Last Updated - September 3, 2024
Feel confident breastfeeding with tips on what to expect. Learn how your unique breast milk benefits your baby’s health and fosters a special bond.
Knowing what to expect when breastfeeding should help you feel as confident as possible when you’ve just given birth and want to breastfeed your baby.
Your breast milk is uniquely made for your growing baby’s needs. Your breast milk can make a big difference to both you and your baby’s health. The longer you feed your baby breast milk, the more they benefit. Breast milk gives your baby all the nutrients your baby needs for around the first six months of life (and beyond). Breast milk may help protect your baby against infection, childhood illness and obesity. As a mum, breast feeding also reduces your chance of getting some illnesses later in life such as breast and ovarian cancer, and naturally uses approximately 500 calories a day and breast milk is free!
The skin to skin contact that breastfeeding naturally provides, enables a very special bonding experience for you and your baby. It will help to comfort you and your baby, helping baby to feel warm, calm and at ease. Being close to your baby also encourages your milk stimulation. Responsive feeding describes the sensitive, mutual nature of feeding when mother and baby respond to each other’s needs and cues. For example the mother can offer her breast if the baby appears unsettled or if the mother feels full and wants to sit down with her baby.
After a while you will be able to identify when your baby is hungry. Common signs are stirring, facial movements, eyes flickering, wriggling, moving head/mouth around, rooting for the breast, sucking fingers, crying.
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