The First Week of Breastfeeding: What Every New Mom Should Know

By Brianne Taggart, RN, IBCLC, Founder of Breezy Babies Lactation Group

The first week with a new baby can feel like a whirlwind. You’re recovering from birth, sleeping in tiny stretches, getting to know this brand-new little person—and learning how to feed them at the same time.

Breastfeeding may be natural, but that doesn’t mean it always comes naturally.

Those first few days involve a lot of learning for both you and your baby. Knowing what’s normal, what to expect, and when to ask for help can make the transition feel much less overwhelming.

Here are a few things every new mom should know about the first week of breastfeeding.

1. Your Baby’s Stomach Is Tiny, and Colostrum Is Enough

During the first few days after birth, your breasts produce colostrum. This thick, concentrated early milk is packed with nutrients and immune-supporting components designed specifically for your newborn.

You may only see drops at first. That can feel concerning when you’re used to seeing bottles measured in ounces, but newborns need very small amounts in those early days.

Over the next several days, your milk will begin transitioning and increasing in volume. Many moms notice their breasts becoming fuller around days 3–5, although every body and birth experience is different.

2. Your Baby Will Probably Want to Eat A LOT

Newborns commonly breastfeed 8–12 times or more in 24 hours.

And those feedings aren’t necessarily evenly spaced.

Your baby may nurse, take a short break, and then want to nurse again. This is often called cluster feeding, and it can be completely normal—especially in the evenings.

Rather than watching the clock, watch your baby.

Early hunger cues can include:

• Bringing hands toward the mouth
• Rooting or turning toward the breast
• Lip smacking
• Becoming more alert or restless
• Opening and closing the mouth

Crying is actually a later hunger cue.

3. Breastfeeding Shouldn’t Be Something You Have to “Tough Out”

Some nipple tenderness can happen as you and your baby learn to breastfeed, but significant or persistent pain deserves attention.

If you’re curling your toes through every feeding, have cracked or damaged nipples, or dread the next latch because it hurts so much, don’t assume you just have to wait for your nipples to “toughen up.”

Pain can be a sign that something about the latch, positioning, milk transfer, or feeding plan needs to be adjusted.

Getting help early can often prevent a small challenge from becoming a much bigger one.

4. Diapers Tell You A Lot

One of the most common questions we hear during that first week is:

“How do I know my baby is actually getting enough?”

You can’t see exactly how many ounces your baby takes directly from the breast, so it helps to look at the bigger picture.

Your baby’s diaper output, swallowing during feeds, satisfaction after at least some feedings, and weight pattern can all give us important information about milk intake.

In those early days, wet and dirty diapers should generally increase as your milk volume increases.

Your pediatric provider will also monitor baby’s weight and overall health. If you’re worried about milk transfer or intake, an IBCLC can assess an entire feeding and help determine whether breastfeeding is going as expected.

5. Your Body Is Recovering Too

There is so much focus on the new baby that it’s easy to forget that you just gave birth.

Your body is recovering from pregnancy and delivery while also adjusting to lactation, hormonal changes, interrupted sleep, and the physical demands of caring for a newborn.

Breastfeeding also requires a surprising amount of sitting, holding, lifting, and positioning.

Pay attention to your body while you feed. Support your back, relax your shoulders, bring baby toward you rather than constantly curling your body toward baby, and change positions throughout the day.

This is also where postpartum support from professionals like the team at Uplift Pelvic Therapy can be incredibly valuable. Your pelvic floor, core, posture, breathing, and overall recovery deserve attention too.

Taking care of yourself is part of taking care of your baby.

6. You Don’t Have to Wait Until Something Is Wrong to See an IBCLC

This might be the biggest thing I wish every new parent knew.

Lactation care isn’t just for breastfeeding problems.

An IBCLC can help you understand what’s normal, check baby’s latch and milk transfer, answer questions, adjust positioning, help you understand your milk supply, and create a feeding plan that works for your family.

And support doesn’t have to end after the newborn stage.

Lactation care can be helpful as you navigate pumping, returning to work, bottle feeding, starting solids, changes in milk supply, biting, nursing strikes, and eventually weaning.

We love helping families prevent problems instead of only reacting to them.

Give Yourself Time to Learn

You and your baby have never done this together before.

There is a learning curve.

You don’t need a perfect latch on day one. You don’t need to know exactly what your feeding journey will look like six months from now. And you certainly don’t have to figure everything out alone.

Focus on one feeding at a time.

Feed your baby frequently, watch their cues, pay attention to diapers and weight, care for your recovering body, and reach out when something doesn’t feel right.

Sometimes a little reassurance and a few small adjustments are exactly what a family needs to feel confident moving forward.

Need Breastfeeding Support?

Breezy Babies Lactation Group provides personalized lactation support from pregnancy through weaning. Our team of IBCLCs helps families with breastfeeding, pumping, bottle feeding, milk supply, returning to work, weaning, and everything in between.

Whether breastfeeding is going beautifully and you just want reassurance—or you’re struggling and need a plan—we’re here to help.

Learn more or schedule a lactation visit at BreezyBabies.com.

And while you’re caring for your baby, don’t forget about your own recovery. Uplift Pelvic Therapy can help support your postpartum body as you heal, rebuild strength, and adjust to the physical demands of motherhood.

Written by Bri the IBCLC

Brianne Taggart, Lactation Expert

Mom of four and founder of Breezy Babies Lactation Group, one of the largest private-practice lactation groups in the United States. Breezy Babies supports families both in-home and via telehealth, working with parents locally and worldwide to make feeding feel calmer, more confident, and more breezy.

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