Breastfeeding often starts in the birth room. If mother and baby are well, the baby is usually placed skin-to-skin and the first breastfeed is supported as soon as possible, often within the first hour after birth. Skin-to-skin contact helps the baby stay warm, settle, smell the breast and use natural feeding reflexes.
You do not need a large amount of milk in the first days. The first milk is colostrum: a small-volume, concentrated milk that is easy for a newborn to digest and rich in protective factors. Small amounts are normal at first because a newborn's stomach is small.
Health organizations recommend exclusive breastfeeding, if possible, for about the first 6 months of life. After that, breastfeeding can continue alongside complementary foods until 2 years of age or longer, as long as it works for parent and child.
If you are preparing for the first days after birth, also see the hospital bag checklist and the overview of childbirth. After birth, track your baby's exact age and upcoming developmental milestones with the baby age calculator.
A good latch means the baby is not sucking only on the nipple. The baby takes a wide mouthful of breast, with the chin touching the breast, lips turned out and the body facing you. The baby's head and body should be in line, so they do not need to twist their neck to feed.
You should be able to see or hear swallowing during active feeding. Some tenderness can happen in the first days, but strong pain, cracked or bleeding nipples, clicking sounds, the baby repeatedly slipping off the breast or a flattened nipple after a feed can mean the latch needs help.
Newborns feed often because breast milk digests quickly and their stomach is small. In the first weeks, many babies breastfeed at least 8-12 times in 24 hours. Some feed even more often for part of the day, especially in the evening. This is often called cluster feeding and can help build milk supply.
Watch for early feeding cues: stirring, rooting, turning the head, opening the mouth, bringing hands to the mouth or making sucking movements. Crying is a later hunger cue and can make latching harder. If your baby is very sleepy, premature, jaundiced or losing more weight than expected, your midwife, pediatrician, GP or maternity team may recommend waking the baby for feeds and making a feeding plan.
In the first days, your care team looks at the baby's wellbeing, feeding effectiveness, wet and dirty nappies or diapers, and weight. It is normal for many newborns to lose some weight after birth, but the amount of weight loss and later weight gain should be monitored.
Things are going well if:
Ask for help urgently if your baby is unusually sleepy, hard to wake for feeds, has a dry mouth, has too few wet nappies or diapers, yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes is getting worse, weight loss continues or you cannot see or hear swallowing during feeds.
Milk volume often increases around days 3-5 after birth. Breasts may feel heavy, warm, tight or sore. Frequent feeding, a deep latch and expressing a small amount by hand or with a breast pump before feeding can help soften the areola so the baby can latch. A cool compress after feeds may reduce swelling and discomfort.
Sore or damaged nipples usually need a review of latch and positioning. Do not wait until pain becomes severe. A midwife, health visitor, lactation consultant, nurse or doctor can watch a feed and suggest small changes that make feeding more effective and comfortable.
Mastitis can cause a hot, painful, swollen breast, a tender or red area, fever, chills and flu-like symptoms. Keep removing milk from the breast if you can, but contact your midwife, GP, OB-GYN, pediatrician, maternity unit or breastfeeding specialist promptly, especially if you feel worse or do not improve within a short time.
Breastfeeding is a learned skill for both parent and baby. Asking for help early is practical, not a failure. It can prevent small problems from turning into reasons to stop before you are ready.
When to seek help:
Colostrum is the first breast milk. It is produced in small amounts and fits the newborn's needs in the first days.
Latch means how the baby attaches to the breast. A deep latch helps milk transfer and reduces nipple pain.
Cluster feeding means frequent feeds close together, often in the evening or during growth and supply changes.
Engorgement means breasts feel overly full, tight, warm or painful because milk volume has increased or milk is not being removed well.
Mastitis is breast inflammation that can cause breast pain, swelling, fever and flu-like symptoms.
If mother and baby are well, breastfeeding is usually supported within the first hour after birth. Skin-to-skin contact helps the baby settle, search for the breast and start feeding.
In the first weeks, many newborns breastfeed at least 8-12 times in 24 hours. Some babies feed even more often, especially in the evening or during cluster-feeding periods.
Helpful signs include frequent feeds, audible swallowing, relaxed behaviour after some feeds, enough wet and dirty nappies or diapers, and appropriate weight gain. Ask for help if your baby is sleepy, feeding fewer than 8 times a day, has too few wet nappies or diapers, or keeps losing weight.
Some tenderness can happen in the first days, but strong pain, cracked or bleeding nipples, or a nipple that looks flattened after feeds often means the latch needs review.
Ask a midwife, health visitor, lactation consultant, OB-GYN, pediatrician or GP for help if the baby cannot latch, feeds are very painful, output is low, weight gain is poor, your breast is hot and painful, or you develop fever or flu-like symptoms.
