HealthInfo Waitaha Canterbury

Starting to breastfeed/chestfeed

Te tīmata kia whāngai ū

 

Breastfeeding/chestfeeding is a skill like any other and takes time to learn for you and your pēpi (baby). You need patience, time and support from whānau (family), friends and health professionals. You also need access to up-to-date information.

Most people can breastfeed/chestfeed and even if it is not easy at first, it gets easier with time and practice.

Colostrum, which is thick and yellow, and the first milk you produce after birth, is the best food for your newborn. You only make a small amount of it, but it has lots of antibodies and prebiotics. These help protect your pēpi from infections and help them grow healthy gut bacteria.

Around 3 days after your pēpi is born, your milk will change from colostrum to mature milk, which is thinner. The mature milk can be white, yellow or bluish. The colour of your milk is no indication of its food value.

During this time, your breasts will start to feel quite full. You can avoid engorgement by feeding your pēpi often, at least 8 to 12 times in 24 hours.

It is normal for your pēpi to lose weight in their first few days. They should be back to their birth weight by the time they are 2 weeks old.

Getting the right latch is the key to comfortable and successful feeding. Your pēpi needs to be able to remove milk effectively. A good latch means you will not damage your nipples or have pain. This KidsHealth video shows how to position your baby and make sure they latch well. The Joy Series of videos in the recommended links below might also be helpful.

Let-down of milk

Let-down (also called milk ejection reflex or MER) makes your milk available to your pēpi and happens soon after they start suckling. Your baby's suckling stimulates you to make the hormone oxytocin, which triggers milk let-down. Once the milk is flowing, your pēpi begins to suck and swallow rhythmically.

While you are feeding, more let-downs can happen, but you might not feel these. You are likely to notice your pēpi sucking more vigorously or swallowing more milk. Some people do not feel a let-down. Others feel a tingling in their breasts. You may notice that milk drips from the breast not being used. All these experiences are normal.

Feeding frequency

It is good to let your pēpi feed whenever they show signs that they are hungry. These hunger signs include nuzzling, hand sucking and mouthing (when they open their mouth, turn their head and poke their tongue out). Crying is the last feeding cue and once your pēpi gets upset it may be hard to get them to latch. If your pēpi does get upset, calming them will help them latch.

From the second day after birth, pēpi often feed a lot. This is because they have tiny stomachs and can only take small amounts of breast milk (colostrum) with each feed. During this time, frequent feeding also helps to stimulate your milk production.

In the first few days, your pēpi will feed around 8 to 12 times every 24 hours. Some pēpi will feed more often than this. Every pēpi is different, and the number of times they feed depends on several things such as:

• their size and age
• what developmental stage they are going through
• how much milk your breasts can store.

As your pēpi grows, their stomach gets bigger, so they can feed less often but take more milk at each feed. But your pēpi should continue to feed at least 8 times in 24 hours for the first 4 to 6 months.

Breasts are all different, and some store more milk than others (which has nothing to do with your breast size). As a result, some pēpi feed more often than others. It is also quite normal for pēpi to have several days when they want to feed more often, as they are going through a growth spurt. If you are worried about how often your pēpi is feeding, talk to your midwife, lactation consultant or Well Child nurse.

Supplements and special foods

Your pēpi needs iodine to help their brain develop. Health professionals recommend you take an iodine supplement when you are breastfeeding/chestfeeding. You can buy iodine supplements over the counter at a pharmacy, but it is cheaper to get them on prescription from your general practice team or midwife.

If you are eating a healthy diet, you should not have to take any other supplements.

Breastfeeding/chestfeeding can make you thirsty. Have a glass of water next to you each time you breastfeed/chestfeed.

Avoid alcohol when you are breastfeeding/chestfeeding, but having an occasional drink is safe. If you do have a drink, the Feed Safe app can help you figure out when your breast milk will be free of alcohol. It also answers some common questions about alcohol and breastfeeding/chestfeeding. It is free to download.

If your pēpi is exclusively breast fed or getting less than 500 ml of formula a day, they should have Vitamin D supplements until they are 12 months old.

How long to breastfeed/chestfeed

For their first 6 months, it is best to only give your pēpi breast milk.

Even after 6 months, health professionals recommend that you carry on breastfeeding/chestfeeding while introducing other foods. In fact, the World Health Organisation recommends that breastfeeding/chestfeeding continues for 2 years or longer.

  HealthInfo recommends the following videos

• Breastfeeding NZ – The Joy Series of videos about breastfeeding

  A series of videos on starting breastfeeding/chestfeeding.

  HealthInfo recommends the following pages

• Canterbury Breastfeeding Advocacy Service

  Information and support to help you breastfeed/chestfeed.

• HealthEd – Breastfeeding your baby

  Information about breastfeeding/chestfeeding.

  Also available in te reo Māori, Korean, Sāmoan, Simplified Chinese and Tongan.

• Health Information and Services – Breastfeeding

  Information about how to breastfeed/chestfeed, breastfeeding/chestfeeding and work, and more.

• New Zealand Breastfeeding Alliance – Parents

  Information about the importance of breastfeeding/chestfeeding and your rights. It also answers to common questions and other useful resources.

  HealthInfo recommends the following apps

• BreastFedNZ

  Simple, "in the moment" advice.

• Mama Aroha

  Designed to provide support, particularly when there are problems. It uses visuals and kupu Māori to provide the essential information and principles for better understanding.

• Feed Safe

  Handy information about breastfeeding/chestfeeding and alcohol. The app has official recommendations from Te Whatu Ora. It also has local contact details for information and support services. When you follow the link, scroll down the page and you will see links to the version of the Feed Safe app for New Zealand.

On the next page: Getting help with breastfeeding/chestfeeding

Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed October 2024.

Sources

Page reference: 55822

Review key: HIBRF-24381