What to Expect in the First Few Days of Breastfeeding

Babies feed really, really, frequently in the first few days after birth. This is very normal and nothing to be concerned about. At first, your baby has a very tiny tummy and only drinks a small volume of colostrum from your breasts...

The Importance of Colostrum

The colostrum is perfect to fuel baby’s brain and tastes very sweet but it’s not very high in protein or fat. This means your baby likes to feed on the breast really frequently to keep filling them up with small quantities of colostrum.

Addressing Milk Supply Worries

Some mums may think that they do not have enough milk for their baby at the beginning but this is not true. Just because baby is feeding really often, i.e. every 45mins – 3 hours does not mean that you do not have enough. Babies are designed to feed frequently to help initiate your milk supply.

As long as your baby is doing enough wet and dirty nappies the midwives will keep encouraging you to hold your baby in skin to skin contact and feed on demand, as this is perfect right now.

What to Expect When You Start Breastfeeding

Once your milk starts to come in, you will feel your breasts getting heavier as the volume of milk increases and the consistency of the milk changes too. This milk has larger amounts of fat and protein and can fill baby up for a little longer. Babies still feed frequently, anywhere between 8-12 times in 24 hours.

As baby and you learn to breastfeed over the next few weeks you will find baby’s breastfeeds probably settle into a recognisable pattern. As you both grow in skills and confidence you will find breastfeeding feels easy.

Are you a breastfeeding mum? How would you describe your breastfeeding journey so far? Please join the conversation here or on our Medela Australia Facebook page.