Breastfeeding provides all the nutrients your baby needs for the first six months of life. It helps to protect your child from infection and other diseases and reduces your chances of getting some illnesses later in life. Breastfeeding also helps you and your baby to get closer – physically and emotionally. So while your child is feeding, the bond between you can grow stronger.

Bottle feeding with infant formula milk does not give your baby the same protection against infection and other diseases as breastmilk. Your milk is also easy for your baby to absorb and is a perfect food to help your little one grow and develop.

Ask for help
It can be a while before you feel confident. Don’t be scared to ask your midwife or health visitor to help you with breastfeeding. Find out if there is a breastfeeding support group near you, it can help to meet other mums who are in the same situation as you. There are also helplines that you can ring, listed below, where trained breastfeeding counsellors can answer your questions and help you with any problems you might have.
• National Breastfeeding Helpline 0300 100 0212
• NCT Breastfeeding Line 0300 330 0771
• La Leche League 0845 120 2918
• Find out more about breastfeeding at www.breastfeeding.nhs.uk

Why is breastfeeding best for babies?
Breastmilk is the only food naturally designed for your baby. It contains all the nutrients that your newborn needs, in the right amounts and in forms for your baby that are very easily absorbed. Its composition even changes as your baby grows and nutrition needs change.

A baby’s immune system is not fully developed at birth. You can help to protect them from infection by breastfeeding because your antibodies are passed to your baby through your milk. Breastfeeding helps protect little ones against:
• Ear infections
• Asthma
• Eczema
• Chest infections
• Gastro-intestinal infections
• Urine infections

It can also help protect your baby against childhood diabetes and obesity. Babies aren’t the only ones who benefit from breastfeeding, it also helps mums too. Breastfeeding helps your womb return to its normal size more quickly, and because it uses up calories, it will help you to lose some of the weight gained in pregnancy. It helps protect you against pre-menopausal breast and ovarian cancer, and can help prevent weak bones later in life. It’s also quicker and easier than bottle feeding – there’s no need to measure out and prepare feeds and sterilise bottles, and it’s always on tap at just the right temperature for your baby.

Successful breastfeeding In the first few days after birth, both you and your baby need to learn what to do. Breastfeeding is a skill that you need to acquire – so don’t be scared to ask for help.

Your milk supply
During the first two to three days after the birth, your baby may be sleepy and may feed infrequently. On the third day, as your milk comes in, your newborn may feed very frequently.

Your breasts produce milk in response to your baby feeding from your breast. The more baby feeds, the more milk you produce, provided that your baby is correctly positioned. So, if you let your baby feed whenever he or she wants to, you’re more likely to produce the right amount of milk for their needs. This is known as demand feeding.

From the third day you may find that your baby will want to feed frequently at irregular intervals. Don’t be tempted to give a bottle at this stage. This will be counterproductive as it reduces the time your baby spends suckling at your breast and, as a result, will reduce your milk supply.

Different kinds of breastmilk
For the first few days after birth, your breasts produce colostrum which looks like rich creamy milk and is sometimes quite yellow in colour. This contains all the food your baby needs as well as antibodies, which pass on your own resistance to infections.

The change from colostrum to milk begins on about the third day, and is known as transitional milk. It becomes full breastmilk after about two weeks. Don’t worry if the milk looks very thin or appears blue-white in colour – this is normal. The make-up of the milk also gradually changes through the course of the feed. The first milk your baby takes flows quickly, is thirst-quenching and means your baby gets a drink at the start of every feed. As the flow slows down during a feed, the amount of fat in your milk increases.

After the birth
Holding your newborn against your skin straight after birth will calm them down. It will also steady their breathing and keep them warm. This is also a great time to start your first breastfeed, because your baby will be alert and want to feed within a couple of hours of birth. Your midwife can help you with this. Babies will be happier if you keep them near you and feed them whenever they are hungry. This will also remind your body to produce plenty of milk for feeding.

If you hold and attach your baby correctly, it will feel comfortable and your baby will feed easily. Your baby needs to be able to squeeze the dark area around your nipple (the areola) to receive milk properly. Your breasts are never empty but the milk is “let down” so that it can gather behind the nipple and areola.

When your baby sucks on just the nipple, he or she doesn’t get much milk and it feels painful for you. If your baby is correctly positioned, breastfeeding shouldn’t hurt.

Hold your baby close to you and try to support the back, shoulders and neck. They should be able to tilt their head back easily, and shouldn’t have to reach out to feed. Your baby’s nose should be opposite your nipple so that they can get a big mouthful of breast from underneath the nipple. Placing baby with their nose level with your nipple will allow them to reach up and attach to the breast well.

To attach your baby to your breast, hold them close to you with their nose level with your nipple. Let their head tip back a little so that their top lip can brush against your nipple. When your baby’s mouth is wide open, bring him or her to the breast with the head back and chin first. They should then take a large mouthful of breast and your nipple should go towards the roof of your baby’s mouth.

If babies are getting enough milk, they will appear content and satisfied after most feeds. Your baby should be healthy and gaining weight after the first two weeks and your breasts and nipples should not be sore.

After the first few days your newborn should have at least six wet nappies a day and from day four onwards they should also pass at least two yellow stools every day.

To help breastfeeding succeed, try not to give your baby other food or drink, as this will reduce your milk supply and you might increase the chance of your baby getting ill. Try not to give your baby a dummy to soothe them either, as babies who have a dummy sometimes find it difficult to remember how to attach to the breast – they will also be less likely to feed when they need to.

• Amy Lim is Social Marketing Manager, Maternal & Infant Nutrition, at the Department of Health’s Health Improvement Directorate.

For more information and advice on breastfeeding, visit www.breastfeeding.nhs.uk