Breastfeeding – a guide to the first weeks

What the WHO and UNICEF recommend

The World Health Organization and UNICEF recommend starting to breastfeed within an hour of the birth, breastfeeding exclusively (with no other food or drink) for the first six months, and then continuing alongside solid foods to two years or beyond.¹ According to the WHO, skin-to-skin contact straight after the birth is also part of a good start.¹

Not every start goes by the textbook: a caesarean, a baby on the neonatal unit, exhaustion. If the first feed does not happen straight away, breastfeeding can still get going later. Ask the maternity hospital staff for help.

The first days: colostrum

The first milk is called colostrum. The NHS describes it as a thick, golden-yellow, very concentrated fluid. Your baby needs only a little of it at each feed, about a teaspoonful, and may want to feed very often, at first even every hour.²

Around two to four days after the birth your breasts often fill up. This is known as your milk coming in. Feeds then usually get longer and a little further apart.²

How often to breastfeed

The NHS recommends following your baby’s lead: feeding as often and for as long as they want. This is called responsive feeding, or feeding on demand.² As a very rough guide it gives at least 8 to 12 feeds in 24 hours in the first weeks; in the first days this may be every one to three hours.²

Babies do not feed only because they are hungry, but also for comfort and closeness. That is normal too.

Positioning and attachment

Most difficulties in the first weeks have to do with how the baby is positioned. The NHS describes the steps like this:⁴

1. Hold your baby close, with their head and body in a straight line and their nose level with your nipple.
2. Let their head tip back slightly so that their top lip brushes your nipple. Your baby will open their mouth wide.
3. When they open their mouth, bring them to the breast (not the breast to them); their chin touches the breast first.
4. With a good latch you can see more of the darker skin of the areola above the top lip than below the bottom lip, and the cheeks look full and rounded.

We describe positions in which you can do this comfortably in the article Breastfeeding positions.

Signs that breastfeeding is working

The NHS lists these signs of good feeding:³

Nappies and weight

Figures according to the NHS.³ The NHS also says that babies commonly lose a little weight in the first three to four days and should then start to gain. Weight is monitored by the paediatrician.

Pain and problems

Sore nipples are most often linked to how the baby is positioned and attached. The NHS advises not to put up with the pain and to ask for help as soon as possible.⁵ Other common problems:

• engorgement (when the breasts are hard and full after your milk comes in): frequent feeding and good attachment help,
• a blocked milk duct: a painful lump in the breast; it can be linked to a missed feed or the pressure of a tight bra or clothing,⁵
• mastitis: the breast is swollen, hot and painful, sometimes with flu-like symptoms. The NHS advises carrying on breastfeeding and seeing a doctor if you have a fever or it gets worse.⁶

This information is not a diagnosis. If you are in pain, have a fever or your baby is passing little urine, get in touch.

When to get help straight away

In an emergency, call 155 or 112.

Where to find support in Slovakia

• The midwife (pôrodná asistentka) and maternity hospital staff while you are still in hospital.
• Your paediatrician at your baby’s check-ups.
• Lactation consultants (laktačné poradkyne): a list of certified consultants by region is kept by, for example, the Slovak civic association MAMILA.⁷
• La Leche League International offers information and volunteer support in many countries.⁸

What helps in practice

• Water within reach, and something to support your bottom and elbows (a cushion).
• Clothes that open with one hand. See Clothes for breastfeeding.
• Breast pads, changed often.²
• Someone to look after the household in the first weeks.

Next

• Breastfeeding positions
• Expressing and storing milk
• Nursing bras

Frequently asked questions

How often should I breastfeed my newborn?

According to the NHS, as often and for as long as your baby wants. As a very rough guide it gives at least 8 to 12 feeds in 24 hours in the first weeks; in the first days your baby may want to feed every one to three hours.

How can I tell my baby is getting enough?

The NHS lists, for example, regular swallowing during feeds, a baby who is content after most feeds, softer breasts after a feed, from day 5 at least 6 heavy wet nappies in 24 hours, and from day 4 at least 2 soft yellow poos a day in the first weeks. Your baby’s weight is checked by the paediatrician.

Is it normal for breastfeeding to hurt?

The NHS says sore nipples are most often linked to how the baby is positioned and attached, and advises not to put up with the pain but to get help from a midwife or breastfeeding supporter as soon as possible.

Where this comes from

The numbers in the text refer to these sources. The links go to the publishers’ own pages; we simply cite them.

1. WHO:Infant and young child feeding (fact sheet)Start breastfeeding within 1 hour of birth, exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months, continue to 2 years or beyond; skin-to-skin contact straight after the birth.
2. NHS (United Kingdom):Breastfeeding – the first few daysColostrum, how often to feed, milk coming in 2–4 days after the birth, responsive feeding.
3. NHS (United Kingdom):Breastfeeding – is my baby getting enough milk?Signs of good feeding, nappies, weight.
4. NHS (United Kingdom):Breastfeeding – positioning and attachment
5. NHS (United Kingdom):Common breastfeeding problems
6. NHS (United Kingdom):Mastitis
7. MAMILA, o. z.:Zoznam poradkýň pri dojčení (List of breastfeeding counsellors) (in Slovak)A Slovak civic association with certified lactation consultants.
8. La Leche League International:Breastfeeding support

We last checked these sources on 13 October 2026.