Definitely not in the beginning. Your newborn's stomach is tiny, about the size of their own fist, so it fills with milk and empties quickly. This means that young babies need to feed more frequently. In your baby's first few weeks, it is common for them to want to feed 10-12 times within 24 hours and you should be feeding them 'on demand', ie when they look hungry rather than before they are screaming, ideally (though the screaming works as a handy reminder). Feeding on demand will also help to establish your milk supply.
Breastfeeding on demand is exhausting but, fear not, the frequency will subside. Within a few weeks you will start to see a pattern emerge and your baby will go down to about eight feeds a day. You can then expect to have to feed your baby every two to three hours, eventually going down to every four hours or so once feeding is really well established.
I'm worried I haven't got enough milk
One of the tricky things about breastfeeding is that you don't know exactly how much milk your baby is getting, in the way that you do with bottle feeding. However, as long as your baby is gaining weight, you don't need to worry.
Breastfeeding works on a supply-and-demand basis. If you're feeding your baby on demand your breasts will be stimulated to produce more milk as your baby's sucking stimulates the milk ducts.
If you're concerned about whether your baby is getting enough milk, a good rule of thumb is whether they are producing enough wet nappies. In the first few days, a newborn should produce at least three wet nappies over 48 hours. From about five days old, she should be producing eight wet nappies in a 24 hour period.
If she seems hungrier than usual, she may be going through a growth spurt. Babies have several of these during infancy and each will be marked by an insatiable hunger. Feeding may become more frequent or longer and it's easy to worry that you don't have enough milk. During those times, revert to the 'supply-and-demand' rule. Although it's exhausting, feeding as much as you can, and on demand, will ensure your body produces enough milk.
If you are concerned about your milk supply, speak to your health visitor or contact the National Breastfeeding Helpline for advice.
“The best way to increase your supply is to breastfeed. When they go through ‘fussy’ phases or growth spurts it feels like you have no milk, but that's not really what's happening. Just keep feeding and all will be fine."
I'm worried my milk is drying up
Again, this is unlikely to happen if you are exclusively breastfeeding and doing so on demand. If you are mixed feeding and are concerned your supply will be affected, there are steps you can take to make sure that doesn’t happen:
Expressing milk with a breast pump in between feeds is key to maintaining your supply
Empty your breasts fully. This sends the signal to your body that it needs to produce more milk
If you are introducing formula, do so gradually to allow your milk supply to adjust
Some mothers find certain foods and herbal supplements help increase their milk supply.
“Oats did it for me. A hearty bowl of proper porridge in the mornings and within a few days I was spurting like a fountain.”
My baby is crying and pulling off the breast – what's wrong?
The chances are your milk is coming out too fast for your baby. Imagine waiting patiently for a nice cup of tea, and then someone tipping it down your throat in one go – you'd cry too. Persisting with breastfeeding when this is the case can lead to your baby bringing up milk and being very windy.
Fast flow of milk is also called an overactive or forceful letdown and can be the result of an oversupply. A forceful letdown can be as distressing for a baby as an under-supply of milk, with many mums having constant leakage, upset babies and distressing feed times. There are things you can do to offset the flow of milk, however:
Adjust your feeding position. Lying down will help to slow down the flow
Feed more frequently
Feed your baby before they are hungry and are still relaxed
Try expressing a little bit before feeding
Breastfeed when your baby is sleepy or give longer night feeds
Burp your baby frequently in case he is swallowing air as a result of the fast flow
Try block feeding. If your baby finishes the first breast and wants to continue feeding, put them back on the first breast again. If the other breast feels uncomfortable, try expressing a little milk for comfort. At the next feed, do the same with the second breast. See what Mumsnetters have to say about block feeding
Try applying reverse pressure to help to soften your breast and move fluids away from the nipple
When the letdown occurs take your baby off the breast and catch the milk in a towel. When it slows again you can put your baby back to the breast
If these tips don't provide some relief, then it may be worth speaking to your GP who can prescribe medication in extreme circumstances.
“Block feeding – yes, yes, yes. I did six hour blocks (two to three feeds) on one side, then switched. I didn't express the other side during block feeding but released pressure by dunking my nipple in warm water."
My baby isn't gaining enough weight
Most babies will lose up to 10% of their birth weight in their first few days with 80% regaining this by the time they are two weeks old. From then, a baby should start gaining 110-200g (four to seven ounces) per week until they are about four months.
If your baby is gaining weight at a slower-than-expected rate, it could be for a number of reasons:
Poor latch. If your baby is not latched on well during feeding it can limit the amount of milk he is getting at each feed. If this is the case, you’ll notice that your baby is still disgruntled after feeding. It’s worth getting your health visitor to observe you feeding to check the latch is OK
He may have been ill recently or had an infection. Any illness, vomiting or diarrhoea may result in some temporary weight loss. Infections in the mouth or even a urinary tract infection will also affect your baby's ability to feed
He could have reflux or a digestive issue. Persistent reflux may make feeding uncomfortable for your baby and reduce his desire to feed
He may have a medical condition such as a cleft palate or tongue tie.
Your baby may be having trouble weaning onto solid foods
He could simply be a slow gainer. When all other explanations have been ruled out, it could be the case that your baby is simply gaining weight at a different rate to other babies
If your baby isn't gaining weight – also known as 'failure to thrive' – it's likely they will be monitored more closely and weighed more frequently. This can be stressful but try to remember that all babies are different and your health visitor is there to support you.
“My son lost weight for the first two weeks and didn't get back to birth weight until four weeks. Then at five weeks, he'd only put on 10g in five days. We started supplementing with one formula bottle a day and I pumped until his weight gain stabilised. At 13 weeks I dropped the formula and am still feeding now at 18 months.”
Can I still breastfeed when I'm ill ?
You can still continue breastfeeding through most illnesses. In fact, continuing to breastfeed your baby and pass on antibodies to them can help prevent them from coming down with the same illness.
If you and your baby both come down with thrush, it’s important that you are treated together so that you don’t risk passing it back and forth. You will need to be cautious with the medicines you take while ill. Many over-the-counter flu and cold medicines contain caffeine and ingredients which can reduce your milk supply. If you see your GP, make sure to tell them that you are breastfeeding so that they can prescribe a suitable medicine that is suitable for you, as there are a few medicines to avoid while breastfeeding.