Breastfeeding Basics: Getting Started in the First Days

Breastfeeding is natural, which is not the same as saying it is easy. Many women find the first days challenging in ways they did not expect. The good news is that with the right information and support, most difficulties can be worked through.

What to expect in the first days

In the first three to five days your body produces colostrum, not yet mature milk. Colostrum is thick, golden, and produced in tiny quantities, typically just a few millilitres per feed. This is exactly the right amount for your newborn's stomach, which is about the size of a marble on day one.

Your milk will come in between days three and five, often accompanied by engorgement, warmth, and a feeling of fullness in your breasts. This is normal and usually settles within 48 to 72 hours as supply regulates.

The latch

The most common source of early breastfeeding pain is a shallow latch. A good latch involves baby taking a large mouthful of breast, not just the nipple, with their lips flanged outward and their chin touching the breast. Feeding should not hurt once baby is well latched.

If feeding is painful, it is almost always worth getting help from a lactation consultant or your midwife. Pain is information, not something to push through indefinitely.

What helps

A dedicated nursing pillow holds baby at the right height and takes the strain off your arms and back during what can be very long feeding sessions.

A colostrum collector is wonderful for catching precious early milk during the last weeks of pregnancy. Collected colostrum can be brought to hospital as a supplement and is especially useful if baby is sleepy or struggling to latch initially.

A wearable breast pump gives you flexibility to pump hands-free, which matters enormously when you are also trying to care for a newborn.

For clogged ducts and engorgement, a lactation massager used before and during pumping can help milk flow more easily and provide real relief.

If breastfeeding does not work out

Fed is best, always. If breastfeeding is causing you significant pain, distress, or affecting your mental health, that matters. Switching to formula or combination feeding is a valid, loving choice. A baby fed by a parent who is coping is always better than a baby fed by a parent who is not.

Seek support early, but also trust yourself.