthcare provider if you have sudden onset of flu-like symptoms, pain in the breast, and a fever.
Contact your local Nursing Mothers’ group, La Leche League, or an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) if you experience:
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Difficulty latching on.
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Engorgement.
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Sore or cracked nipples.
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Flat or inverted nipples.
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Sore breasts or lumps in breast without fever.
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Questions about your milk production.
For further information:
Reviewed June 2024 by Lauren Davidheiser, MS, RDN, IBCLC, LDN and Meghan Devine, BSN, RN, IBCLC