Breast milk is the only food and drink your baby needs for the first six months — not even water, even in hot weather. The first weeks are when you and your baby learn together, and it is normal for it to take practice.

The first hour

If you can, hold your baby skin to skin on your chest straight after birth and offer the breast within the first hour. The first thick, yellowish milk, called colostrum, is small in amount but exactly right for a newborn. It helps protect your baby from infection.

A comfortable latch

A good latch makes feeding comfortable for you and effective for your baby. Look for:

  • your baby’s mouth open wide, with the lower lip turned outwards
  • more of the dark skin around the nipple visible above your baby’s top lip than below the bottom lip
  • your baby’s chin touching your breast
  • slow, deep sucks with pauses, and you may hear swallowing

Some tenderness at the start of a feed is common in the first days. Pain that continues through the feed usually means the latch needs adjusting. Gently slide a clean finger into the corner of your baby’s mouth to release, and try again.

How often

Feed whenever your baby shows they are hungry — turning their head, opening their mouth, sucking their hands. Crying is a late sign. Most newborns feed 8 to 12 times in 24 hours, including at night. Let your baby finish the first breast before offering the second.

Is my baby getting enough?

After the first five days or so, signs that feeding is going well include:

  • at least six wet nappies a day
  • soft yellow stools most days
  • your baby seeming content after most feeds
  • steady weight gain at clinic visits

Weigh-ins at your baby’s clinic visits are the surest guide, so take the clinic card every time.

Looking after yourself

Drink water when you feed, eat regular meals, and rest when you can. You do not need special foods to make good milk.

When to ask for help

Speak to a health worker or breastfeeding counsellor if:

  • feeding stays painful, or your nipples are cracked or bleeding
  • a part of your breast is red, hot and painful, or you have a fever
  • your baby has fewer wet nappies, seems very sleepy, or is not waking for feeds
  • your baby looks yellow, especially if it spreads or starts after the first days

Asking early makes most problems quicker to fix.