Breastfeeding

Getting Started and Beyond

It is normal and natural to have questions about breastfeeding. You and your baby are learning a new skill! Get started and continue your breastfeeding journey with help from the topics below.

If you need help with breastfeeding or if you are experiencing breast and/or nipple pain or discomfort, call a Public Health Nurse for Breastfeeding Support or speak with a healthcare provider skilled at supporting breastfeeding families.

What can I do during my baby’s first hours (right after birth and while in hospital) to get breastfeeding off to a good start?
+
  • Lay your baby on your bare chest, skin-to-skin as soon as possible after birth. Let them stay there until after the first feeding. Your baby is more alert right after birth.
  • “Room in” with your baby by keeping your baby with you, both day and night. When your baby is close by you will see their feeding cues, making it easier to feed them as soon as they are hungry.
  • Start breastfeeding your baby as soon as you can after birth. Babies often show signs of wanting to feed and will latch and suck at the breast in the first hour or two. Feeding soon after birth helps the breastfeeding parent’s body produce milk more quickly.
  • Nurses and/or lactation consultants are available to support you with breastfeeding your baby in the early hours after birth.
  • If your baby doesn’t latch in the first hour after birth, hand express your milk if possible.
What is colostrum?
+

Colostrum is the first breastmilk you make in the early days of your baby’s life. It is the perfect food for your baby and is also known as “liquid gold”. It is usually a yellowish, sticky liquid. It is made in exactly the right amount for your baby’s small tummy.

Colostrum is made of proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and other ingredients that nourish and protect your baby. Colostrum is also made of antibodies; it coats the lining of your baby’s gut to prevent harmful bacteria from entering their digestive system and helps build their immune system. Colostrum is very easy to digest and helps your baby get rid of early poop (meconium).

If you worry that you have no milk the first few days after delivery, remember that a little bit of colostrum goes a long way. Putting your baby to breast often brings in mature milk and helps to increase your milk supply.

How will I know when my baby is hungry?
+

Your baby will show feeding cues when they are ready to eat. This is the best time to feed your baby. Early feeding cues include:

  • eyelid movement
  • stirring
  • mouth opening
  • rapid eye movement
  • rooting (turning head and looking for something to suck)
  • sucking and licking movements
  • bringing hands to mouth
  • restlessness

Crying is a late feeding cue. If your baby is crying, calming them with skin-to-skin may help settle them for feeding. Responding to your baby’s early feeding cues lets them know that you are there for them, building a secure attachment.

How often should I feed my baby?
+

Feed your baby often. Your baby needs to breastfeed 8 or more times in a 24-hour period (through both the day and night), as their stomach is very small and breastmilk is easily digested.

Frequent feeding supports your baby’s rapid growth in the early days and months, and ensures your baby gets all the nutrition they need to grow.

Early frequent feeding also helps the breastfeeding parent’s body make breastmilk.  The more often a baby feeds at the breast, the more milk the parent will make.

How long should feedings last?
+

Your baby should stay on the first breast you offer as long as they are actively sucking and swallowing. Once sucking slows or stops, you can take your baby off the breast, burp them, and move them to the other breast.

Watch your baby rather than timing feedings. Most babies breastfeed from the first breast longer than the second breast. Offer the second breast first at the next feeding.

Is my baby getting enough breastmilk?
+

There are ways to know your baby is getting enough breastmilk.

What goes in must come out:

There are many signs that show how feeding your baby is going.  Look at the chart below – it goes over important information, including how many wet diapers (pees) and how many soiled diapers (poops) to expect every 24 hours.

Your baby will be settled and relaxed between most feeds. They will show periods of alertness and calm during the day.

Your baby's weight:

  • It is normal for babies to lose weight in the first three days of life.
  • Most babies return to their birth weight by two weeks of age.
  • Your baby should then continue to steadily gain weight.

Your breast(s):

They show signs of increased heaviness or fullness before a feed and feel softer at the end of the feed.

The way your baby feeds:

They are sucking and swallowing during feeds. Your baby’s swallows will sound like a soft “kuh kuh”.

 

Do I make enough milk?
+

The latch and how often your baby feeds impact the amount of milk you will make.

 

Ways to make sure your milk supply is on-track.

Please note: The Well Baby/Child and Breastfeeding Clinics mentioned in the above videos are no longer available; here are Breastfeeding Supports that we have available.

 

Does my baby have a good latch?
+

The latch is how your baby takes the breast and nipple into their mouth.

How to latch:

  • Hold your baby in a comfortable feeding position.
  • Wait until baby starts to look for your nipple.
  • If baby doesn’t start to search, gently touch your nipple to baby’s upper lip.
  • When your baby feels your breast touch their chin, they will open their mouth.
  • Point your nipple towards the roof of your baby’s mouth with your baby’s head tilted back
  • Bring baby onto your breast and they should begin to suck.
  • Look for a wide-open mouth with lips curled outwards.
  • Ensure baby’s chin is firmly pressed against your breast and baby’s nose is tilted away from your breast.
My breasts feel full. Is this normal? What can I do?
+

As you start to make more breastmilk, you may feel changes in your breasts: they may feel firmer, larger, heavier and warmer. This is normal and usually happens on the second to sixth day after giving birth. What you can do:

  • keep your baby close to you
  • place your baby skin-to-skin
  • watch your baby for feeding cues
  • feed early and often
  • wear a well-fitting bra with no underwire

If your breasts feel hard and it makes latching difficult (commonly referred to as engorgement), try the following before feeding to soften the breasts and/or to reduce swelling:

  • cool compress on the breasts in between feeds
  • warm shower
  • massage the breasts gently and hand express some milk

Click here for more information on managing engorgement.

My baby falls asleep quickly when breastfeeding and/or is sucking without drinking. What can I do?
+

How to help keep your baby awake at the breast:

  • undress your baby leaving only their diaper on
  • change your baby’s diaper
  • gently tickle your baby’s hands, ears, or feet
  • switch your baby to your other breast or a different position on your chest
  • use breast compression

Compressing your breasts while baby drinks helps your milk to flow while your baby is still latched. Gently squeeze and hold your breast when your baby’s sucking slows down. Wait a few seconds and your baby may start sucking again. If not, compress your breast again. Continue with breast compressions until your baby is full. Check out this helpful video on breast compressions.

Does breastfeeding minimize immunization pain?
+

Breastfeeding and holding baby skin-to-skin help reduce your baby’s pain and distress during newborn procedures (such as heel pricks or vitamin K injections) and routine immunizations.  Find out how to reduce infant pain during vaccinations by breastfeeding - because newborn tests and immunizations are important - but they don't need to hurt.

Can I return to work and continue to successfully breastfeed?
+

Yes! Tips to help with your return to work or school while continuing to breastfeed:

  • Understand your rights to continue breastfeeding. Employers are required to accommodate parents who are breastfeeding, unless meeting their needs is extremely costly or creates serious health and safety hazards.
  • Talk to your employer about your plans.
  • Practice hand expressing or pumping your breastmilk and begin to store your expressed breastmilk.
Resources
+
References
+

Peel Region. (2025). Getting Started with Breastfeeding. Retrieved from  https://peelregion.ca/children-parenting/feeding-baby/getting-started-breastfeeding

Peel Region. (2025). Getting Started with Breastfeeding. Retrieved from  https://peelregion.ca/children-parenting/feeding-baby/breastfeeding-your-baby

Ontario Human Rights Commission. (2014). Policy on preventing discrimination because of pregnancy and breastfeeding. Retrieved from
https://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/policy-preventing-discrimination-because-pregnancy-and-breastfeeding

Public Health Agency of Canada. (2023). Breastfeeding Your Baby. Retrieved from
https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/health-promotion/childhood-adolescence/stages-childhood/infancy-birth-two-years/breastfeeding-infant-nutrition.html

Health Canada. (2025). Nutrition for healthy term infants: Recommendations from birth to six months. Retrieved from
https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/canada-food-guide/resources/nutrition-healthy-term-infants/nutrition-healthy-term-infants-recommendations-birth-six-months.html

Best Start. (2020). Signs that Feeding is Going Well. Retrieved from https://www.aboutbreastfeeding.ca/_files/ugd/caecb9_28eaf3a59c4443b99aac0b224750a7d6.pdf

Lawrence, R. & Lawrence, R. (2021). Breastfeeding: a guide for the medical profession (9th ed.). Elsevier.

Mohrbacher, N. (2020). Breastfeeding answers: a guide for helping families (2nd ed.). Nancy Mohrbacher Solutions Ltd.

Walker, M. (2021). Breastfeeding management for the clinician: using the evidence (5th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Wambach, K. & Spencer, B. (2024). Breastfeeding and Human Lactation (7th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Last updated: