When you first have your baby it’s not uncommon to feel like there was so much hype around the birth (which is often over within 1–2 days, sometimes quicker if you are lucky) and not a lot of chat about breastfeeding. The first week can feel quite overwhelming and you can feel like you are not prepared for this part of your journey.
Here is some information so you can feel a bit more prepared and go into this part of your journey eyes wide open.
What to Expect:
- Ideally your baby will have had her first feed within the first hour of birth.
- Many babies are pretty sleepy for the first day so take the opportunity to get as much sleep as you can between feeds
- You will be encouraged to demand feed. Colostrum is a sticky, yellow milk rich in antibodies. Wake baby if she isn’t feeding often.
- Make sure you get help with a deep latch each time to avoid sore nipples.
- By day 2, bub may feed more often, 2–4 hourly.
- Second night cluster feeding is common—this brings milk in and is normal.
- Watch for swallowing—this signals colostrum transitioning to milk.
Top Tip: Ask your midwife/LC for help to achieve a deep attachment each time, don’t try to fumble through on your own.
Day 2–3 is an exciting time as your milk will ‘come in’. You’ll see more frequent swallowing, bub’s poo changing from black to brown to yellow, and heavier nappies. Bub will start gaining weight. Allow upright time after feeding to help digest the higher volume of milk.
Normal weight loss is between 5–7% for a breastfed baby around day 3–5. If your baby has lost more than this, seek help from your LMC/LC/GP.
Red Flags:
- Urine: <6–8 wet nappies in 24 hrs
- Stools: <2 in 24 hrs
- Jaundice: worsening or not improving
- Lethargic baby or not waking for feeds
- Poor tone, >10% weight loss
- <8 feeds in 24 hrs
- Baby on/off breast frequently or refusing
- No change in sucking pattern or noisy feeding
- Feeds <5 min or >40 min
- No spontaneous release of breast
- Baby unsettled after feeds
- Misshapen or pinched nipples, sore nipples, engorgement or mastitis
Invest your time in lots of Breastfeeding . . . it will pay off! What to expect?
Feed, Sleep, Feed, Sleep, Feed, Feed, Feed!!
- Alert and awake, primed for feeding.
- If breastfeeding is effective, there is a period of sleep - this is a great time to recover and get a good rest.
- Your baby may want to feed lots! This is normal.
- Spend as much time skin to skin and be prepared - rest when baby is sleeping.
- The milk comes in: Feed baby as often as possible.
- Baby blues: Huge changes in hormones take place. You may feel a bit teary and emotional for a day or two.
- PKU test: A heel prick blood test that can pick up more than 20 metabolic disorders.
- A health professional will do a full baby check including weight.
- Your milk should have come in and baby is feeding by supply and demand. Feeding lots in the first few weeks will set up more prolactin receptors, resulting in long term milk supply. If you're not sure about feeding, get help as soon as possible.