Breastfeeding - Breastfeeding a Young Baby (up to 2 months)

This is a period in your nursing relationship that is easy in some respects and difficult in others. It is also a crucial period for establishing a good milk supply. You can consider this a learning period for both yourself and your baby. You are learning to position the baby correctly, how to tell how often and how long your baby wants (needs) to nurse, building confidence in your letdown reflex, perhaps building up your courage to breastfeed in public. Your baby is learning to latch on correctly. She or he is also learning to trust you; she or he is learning that you will be there whenever she or he needs you.

• Breastfeeding in this period is easy because:
  • You probably don't need to worry about criticism. Most people are comfortable with the idea of a nursing infant.
  • You probably don't need to worry about going back to work, at least in the beginning of this period.
  • You might have visitors (probably family members) who might be taking care of the house work so you can concentrate on your baby.
  • You are not worrying about your sex life; you are probably too sore to have intercourse anyway. Your partner is likely to be understanding and tender at this time.
• Breastfeeding in this period can be difficult because:
  • You are learning to get the mechanics right. You need to pay attention to the following:
    • Establishing a good milk supply
    • Avoiding problems such as sore nipples, engorgement, mastitis.
    • You can avoid most of these problems by positioning correctly, making sure that your baby is latched on properly, nursing on demand rather than on schedule, and sleeping with your baby.
  • You need to deal with (a lot of) bad advice.
  • You might be worrying about getting enough sleep. The best way to make sure you do get enough sleep is:
    • Take a nap when your baby does
    • Sleep with your baby at night. This way, you can nurse your baby without fully waking up, and drift back to sleep without having to leave your bed to put the baby back in her or his cradle or crib.

Back to the breastfeeding main page

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