Our practice strongly supports breastfeeding during infancy. Breast milk provides ideal nutrition and antibodies that help protect babies from infections, and breastfeeding has health benefits for parents as well. It is also a skill that takes practice for both parent and baby. This page covers the basics and common challenges, and explains when to ask for help. Every family's feeding journey is different, and we support you whether you breastfeed, pump, use formula or combine them.
Getting Started
- Start early. Skin-to-skin contact and a first feeding within the first hour after birth help establish breastfeeding.
- Feed on demand. Newborns typically eat 8 to 12 times in 24 hours. Watch for early hunger cues such as rooting, lip smacking and bringing hands to the mouth; crying is a late sign.
- Focus on the latch. A good latch includes much of the areola, not just the nipple. Baby's lips should be flanged outward and you should hear swallowing. Pain that continues throughout a feeding often means the latch needs adjusting.
- Colostrum is enough at first. The small amount of early milk is rich in nutrients and antibodies. Milk volume usually increases within 2 to 5 days after birth.
Is My Baby Getting Enough?
Signs that feeding is going well include:
- Steady swallowing during feeds and a content baby afterward
- Wet and dirty diapers increasing over the first days; by about day 5, around 6 or more wet diapers and several yellow, seedy stools a day
- Regaining birth weight by about 10 to 14 days of age
Your baby's first office visit, a few days after going home, includes a weight check. Call us sooner if your baby is very sleepy and hard to wake for feeds, has few wet diapers, has dark urine after the first few days, or looks increasingly yellow (jaundiced).
Common Challenges
Sore or cracked nipples
Usually a sign of a shallow latch. Try different holds, break suction gently with a clean finger before removing baby, and apply a little expressed milk or lanolin after feeds.
Engorgement
Full, firm, uncomfortable breasts are common when milk comes in. Frequent feeding, hand expressing a little milk to soften the breast before latching, and cool compresses between feeds can help.
Plugged ducts and mastitis
A tender lump can be a plugged duct. Keep feeding, use gentle massage and rest. Fever, chills, body aches or a red, hot area of the breast can signal mastitis; contact your own health care provider promptly.
Returning to work or school
Many parents continue breastfeeding while working by pumping. Start practicing with a pump a few weeks before you return, and talk with your employer about a place and time to express milk.
How Long to Breastfeed
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding for about the first 6 months, followed by continued breastfeeding along with appropriate solid foods for as long as mother and baby wish, for 2 years or beyond. Breastfed babies also need a daily vitamin D supplement; ask us about the right amount.
Breastfeeding Safety Tips
- Check with a health care provider before taking medicines or supplements while breastfeeding.
- Avoid smoking and vaping; avoid alcohol or wait before nursing after a drink.
- If you feed your baby in bed, return baby to their own safe sleep space afterward. See safe sleep for babies.
Where to Find Support
Lactation consultants, the hospital where you delivered, WIC programs and breastfeeding support groups can all help. The AAP's HealthyChildren.org breastfeeding section and the CDC's breastfeeding pages offer reliable information. Bring your feeding questions to every newborn visit; we are here to help. Expecting? Visit our expecting parents page.