Breastfeeding Your Baby: A Beginner's Guide

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Breastfeeding Your Baby: A Beginner’s Guide

Breastfeeding can look instinctive from the outside, but for many new parents it is something both you and your baby learn together. It can take time to find a comfortable position, recognise feeding cues and feel confident that your baby is getting enough milk.

You do not need to know everything before the first feed. A useful place to start is with responsive feeding, comfortable positioning and good attachment. If feeding is painful, your baby seems to struggle at the breast or you are worried about milk intake, ask for help early. A midwife, health visitor or breastfeeding supporter can watch a feed and help you work out what may need adjusting.

How breastfeeding works in the early days

Breastfeeding works through supply and demand. Generally, the more effectively and frequently milk is removed from the breast, the more milk your body is encouraged to produce.

This is one reason NHS guidance recommends letting your baby guide how often they feed rather than trying to follow a strict timetable, particularly in the early days.

Some babies want to feed very frequently. Feeding patterns can also change from one day to another. A baby wanting another feed sooner than you expected does not automatically mean that you are not producing enough milk.

Look for early hunger cues rather than waiting for crying. Your baby may suck their fists, lick their lips, wriggle, open their mouth or move their head as if searching for the breast.

Responding to these signs can make it easier to begin a feed while your baby is still relatively calm.

Finding a comfortable breastfeeding position

There is no single breastfeeding position that every parent needs to use. The most useful position is one that allows you to feel supported and helps your baby attach effectively.

Before starting, get yourself comfortable. Support your back, shoulders and arms with cushions if you need them. Try to avoid hunching forward towards your baby for the whole feed.

NHS guidance recommends keeping your baby’s head and body in a straight line and holding them close, facing your breast. Their neck, shoulders and back should be supported so they can tip their head back slightly and swallow comfortably.

Common positions include cradle and cross-cradle holds, a rugby hold and laid-back breastfeeding. If you have had a caesarean birth, you may find that a position which keeps pressure away from your abdomen feels more comfortable.

You may need to experiment. A position that works well at home in bed might not be the one you prefer when sitting in a chair or feeding away from home.

What a good latch can look and feel like

Attachment, often called the latch, describes how your baby takes the breast into their mouth.

For a good attachment, your baby needs more than just the nipple in their mouth. NHS guidance advises holding your baby close with their nose level with your nipple, allowing their head to tip back slightly and waiting for a wide-open mouth before bringing them to the breast.

Once attached, your baby’s chin should be touching your breast and their cheeks should remain rounded while they feed. You may be able to see or hear swallowing once milk is flowing.

The first few sucks may feel strong, but breastfeeding should not remain painful throughout a feed.

If your nipples are becoming increasingly sore, cracked or damaged, do not assume this is simply something you have to endure. Poor positioning or attachment is a common reason for nipple pain, and getting someone experienced to observe a feed can be much more useful than trying to troubleshoot it alone.

How often should you breastfeed?

New babies do not necessarily breastfeed according to a predictable clock.

The NHS recommends responsive feeding, allowing your baby to feed when they show that they are hungry and for as long as they need.

This can mean frequent feeding during the early days, including at night. Your baby’s pattern is also likely to change as they grow.

Rather than measuring whether breastfeeding is going well by the time between feeds, look at the wider picture. How your baby feeds at the breast, swallowing, nappies, weight and how they appear after feeds can all provide useful information.

If you have been given an individual feeding plan because your baby was premature, unwell, had significant weight loss or has another clinical need, follow the advice of the healthcare professionals caring for you and your baby.

How do you know your baby is getting enough milk?

This is one of the most common worries for breastfeeding parents because there is no bottle showing exactly how much milk your baby has taken.

The NHS lists several signs that can help you judge whether feeding is going well. During a feed, you may notice a pattern of quicker sucks followed by longer rhythmic sucks and swallowing. Your baby’s cheeks should stay rounded rather than being drawn inward.

Your baby may seem calm while feeding, come away from the breast by themselves and appear satisfied after most feeds.

Nappies and weight are also important. NHS guidance says that after the first few days, babies should have at least six wet nappies a day. Their stools also change during the first days after birth. Your midwife or health visitor can explain what is expected at your baby’s particular stage.

Babies normally lose some weight shortly after birth, but subsequent weight gain is one of the ways healthcare professionals assess whether feeding is progressing well.

If you are worried about nappies, weight or your baby’s behaviour during feeds, ask your midwife or health visitor to assess the situation rather than relying on a single sign.

What if you are worried about your milk supply?

It is very common to question your milk supply, particularly if your baby suddenly wants to feed more often.

Frequent feeding by itself does not prove that your supply is low. Breast milk production responds to how often milk is removed, so feeding your baby responsively helps support supply.

If you genuinely suspect a supply problem, get skilled support. A midwife, health visitor or breastfeeding specialist can watch your baby feed, assess positioning and attachment and consider other signs such as weight and nappies.

If you are planning to introduce formula while also breastfeeding, it can be useful to discuss this with a feeding professional if maintaining your milk supply is important to you. Replacing breastfeeds with formula means your baby breastfeeds less often, which can reduce the stimulation your breasts receive.

There are many valid reasons families use expressed milk, formula or mixed feeding. Support should help you work towards the feeding arrangement that is appropriate for you and your baby, not make you feel judged.

Sore nipples and other early breastfeeding difficulties

Some nipple sensitivity can happen when you first begin breastfeeding, but ongoing or significant pain deserves attention.

Sore or cracked nipples are commonly associated with difficulties in positioning or attachment. Ask your midwife, health visitor or breastfeeding specialist to watch a complete feed if possible. Small changes to how your baby is positioned can sometimes make feeding much more comfortable.

Breastfeeding parents can experience other difficulties too, including engorgement, blocked ducts and mastitis. Because breast symptoms can have different causes, seek professional advice if you have persistent pain, redness, swelling, a breast that feels hot or symptoms that make you feel unwell.

Your baby’s feeding can also be affected by issues such as tongue-tie or illness. These need individual assessment rather than diagnosis from symptoms alone.

Expressing breast milk

Expressing means removing breast milk by hand or with a breast pump so that it can be stored or given to your baby later.

Some parents express because they will be away from their baby, want another caregiver to give expressed milk, need to support milk production, or have a baby who cannot currently feed directly at the breast.

You can express by hand or use a manual or electric pump. Wash your hands before expressing and follow current NHS guidance for collecting and storing breast milk safely.

Do not worry if expressing feels unfamiliar at first. The amount you express is also not necessarily an accurate measure of the amount your baby can take directly from the breast.

If you need to express because your baby is premature, unwell or unable to breastfeed effectively, ask your maternity or neonatal team for an individual expressing plan.

Breastfeeding does not have to look perfect

There can be a lot of pressure around infant feeding, and that pressure is rarely helpful when you are tired and learning something new.

Some feeds may feel easy and others may not. You may breastfeed directly, express milk, combination feed or change how you feed over time.

If breastfeeding is important to you and you are struggling, getting support early can give you more options. It is reasonable to ask someone to check attachment more than once, especially as your baby grows and feeding changes.

Equally, feeding decisions can involve physical health, mental wellbeing, medication, work, family circumstances and many other factors. Good feeding support should consider you as well as your baby.

When to get professional advice

Speak to your midwife, health visitor, GP or a breastfeeding specialist if breastfeeding is persistently painful, your nipples are cracked or damaged, your baby struggles to attach, you are worried about milk supply, or you are concerned that your baby is not feeding effectively.

Ask for prompt advice if your baby is feeding much less than usual, repeatedly refuses feeds, seems unusually sleepy or difficult to wake for feeds, has fewer wet nappies than expected, is not gaining weight as expected or otherwise seems unwell.

You should also seek medical advice if you develop breast pain, redness, swelling, heat or flu-like symptoms, as these can need assessment.

The NHS also provides breastfeeding support information, and the National Breastfeeding Helpline offers confidential breastfeeding support.

If your baby appears seriously unwell, has difficulty breathing, becomes unresponsive or you are otherwise concerned that there is a medical emergency, seek urgent medical help.

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