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Breastfeeding Guide for First Time Moms

Breastfeeding is hard. I thought it would be second nature for a mom to be able to breastfeed a baby, so I didn’t research about it. I really didn’t think I needed to!

Boy, was I in for a BIG surprise (and lots of pain).

In this post, I cover EVERYTHING you’ll want to know about breastfeeding as a first time mom.

Right after the first latch with my first daughter, I gained a blister. It was SO painful. I had to resort to pumping the blistered side and trying to learn how to latch with the other side for the rest of my hospital stay.

While the willingness for my daughter to suck was immense, I had DROPS coming out. I am not exaggerating. I was exasperated. My mind raced to think I didn’t have enough milk. I was worried my baby was going to starve (but of course there’s formula! That’s another post in itself). I was cold sweating anticipating every feed. Don’t be like me.

Note that I am NOT a healthcare provider or lactation consultant, and this is NOT medical advice. This post is what I’ve learned throughout my personal experience as a mom of 2. I also want to stress that you should consult your healthcare provider if you have underlying health conditions that prevent you from breastfeeding successfully. Fed is best!

If you’re in the thick of it learning to breastfeed as you read this, know that the light at the end of the tunnel is that it does gets easier. Exponentially easier. You can do it with your eyes closed easier. AND it doesn’t hurt!

My experience currently with my second daughter is also night and day from my first daughter. She is currently 100% breastfed. No more cold sweating. No more wondering if she’s hungry.

World Health Organization (WHO) & Public Health Agency of Canada Recommendations for Breastfeeding

  • Breast milk only for feeding your baby from birth to 6 months old

Source: Government of Canada, WHO

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What to Expect for Breastfeeding for the First Time

Newborn Breastfeeding Schedule

  • Newborns eat FREQUENTLY. It will feel like you’re going from feeding to feeding because your newborn has a tiny stomach (about the size of a cherry).
  • Your baby is trying to “demand” your body to create more milk “supply“.
    • Your milk may not come in right away after you give birth. It could take 2-5 days after your baby is born. Your baby’s sucking and saliva signals to your body to bring in the milk.
    • Try your best to feed “on demand” which could mean every 30 minutes, every hour or every 2 hours in the first 4 weeks.
    • You will experience cluster feeding which often happens when baby is growing or in my case, before my daughter was banking the milk for the night stretch. This looks like feeding on the hour for 2-3 hours (or more frequently!). This is also called the “witching hour” – really should be witching HOURS with a capital S.
  • Watch for wet diapers and weight gain to know if your baby has ate enough, not by intake.

Breastfeeding is a Learned Skill

Your Newborn Needs to Learn to Latch Properly

  • Newborns have tiny mouths. They are also very sleepy. It takes a lot of energy to suck. As they grow, it will become easier and easier. This takes time.
  • My lactation consultant taught me to help my daughter adjust her latch by pushing down on the chin for 5-10 seconds and flange out upper lip.
  • Check with your healthcare provider/lactation consultant if your newborn might have a lip tie or a tongue tie.

Your Milk has Different Phases and Compositions

  • Phase 1 Colostrum: thick, first milk or “liquid gold”. Very rich in nutrients and antibodies.
    • Pro tip: store some to use for when you baby gets sick within the first 6 months.
  • Phase 2 Transitional Milk: 2 to 5 days up to 2 weeks after delivery. Milk is bluish-white in colour.
  • Phase 3 Mature Milk: 10 to 15 days after birth. Let your baby empty the first breast before switching to the next to get the right mix of nutrients at each feeding.
    • Fore-milk: beginning of the feed that contains mostly water, some vitamins and proteins.
    • Hind-milk: after the initial letdown that contains higher levels of fat and important for weight gain.

Source: WIC Breastfeeding Support, American Pregnancy Association

How Long It Takes to Establish Milk Supply

  • It will take 4-6 weeks for your supply to regulate.
    • When your milk comes in, you will feel like your breasts are rock hard. It might feel like there are hard lumps and it’s uncomfortable. This is normal.
    • This means your will have less engorgement, or less need to pump to increase supply.
    • This also means it takes AT LEAST 4-6 weeks to know if you “have enough” milk. Assuming you do not have other underlying medical issues.

Breastfed Baby Poop

Likely you’ll get a chart from the hospital on baby poop. All I knew was that breastfed babies will have more yellow and runnier poop than formula fed babies.

  • After initial meconium (sticky, thick, dark poop) passes, breastfed babies will have soft, fairly fluid, golden yellow seedy poop.
  • My 2nd daughter was fully breastfed and didn’t poop for 10 days at one point. Turns out, she was absorbing everything. Breastfed babies will poop infrequently compared to formula fed babies.
  • Runny poop is very normal. If you supplement with formula, likely it will be more brown than golden yellow. My mom freaked me out by telling me she thinks my baby has diarrhea because she formula fed me and expected much more “solid” poops. Don’t listen to your mom’s decades old fuzzy memory about baby poop.
  • Worry when the poop has blood or the poop is pale, almost grey/white. Contact your healthcare provider immediately. Call 8-1-1 the nurse line.

Breastfed Babies Need Vitamin D

  • Your breastfed baby will need 400 IU per day of vitamin D. Vitamin D helps with absorption of Calcium and Phosphorus which is important for strong bones.
    • If you are supplementing with formula, you still need to give them vitamin D.
  • I give my daughter BioGaia Probiotic Drops with Vit D. My second daughter is very gassy and probiotic drops really work to help her relieve gas. Kill two birds with one stone!

Breastfeeding Tips For First Time Moms

  1. Find a lactation consultant near you and book her BEFORE you give birth.
    • Most effective time to hire a lactation consultant is 0-4 weeks postpartum. SUPER worth it to get a personalized plan with your physiology.
    • Many lactation consultants are also registered nurses, and you can get some medical coverage with your extended health benefits. Call and check first.
  2. Give yourself time and grace to learn to breastfeed.
    • I would recommend at least 4-6 weeks. Many moms give up before they hit the first month mark, RIGHT before their supply regulates.
  3. Bring your nursing pillow to the hospital. Use LOTS of pillows to support yourself until you learn to breastfeed.
  4. Use a nipple butter (this one is a great dupe) after every feed.
    • Nipple cream/butter/balms are safe to be ingested. I prefer organic, oil based nipple balms that are easily spread and not too thick.
    • Prep your nipples BEFORE you give birth for that first latch!
  5. Breastfeed on demand for the first 6 weeks (or longer).
    • This is helpful for establishing your supply. It might look like 8+ times in 24 hours within the first 6 weeks.
  6. Rest for at least 4 continuous hours to sleep.
    • Breastfeeding and pumping is work. Your body needs a break to rest and produce milk.
    • I did this by supplementing with my pumped milk that I saved after direct feeding, OR formula depending on how much pumped milk I had.
  7. Take a deep breath after your baby latches, and relax your shoulders.
    • My lactation consultant told me to do this because I was hunched over my baby, trying to see if she latched properly in the beginning days. It was killing my back and neck. This simple breath exercise helped me relax my shoulders and my back is less strained.

How to Increase Milk Supply FAST

  • Skin to Skin. This REALLY works, and it’s FREE. I pumped another 1oz after a good 30 minutes of snuggle session.
  • Drink water. This might seem like a no-brainer but for a sleep deprived new mom, this is a crucial reminder. I am a terrible water drinker, but this 40oz tumbler has helped me SO MUCH to drink a ton of water. I’m very picky when it comes to my drinking vehicle. The most important of which is not to alter the taste. This tumbler checks all of my boxes: high quality stainless steel, sweat proof, has straw (3 ways to drink), has a handle, fits in car cup holder AND dishwasher safe. Woah.
  • Fenugreek + Blessed Thistle supplement. I saw a significant increase of over 2oz almost overnight! Downside is the pills are smelly and HUGE (fish oil size) and you need to take up to 8 a day.
  • Oatmeal + 2 tablespoons Flaxseed for breakfast. Not only it’ll help with your morning hunger pangs (breastfeeding makes you hungry ALL THE TIME), it’s a healthy boost to your milk supply. This was my breakfast ever since doing some late night research panicking about my newborn not having enough breastmilk. It works!
  • Boons lactation cookies. I really like the salted caramel and chocolate chip flavours. I ate these as my snacks between feeds especially during the night when I couldn’t get up to eat anything else. I ate about 2-3 cookies after the feed when I was the most hungry.
  • Power pumping. This is meant to mimic your baby’s cluster feeding pattern. Do not do this in between your nursing sessions because you might not have enough milk for baby.
    • Right after a feeding session, pump 15 minutes (both breasts, simultaneously)
    • 10 minutes of rest
    • pump again for another 10 minutes
    • 10 minutes of rest
    • pump again for another 5 minutes

Breast feeding Station Essentials

I keep everything organized in a utility cart so it can be repurposed after my nursing journey.

  • Nursing pillow. Nook Niche Organic Nursing Pillow gets my highest recommendation. Check my blog post blurb here on why it’s the best over the Boppy and my Brest Friend.
  • Large water bottle with straw. This 40oz tumbler is my favourite at half the price of the cult favourite Stanley tumbler.
  • Nipple butter/balm. Motherlove was my favourite until I found this Lansinoh dupe that is much more affordable. The ones I recommend are oil based and WILL stain your clothes. I wear nipple pads in my nursing bra 24/7.
  • Burp cloths. Babies spit up A LOT. My first daughter had reflux and spat up a ton after each feed. These burp cloths are so soft and big enough for so many purposes.
  • Nursing bra. Again, babies spit up a lot. These are my favourite nursing bras. I’ve also linked a great value nursing bra here. Make sure you size up from your regular size during nursing!
  • Disposable nursing pads. I didn’t have the energy to catch my letdown from the other breast every feed, so these were a must have for me. I replace it once a day when I shower, but you can replace it more frequently if you have a lot more supply. I prefer the Lansinoh ones over the Medela ones because they are softer and more absorbent. 
  • Manual pump or milk catcher. You can get the popular original Haakaa manual breast pump or the new milk collector to get the letdown. The pro of the manual pump is that it can help you express milk, not just catch it.
  • Supplements. I continue to take my prenatal vitamins, and add on vitamin d and calcium throughout my nursing journey. Most importantly, I take sunflower lecithin to prevent clogged ducts and mastitis (see below). I keep it on my utility cart so I don’t forget to take them.
  • Snacks. I try to snack in between feeds as much as I can to keep my supply and energy levels high. If you have supply worries, I really liked these boons lactation cookies.
  • Dimmable touch control light. Super important to keep the room dark for those night feeds so baby can stay asleep and mom can go back to bed quickly. I like this dimming egg.

Pumping Station Add On

  • Electric breast pump. I have the Medela Freestyle Flex. It’s quiet, portable, and a closed system (meaning your milk won’t get into the tubing which is great to prevent leaking AND you can sell it afterwards).
    • I did not bring this to the hospital. I used the hospital’s breast pump with my first daughter.
  • Pumping bra. I have only one of the Medela hands free pumping bustier since I didn’t pump regularly past the first 3 months. It was especially helpful when I got tired of holding the pump parts and sitting in one position for 10-20 minutes. Remember the fit is meant to be VERY snug so it will stay on.
  • Extra storage bottles. I have 6 of these extras for pumping, storing let down, to reheat the thawed milk, so many purposes.
  • Milk storage bags. I store these milk storage bags on the utility cart but I make the milk transfer in the kitchen. I don’t want to lose any precious milk.

Bottle Feeding Information

You may need to supplement with formula, or pump and feed with a bottle. I personally supplemented with formula from birth with my first daughter because she had jaundice (and I had DROPS of milk coming out the first few days).

This is a great way for moms to get some rest and get your partner or another loved one to help.

Not all babies will take all bottles, especially if they have experienced breastfeeding. I would say start with one or two types of bottles and get more if necessary.

Start with the SLOWEST nipple flow to mimic the natural breastfeeding nipple flow. If the flow is too fast, the baby will either be too lazy to suck (why work for it?) or choke on the milk and cannot feed successfully.

I highly recommend getting GLASS bottles. My favourite one is the Philips Avent Glass Natural Bottle. You can read about why I recommend glass bottle and this bottle in my blog post here.

Supplementing with Formula

There is no hard and fast rule with supplementing with formula. IF you want to supplement with formula, I highly suggest starting with it sooner than later (within the first weeks of life) because once they know you can produce enough milk, it will be difficult to switch/add on formula into the routine.

I will be making a dedicated formula post later. The deciding factor is of course that your baby:

  1. Like and tolerate the formula. Many babies can be sensitive or allergic to certain ingredients.
  2. You can purchase it readily. This is important because if you want to supplement consistently, you don’t want to run out because of quality or production issues.

Remember, Fed is Best. Breastfeeding can be a difficult journey and YOUR mental health as a mom is the most important thing. You may choose to supplement with formula for any number of reasons:

  • Your milk has not yet come in.
  • Your baby has jaundice and you need consistent (and enough) feeding to ensure they pass the bilirubin.
  • Your baby seems hungry and your breasts are emptied.
  • You are tired from cluster feeding.
  • You are tired from long feeds with baby (sometimes up to an hour!).
  • You are tired, period.

The composition of breastmilk is different as I mentioned above, and it is more readily absorbed by your baby. Formula will have more residue and that’s why it will change the baby’s poop consistency and frequency.

A few ways (that I can think of) you can supplement with formula:

  • Supplement after each feed as a “top-up” to breastfeeding.
  • Supplement as its own full feed before the longest night stretch. Some moms say this helps their babies sleep longer because it ensures the quantifiable amount of milk (thus calories) that baby will take in. However, breastmilk at night has higher levels of natural melatonin which helps babies sleep. You can try it out for yourself and see which works best for your situation.
  • Supplement as its own feed when you are out and don’t want to breastfeed in public.

A huge caveat here is that if you’re only feeding your baby with formula once a day, she may not want to take the feed because of her preference for the breastfeeding experience (preference for mom’s nipples, warmth, milk taste, etc). You may want to do two bottle feedings a day to get her used to alternating feeding options.

How Much Milk to Give in a Bottle

  • First 3 Weeks: 60ml to 90ml or 2oz to 3oz
  • 3 Weeks – 6 Months: 90 to 150ml or 3oz to 5oz
  • Tip: Try not to give your baby pumped milk from the AM at night PM and vice versa.
    • Breast milk pumped in the morning has more cortisol to make babies more alert.
    • Breast milk pumped at night has more melatonin to make the baby drowsy and sleepy.

Paced Bottle Feeding

  • Paced bottle feeding is especially helpful for slower flow to mimic the more natural flow for breastfed babies. It is also really helpful for babies with reflux, babies that are gassy or babies that have frequent spit ups.
    • I do this for all of my bottle feeds no matter if I’m using my pumped milk or formula.
  • How to paced bottle feed:
    1. Hold your baby in an upright position sitting on your lap with your non-dominant hand supporting her neck.
    2. With your dominant hand, take the bottle and tickle her lip with the bottle nipple so she can open her mouth wide for feeding.
    3. Hold the bottle horizontally (as opposed to tilting it with the bottom in the air) and ensure the bottle nipple is fully inserted into the baby’s mouth, with her nose touching the bottle. This allows for a tighter seal and less air to get in during the feeding.
    4. Let baby feed for about 30 seconds, then tilt the bottom of the bottle downwards WITHOUT taking the nipple out of the baby’s mouth to stop the flow of milk.
    5. Repeat this process (DO NOT take the nipple out of the baby’s mouth!) and end the feeding session when she seems full. Signs of being full might look like her unlatching, or turn her head, or closing her mouth.
    6. You can burp the baby and try again if they have not finished the bottle, but don’t force it.

How to Store Breastmilk Properly

  • Room Temperature 16°C (60°F) to 29°C (85°F): up to 4 hours
  • Cooler with Frozen Gel Packs 15°C (59°F): up to 24 hours
  • Refrigerator 4°C (39°F): up to 72 hours or 3 days
  • Refrigerator Freezer -4°C (24°F): up to 6 months 

Do NOT Do the Following!

  • Refreeze thawed milk
  • Use thawed and then refrigerated breast milk after 24 hours
  • Use microwave to warm milk. Microwave creates hot spots that can burn your baby.
  • Reuse leftover breast milk, it is best to throw away any milk left in the bottle after a feeding.

Source: HealthLink BC

Reheating Thawed Milk

  • Use a bottle warmer!!! Again, DO NOT use microwave to reheat the milk.
  • My first daughter unfortunately did not like the taste of my thawed breastmilk. Some babies don’t and that’s just preference. Some milk (like mine) taste a bit more metallic or “soapy” after it’s frozen then thawed. It was a bit too late when I found out because I was thawing my frozen milk after I weaned around when she was 9 months old. I highly suggest you freeze and test your milk earlier on to not waste pumping efforts.
    • If this is the case for you, do not fret and do NOT waste your precious milk. You can use it to give your baby baths or mix it into their food!

How to Prevent Mastitis and Clogged Ducts

What Is Mastitis?

Breast inflammation (pain, swelling, warmth and redness on the skin) most common in the first 6 months of breastfeeding. Quick onset with fever, body aches and chills. Mastitis usually involves an infection.

My experience was pretty much exactly this. I was shocked at how quickly I came down with feverish symptoms and I needed to lie down.

What Causes Mastitis?

  • Most commonly from delaying or skipping a feeding or pumping session.
  • You don’t empty the breast regularly.
  • You have cracked or irritated nipples from poor positioning or poor latching.
  • Poor hygiene with nipple care.
  • If you had mastitis previously, you’re more likely to get it again.
  • Clogged ducts from bras that are too small, or positions that cause you to press on you breasts for long periods of time (for example sleeping on your breasts or getting massages).
    • This is how I got mastitis around 14 weeks into breastfeeding my second daughter.

Source: HealthlinkBC on breast engorgement and mastitis.

Tips to Prevent Mastitis

  • Properly sized bra. It’s better to go bigger than smaller. Always go at least 1 size bigger than your normal size before pregnancy!
  • Massage during feeds if you have engorgement. If you have any lumps or feelings of engorgement, massage the lump at the same time you are feeding to relieve that area to prevent milk buildup.
  • Gradual increase in duration between feeds.
    • For example, Do NOT go from feeding every 2 hours to suddenly over 4 hours during the day without feed.
  • Keep hydrated. Drink LOTS of water. This helps your body flush out toxins and potential infections.
  • Do not press on your breasts. Tight fitting bra or clothes are a no go. It’s also best to avoid sleeping on your breasts. Your breast tissues are highly sensitive during nursing and some moms report getting mastitis just from getting kicked in the boob by their baby during changing.
  • Keep nipple area clean. Change out your disposable nursing pads when they are soaked, at least once or twice a day. Ensure you use nipple cream if your nipples are dry or cracked as they are more susceptible to infections.
  • Take sunflower lecithin supplements. My midwife recommended me to take sunflower lecithin everyday with my first daughter and helped SO MUCH with engagement and clogged ducts. I never got mastitis or clogged ducts with my first daughter. I wasn’t as consistent with my second daughter and low and behold – I got mastitis!

Treatment For Mastitis

  1. Antibiotics. I felt better within 24 hours of taking antibiotics. Make sure you FINISH your prescription.
  2. Take sunflower lecithin to soften clogged ducts.
  3. Warm compress before feed, cold compress (no ice) after feed.
  4. Gentle massage while feeding on lumps.
  5. Hire a professional lactation breast massage service.

How to Wean Breastfeeding

  • Do it gradually. Depending on when you want to start weaning, it’ll be different on which feed wean first. I started with weaning around 6 months old with my first daughter and it took until when she was 9 months old to fully wean breastfeeding completely.
    1. I started to wean the feed (“lunch”) when I’m also introducing solids. I fed the solids first and then supplemented with a little bit of formula if needed.
    2. Next, wean the feed during the day between 12pm – 5pm.
    3. Lastly, I weaned the “dinner” feed as her solid intake increased, and kept only the morning nursing session.
    4. Finally, you can wean the morning nursing session and you’re left with just the after dinner to through the night feeds (if your baby needs it).
  • Wean daytime feeds first. This will free up time for you get some help if you need to go out somewhere, and overall easier to do as your baby will be eating more solids after 6 months old.
  • Wean night feeds last. Night time breastmilk has higher concentration of melatonin which is a great natural signal for your baby to go to sleep. It’s also so much easier when you don’t have to get up and make a bottle in the middle of the night when you want to go back to sleep ASAP.

This post was all about breastfeeding basics for first time moms. I know if you’ve thoroughly reviewed this post, you’ll be well prepared for your breastfeeding journey.

For all of the moms breastfeeding for the first time, I wish you the best of luck and please take care of yourself to not get clogged ducts and mastitis!

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