Breastfeeding: Week one

Tips for a smooth start to nursing your baby

Teresa Pitman,

Originally published in Today's Parent January 2011

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You’ll hear it over and over: Every baby is unique. It’s true, and because of that, your breastfeeding experience with your baby won’t be quite the same as your sister’s or your best friend’s. All the same, there are common patterns you can expect during your first week of nursing.

Day 1: First feeding

Some babies seem to be born eager to latch on, while others take their time. “I had a really fast labour with Isabella,” says Elisa Brook about her four-week-old daughter. “I think she and I were both feeling a bit shocked and shaky once she was born. Then I remember thinking, “Gosh, I haven’t nursed her yet.” That was probably 15 or 20 minutes after the birth.”

To Brook, an experienced breastfeeding mother, that 15-minute wait seemed like a long delay, but other mothers sometimes wait an hour or two while the baby is weighed and cleaned up before getting a chance to hold her and start breastfeeding. A mother who’s had a Caesarean may wait even longer, and that’s less than ideal.

The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative guidelines, established by UNICEF, recommend that all mothers be helped to initiate breastfeeding within half an hour after the baby’s birth. The baby seems to be primed to start then, and the antibodies in the first milk will protect her at a time when she’s most vulnerable to infection.

That recommendation includes Caesarean mothers as well, who -- with a little help — can breastfeed while the incision is being stitched up, or in the recovery room right afterwards. If you’re feeling a bit shaky yourself after the dramatic experience of giving birth, the good news is that your baby knows what to do. Lactation consultant Diane Wiessinger of Ithaca, NY, recommends a “laid-back” nursing position for that first feeding, where the mother gets in a comfortable, semi-reclining position and lets the baby lie face down on her chest and abdomen.

“The baby can crawl to the breast on his own, using his senses of touch and smell,” Wiessinger explains. “Babies all do it a bit differently, but they will find the breast and latch on, and usually latch on beautifully. In that semi-reclining position, you don’t have to do much — gravity holds the baby against your body, and you can just give a little support if you feel it will help.”

If the baby’s first latch is not comfortable for you, Wiessinger suggests trying to adjust it a little while the baby is nursing. “Tuck the baby in a little closer, help him tip his head back a bit more, and wiggle around until it feels better,” she says. If it is really painful and the wiggling technique doesn’t help, you may want to slide your finger into the corner of his mouth to break the suction, then let him try again.

Often this first feeding is a fairly long one. The baby may nurse for 20 or 30 minutes on one side, take a little break, and continue for another 20 minutes on the other breast. Others will nurse only briefly before going to sleep. And still other babies won’t take the breast at all right after the birth. That’s OK. Keep your baby skin to skin with you, and he’ll probably latch on soon.

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