Breastfeeding in the First Days: What to Expect

The first days with your baby are a mix of tenderness, tiredness and a thousand questions. If you’re breastfeeding or want to give it a try, you’re probably wondering whether you have enough milk, whether your baby is latching properly and why they want to feed “all the time”. Let’s sort things out – most of what you’re seeing is completely normal.

The short answer: Your baby needs only about a teaspoon of colostrum per feed at first, with at least 8–12 feeds in 24 hours, including at night. For most women the milk comes in around day 3. From about day 5–6, look for at least 6 heavy, wet nappies a day.

What is colostrum and is it enough?

In the first days, your breasts produce colostrum – the very first milk. It’s thick, yellowish and highly concentrated. That’s why your baby needs only a tiny amount – according to the NHS, about a teaspoon per feed.

Colostrum is rich in nutrients and antibodies (protective substances that support your baby’s immune system). It also has a mild laxative effect and helps your baby pass their first dark poos, called meconium.

And a newborn’s tummy in the first days is tiny – about the size of a cherry. That small amount of colostrum is exactly the right size.

How often should you breastfeed?

Often. Really often. The NHS and CDC recommend at least 8–12 feeds in 24 hours, including at night. Some babies are sleepy on day one and feed less often, then on day two or three they suddenly want the breast almost every hour.

That doesn’t mean you have no milk. Frequent feeding is how your baby “places an order” for more – the more the breast is emptied, the more milk is made.

When does your milk “come in”?

For most women, the thinner, whiter milk arrives around the third day after birth, and with a first baby sometimes a little later. Your breasts may feel fuller, warmer and tight. Frequent feeding helps relieve this.

How can you tell things are going well?

The easiest way – by the nappies:

• In the first 48 hours – about 2–3 wet nappies a day.
• From around day 5–6 – at least 6 heavy, wet nappies.
• Poos gradually change from black and sticky (meconium) to yellow. From day 5 onwards, the NHS mentions at least 2 yellow poos a day.
• You can hear or see your baby swallowing, and after most feeds they seem settled.

A little weight loss in the first days is normal. Most babies are back to their birth weight by about 2 weeks.

What helps at the start?

• Skin-to-skin contact – your baby, wearing just a nappy, on your bare chest. It calms you both and makes latching easier.
• Watch for early hunger cues: lip-smacking, rooting with their mouth, hands to mouth. Crying is a later sign.
• If latching is tricky, your midwife can show you how to hand-express colostrum. In the first days only drops may come out – and that’s normal.
• Ask for help early. Pain that doesn’t go away isn’t something you “just have to put up with”.

For the dads

Your role here is huge, even if you’re not the one feeding. Bringing water, a pillow, burping, nappy changes, keeping visitors at bay – all of it makes breastfeeding easier. No worries if you don’t know how – just ask what would help.

When to contact a midwife or paediatrician

Get in touch promptly if:

• your baby is very sleepy and hard to wake for feeds;
• wet nappies are getting fewer instead of more;
• breastfeeding hurts and the pain doesn’t ease;
• you suspect your baby isn’t getting enough milk.

📖 Read next: Starting Solids: When and How to Begin · How to Tell Your Baby Is Full and Gaining Weight Well

One more thing

Breastfeeding is a skill that’s learned – by you and by your baby. If you decide to combine it with formula or to formula-feed, that’s a valid choice too, and one you can talk through with your paediatrician. A well-fed baby and a calm mum – that’s the goal.

The first days aren’t a test, they’re a getting-to-know-you. Be gentle with yourself – you’re learning together, and every day it will feel a little more natural. 💛

Sources: NHS – Breastfeeding: the first few days; CDC – What to Expect While Breastfeeding; NHS Grampian – Colostrum; NHS – Is my baby getting enough milk?.