What to expect in the first few days In the first few days, you and your baby will be getting to know each other. It may take time for both of you to get the hang of breastfeeding. Before the birth It’s good to find out as much as you can about breastfeeding before the birth. Knowing what to expect should help you feel as confident as possible when you've just given birth and want to breastfeed your baby.

Antenatal sessions should cover the most important aspects of breastfeeding, such as positioning and attachment, expressing, common questions and concerns, and how to overcome them. You can find out more form your Midwife.

Click here for the ‘Off to the best start leaflet’.

Although the health benefits of breastfeeding are overwhelmingly clear, the reality is that many parents don’t get the practical information and support they need to start breastfeeding or to continue as long as they wish. Nine out of ten women who have stopped breastfeeding before six months say they wished they could have carried on for longer, and many say they stopped because of a lack of information and support.

There is a DVD ‘From bump to breastfeeding’: following real mothers' stories to find out how, shows parents how to get started breastfeeding and provide practical answers to the common problems. This valuable resource, which is endorsed by five Royal Colleges, has been designed to motivate and enable the next generation of mothers to make a supported choice to breastfeed and can be viewed in seven languages including Urdu, Bengali and Somali.

Please click here for the Department of Health Link where you can view The DVD.

Immediately after your baby is born 

Having Skin to skin contact with your baby straight after the birth will help to keep your body warm, calm your baby, and help with the first breastfeed.

Please click here for UNICEF Baby Friendly Information about skin to skin.

Every pregnant woman makes milk for her baby, which is ready and available at birth. This milk is called colostrum and is sometimes a yellow colour. It's very concentrated, so your baby will only need a small amount at each feed (approximately a teaspoonful). Your baby may want to feed quite frequently, perhaps every hour. But they will begin to have longer feeds less often when your milk comes in, in a few days. The more you breastfeed the more milk you'll produce. The time between feeds will vary, and you and your baby will settle into a pattern, which may change from time to time.

How often will my baby feed?

All babies are different, and it may depend on the type of birth you've had. Your baby should feed within the first hour after birth to get off to a good start. Babies then sometimes have a sleep and will start to give you signs that they're ready for the next feed. These signs include:

• starting to move about as they wake up 

• moving their head around 

• finding something to suck, usually their fingers

Building up your milk supply

Around two to four days after birth you may notice that your breasts become fuller and warmer. This is often referred to as your milk ‘coming in’. Your milk will vary according to your baby’s needs. It will look thin compared with colostrum, but gets creamier as the feed goes on.

Each time your baby feeds, your body knows to make the next feed. Feed your baby as often as they want. This is called baby-led feeding (it's also known as 'on-demand'). Let your baby decide when they’ve had enough. It's not necessary to time the feeds. In the beginning, it can seem that you're doing nothing but feeding, but gradually, you and your baby will get into a pattern of feeding, and the amount of milk you produce will settle.

It's important to breastfeed at night because this is when you produce more hormones (prolactin) to build up your milk supply. At night, your baby will be safest sleeping in a cot in the same room as you.

Help and support

If you're very uncomfortable or sore, ask for help. Midwives, health visitors and trained volunteers can offer information and practical help with breastfeeding. Talk to your midwife or health visitor about the information and support available in your area.  

For more information on how to get comfortable and make sure your baby is properly attached, please click here.

Link to Bosom Buddies Groups

Breastfeeding Network

Links to Contact Numbers