Starting to breastfeed your baby

During the first three days you and your baby start to get into the swing of things as far as breast-feeding is concerned. This is the practice time for both of you before the real thing. Most babies will be able to take all the colostrum they need by suckling five to 10 minutes on each breast every three hours or so. (Using only one breast at this stage is a nonsense as there is no ‘hind’ colostrum.)

If he seems to want to suckle for much longer periods, hear warning bells. It’s probable that he’s not getting the colostrum because his positioning is incorrect. This means that although he may be properly latched on to the nipple and areola he is not on at the correct angle to the breast. This results in kinking of the tiny ducts inside the nipple, which blocks the flow of the colostrum.

Ask a senior midwife to check his feeding position. This is very important, as if he suckles vigorously but is not properly latched on and at the correct angle you will get sore nipples before you have even started to lactate.