Resources for your journey
Breastfeeding Basics
Start your journey with confidence. Learn about positioning, achieving a deep latch, and understanding your baby’s hunger cues from the very beginning.
Common Challenges
Navigating nursing isn’t always easy. We provide evidence-based guidance on addressing supply concerns, discomfort, and other obstacles path to feeding success.
Common Breastfeeding Questions
How often should I breastfeed my newborn?
Day 1, Newborns typically sleep longer periods, giving mom and baby a well-needed break. Watch your baby for waking, hand sucking and rooting. Put your baby skin to skin, close to the breast and offer expressed colostrum to get them going. Give supplemental feeds with your expressed colostrum if your baby is unable to latch.
Day 2 and beyond They typically feed 8 to 12 times in a 24-hour period. 8-12 feeds will give your breasts the needed stimulation and emptying they need to maintain milk supply.
Is breastfeeding supposed to hurt?
Minor tenderness within the first few days, and with the initial latch is common, but the pain should subside after the first few sucks. There should be no piercing, pinching or pain. Those signs are an indicator of a shallow latch. Immediately take your baby off the breast, if that occurs. If you experience persistent pain, a consultation can help identify and correct the underlying cause and help you find helpful interventions.
How do I know if my baby is getting enough milk?
It is very common for newborns to loose a little bit of their birth weight (<10%) but should be back to birth weight by 2 weeks of age. Monitor for adequate wet and poopy diapers. A weighted feed will give you the most accurate measurement of amount of milk baby transferred and can be reassuring or telling of something more going on that needs attention.
When should I start pumping?
If your baby is NOT feeding adequately, <8-12 times in a 24 hour period, (ie. if you are unable to breastfeed your baby), you will need to pump in place of feeds. If your baby is feeding adequately and your breasts are still feeling full after feeds, it is ok to pump your breasts to comfort, but pumping them until the flow slows to drips, will cause your body to make more and could set you over into oversupply. *Breasts that continue to feel full after a feed, (after the first week postpartum) is not normal. Reach out to a lactation consultant to determine a reason for this.
When it comes to returning to work, I always recommend starting to pump 2-3 times a day after feeds, 2 weeks before returning to work so you can stock up and prepare your body for being away from your baby while you are working. Click the link below to see your rights as a breastfeeding mom. https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/pump-at-work
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