The First Few Days of Breastfeeding: What’s Normal and What’s Not
Hello friend,
As a hospital lactation consultant I find myself educating every single family on the fact that the first few days are a unique time for breastfeeding families! Most people don’t realize is that it takes up to 5 days for your milk to “come in”. Milk “coming in” is really kind of a misnomer, because your body has been preparing an early milk, called colostrum, since mid-pregnancy!
I like to compare colostrum to a mix between a Gatorade and a protein drink for babies because it’s higher in electrolytes and protein than your more mature milk that will arrive a few days after birth. Colostrum is thick, so it doesn’t flow easily like the milk we usually think of, but that’s ok! This gives babies a chance to practice coordinating all the moving parts (sucking, swallowing, and breathing) it takes to nurse at the breast. Milk is made on a supply-and-demand basis, so every time the baby comes to the breast to nurse, your body will get the message, “The baby is here and we need to ramp up production!” Now that you know a little more about what’s going on in your body in the early days, lets talk about what to expect from your baby, with a focus on what’s normal and what’s not:
The Birthday Nap
Cluster Feeding & The All-Day Buffet
What to Watch for in the First 72 Hours
The First Few Days of Breastfeeding: What’s Normal and What’s Not
Hello friend! If you’re here, you’re probably gearing up for your breastfeeding journey—or maybe you’re in the thick of it, staring at your newborn, wondering if this is how it’s supposed to feel. (Spoiler: You’re not alone!)
The first few days of breastfeeding are a whirlwind. Your body is recovering, your baby is adjusting to life outside the womb, and you’re both figuring out this whole ‘nursing’ thing together. So let’s talk about what’s normal in those first 72 hours—so you can feel confident in understanding your baby, instead of stressed and worried about behavior that is actually, well, normal for a newborn!
Golden Hour Excitement —>The Birthday Nap
Day 1: You’ve just had a baby (go, you!), and now? You’re exhausted but also wired from all of the adrenaline from just having a baby. What you might not realize, is that as long and as stressful as your labor was for you, your baby was stressed too. Every contraction was a firm squeeze on their body and squishing down on their head. Your little one is probably exhausted from the whole experience. Right after birth, your baby will be riding that surge of excitement and might be very alert for the first couple of hours. You might get a great breastfeeding session in, during what’s known as the “Golden Hour”. Then, most newborns take a long nap after birth—sometimes 4 to 6 hours of deep sleep.
When your baby is in that deep sleep, you might think to yourself, “Wait, isn’t my baby supposed to be nursing? The staff keep telling me to feed my baby every two to three hours.” Yes! But here’s the thing: term, healthy newborns are born with extra fluid and energy reserves, so they don’t need to eat much in those first few hours.
Disclaimer: If the healthcare team has concerns about baby’s blood sugars, please follow their guidance when it comes to feeding your baby.
But if your baby is term and healthy, they likely will wake up on their own, but if they don’t, at the three-hour mark you can gently encourage nursing by offering the breast, doing skin-to-skin, and watching for early hunger cues (like stirring, sucking on hands, or turning their head). Don’t panic if in the first 24 hours, your baby is sleepy.
If your baby is too sleepy to nurse, that’s the perfect time to practice hand expression. Hand expression is a skill where you use your hands to remove milk from your breasts. It can be more effective than a breast pump. When you hand express, you can collect those drops for a later feeding, or my personal favorite, put those drops right into your baby’s mouth. Babies love a little freebie!
What’s normal: A very sleepy baby who nurses briefly, then takes a nice long and leisurely nap.
What’s not: A baby who won’t wake up for at all or seems lethargic even after trying to wake them—if that happens, call your provider.
Cluster Feeding & The All-Day (and Night) Buffet
Day 2-3: Say goodbye to that sleepy newborn! Around the second night, many babies ‘wake up’ and suddenly seem ravenous. They want to nurse constantly. Like, every 30 minutes constantly. This is called cluster feeding, and while it might make you feel like a human pacifier, it’s actually a biologically wired move by your baby to increase your milk supply. A person’s milk supply is based on a supply and demand system. When your baby nurses frequently, your body will get the message– the baby is here, time to crank up milk production.
This stage is exhausting, but totally normal. Your baby isn’t starving; they’re telling your body to make more milk. The best thing you can do? Get comfy, pull up Netflix on your phone, have snacks and water nearby, and ride it out.
Most parents want to know how to know if their baby got anything at the breast. Let me tell you what I like to watch for:
I listen for swallows. When your baby is transferring milk you will hear a light “kah” sound. This is a great sign.
Your baby’s body posture will change throughout the feed. When they start they will likely have their arms tensed and their hands in fists. As the feeding goes on, keep watching. You’ll see your baby’s hands start to relax, looking more like a t-rex. Once your baby is full, their arms will resemble a limp spaghetti noodle. You could pick it up and it will flop. That’s a sign of a full and happy baby.
Your baby might spit out the nipple, purse their lips, and turn away from the breast. You might notice a milk-stashe or a milk drunk look to your baby’s face. All good things.
What goes in, must come out. Your baby should have one pee and one poop diaper for each day of life.
Pro-tip: Work really hard to get deep, pain free latches in the first few days. This sets you up for success. If your baby is just hanging out on the tip of your nipple, it makes getting the milk out really difficulty for them! Imaging trying to drink through a coffee stir stick. They also tend to cause damage to the nipple when they aren’t latched deeply. I strongly encourage you to researcha position called reclined breastfeeding. This helps the baby to latch deeply, and it helps you get comfortable for those marathon nursing sessions.
What’s normal: A baby who wants to nurse all the time for several hours, then sleeps in longer stretches.
What’s not: A baby who is frantic at the breast, seems unable to settle, or isn’t having enough wet/dirty diapers (this could indicate an issue with latch or milk transfer).
What to Watch for in the First 72 Hours
Your body and baby are working together in ways you can’t see, but here are a few things to track.
Diapers: By day 3, baby should have at least three wet diapers and three poops (which will transition from a dark stikcy meconium to a greenish, then mustard yellow color.
Breast changes: Your milk will start changing from colostrum to transitional milk around days 3-5. Your breasts may feel fuller—this is normal but shouldn’t be painful. You might notice they feel softer after your baby nurses, this is a good sign of milk transfer.
Weight loss: It’s normal for babies to lose up to 7% of their birth weight in the first few days, but they should start gaining by the end of the first week.
Latch & discomfort: Some tenderness is normal, but toe-curling pain, cracked nipples, or shallow latch? Let’s fix that ASAP!
Friend, I hope you found this valuable and learned something new! I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. Please share this with a new or expectant parent hoping to breastfeed!
Springs Lactation is here to support new families in their postpartum and breastfeeding journeys. We offer home visit lactation consultations to families in Colorado Springs and surrounding areas.
