Breastfeeding for beginners

Why is breastmilk special?

Breastmilk is perfectly designed to nourish your baby and protect her against illness when she's at her most vulnerable in her early months. Breastmilk is very easy for your baby to digest, plus it's free and available whenever your baby wants it.

Feeding your baby only breastmilk in her first six months (exclusive breastfeeding) is particularly good for her. Exclusive breastfeeding gives your baby:

• Every nutrient she needs to thrive and grow well.
• Hormones to help her body function well.
• Disease-fighting compounds that protect her against illness. Breastfed babies are much less likely than formula-fed babies to suffer from diarrhoea and vomiting, colds, chest infections such as pneumonia and bronchiolitis, and ear infections.
• Microbes that help her organs, gut, immune system and brain develop.
  (Ballard and Morrow 2013, Bar et al 2016, Boucher et al 2017, NHS 2017a, nd, Victora et al 2016)

Breastfeeding can also be a life saver. Breastfed babies have a lower risk of childhood leukaemia (NHS 2017a, Victora et al 2016) and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) (NHS 2017a, Red Nose 2018, Thompson et al 2017).

Formula milk has none of the unique ingredients that your breastmilk has (Ballard and Morrow 2013).

As well as the health benefits, exclusive breastfeeding can improve your baby's understanding and learning abilities (Bar et al 2016, Boucher et al 2017, Victora et al 2016).

If you have allergies in your family, breastfeeding may protect your baby for longer against eczema, although it's unlikely to prevent eczema altogether (Flohr et al 2011, von Berg 2013).

Your baby loves the smell of your skin, and to feel your warmth and closeness when you hold her. When you breastfeed, you release the "love hormone" oxytocin (Welford 2011). All this helps you and your baby develop a strong bond through breastfeeding (NHS nd).

Your breastmilk adjusts to your baby's needs as she grows (Ballard and Morrow 2013, NHS 2017a). Being breastfed may help your baby stay healthier when she's older, too. Breastfed babies are less likely than formula-fed babies to be overweight or obese in adulthood, or to develop type 2 diabetes (NHS 2017a, Victora et al 2016).

Breastfeeding is good for you, too, and may help you lose some of your baby weight, as long as you're eating healthily and keeping active (Neville et al 2014, NICE 2010). In the long term, it also protects you against:

• breast cancer and ovarian cancer
• being overweight or obese
• developing type 2 diabetes
• developing endometriosis
  (Bobrow et al 2013, Farland et al 2017, NHS 2017a , Victora et al 2016)

How easy is breastfeeding?

Breastfeeding is a skill that you and your baby learn together. Neither of you has done it before, so it's normal to have to practise and persevere until you both get the hang of it (NHS 2016b).

Plenty of new mums find breastfeeding tough at first. If you're struggling, you're not alone. Talk to your midwife, or contact a breastfeeding counsellor or lactation consultant. She can watch you feed your baby, and suggest ways to make breastfeeding easier and more comfortable.

The Australian Breastfeeding AssociationOpens a new window can also connect you with skilled supporters.

Your child health nurse is also a great source of support and advice. He can put you in touch with local groups where you can meet other breastfeeding mums.

Encourage your partner to learn about breastfeeding too, so he's ready to give you lots of support and practical help.

Take a look at our solutions for common breastfeeding problems.

How do I start breastfeeding?

• Find a comfortable place before you start. Feeds can take anything from 20 minutes to an hour (UNICEF UK 2018), so you may need to settle in for a while. Try different spots until you find what works for you.
• Hold your baby in a position that won't make your arms and back ache. Have cushions or pillows nearby to support you or your baby. Laid-back breastfeeding means your baby can rest on your body, while your hands are free to support her. Or try the cradle hold, which means cradling your baby across your chest, raised up on a cushion or pillow. It depends on what’s most comfortable for you.
• If you have large breasts, you may find it more comfortable to lie on your side while feeding, or you may want to try holding your baby under your arm in a football position.
• Pay attention to how your nipples feel when your baby latches on. She should take in a big mouthful of breast, not just your nipple. If she's sucking just your nipple, it will hurt.
• If it hurts after your baby has latched on, give it 30 seconds or so to settle down. If it's still painful, gently break the suction by inserting your little finger between her gums and your nipple, and try again. Focus on how your baby's attachment feels, rather than how it looks. Once your baby latches on properly, she’ll be able to do the rest.

Is breastfeeding in public protected by law?

Yes, you have the right to breastfeed in public in Australia, including in shops, restaurants, banks, sporting venues, medical facilities, cafés, parks and other public places.

Australia's sex discrimination laws make it illegal to discriminate against you because you’re breastfeeding (AHRC nd). You can only be asked to stop breastfeeding if there’s a significant risk to the health and safety of you or your baby (ACT HRC nd), which would be very unusual.

It's normal to feel shy about breastfeeding in front of other people at first.

If you feel self-conscious, there are tops that allow you to breastfeed discreetly. Stretchy tops you can pull up or down work well. Wearing layers is helpful – combining a singlet top underneath that you can pull down, and a big, loose top you can pull up, creates a space for your baby to feed. This will give you plenty of privacy while keeping you and your baby comfortable.

If you prefer, you could use a breastfeeding cover, or drape a scarf or muslin over your shoulder and chest while you feed. Make sure your baby can breathe easily, though. It's ideal if you can keep eye contact with your baby, too.

Shirts that you have to unbutton may make you feel exposed as you feed, and buttons are fiddly to deal with.

Some larger shops, shopping centres and public places have parents’ rooms where you can sit comfortably and feed. The Australian Breastfeeding AssociationOpens a new window (ABA) gives awards to baby care rooms that are convenient, safe and clean, and have some basic facilities. Visit the website to take a look at what that means and what locations have ABA's seal of approval.

Breastfeeding your baby when she's hungry is your first priority, so try not to feel self-conscious about doing what's best for her. You'll probably find you get plenty of supportive words and glances from passers-by.

What should I buy for breastfeeding?

Buy at least two or three comfortable breastfeeding or nursing bras. These bras have hooks or zips that you can easily undo for feeding your baby.

Your bras need to be a comfortable fit, and to open completely for feeding (NHS 2016a, NICE 2017). If the bra is tight-fitting, it may press on your breasts and make you more prone to blocked ducts or mastitis (NHS 2016a).

Shopping with a newborn isn’t easy, so you may want to buy a couple of nursing bras in late pregnancy. Some department and lingerie stores have staff who are trained to fit nursing bras after 36 weeks. Many maternity bras are designed to also work as nursing bras, so check the bras you bought during pregnancy to see if you can continue using them when you start breastfeeding.

You may find that your breasts leak a little sometimes (NHS 2016b). This is perfectly normal. If it bothers you, keep a supply of washable or disposable breast pads handy. You could wear a light-weight nursing bra for night-time, so you can use the breast pads while you sleep.

If you’re planning to express your breastmilk, you may want to buy a breast pump and storage containers or bags.

How long should I breastfeed for?

The National Health and Medical Research Council recommends that your baby has only breastmilk for about the first six months of her life (NHMRC 2012).

You can breastfeed for as long as you and your baby like (NHS 2017b). There's no need to stop once your baby has started solid foods. Your baby will benefit the most if you breastfeed her until the end of her second year (Ballard and Morrow 2013, NHMRC 2012, NHS 2017b, WHO 2018).

Continuing to breastfeed while introducing solid foods to your baby may help her immune system. She may be less likely to develop health conditions such as type 1 diabetes (Meijer et al 2017, Victora et al 2016).

Can I breastfeed after I go back to work?

You can continue to breastfeed if you’re going back to work. If your workplace has a creche or your childcare provider is close, you may be able to visit your baby during your work, and breastfeed her as usual (MA 2019, Marinelli et al 2013).

If, like most mums, you can't visit your baby during work, you may want to express milk (Marinelli et al 2013). Or you may choose to breastfeed only when you’re with your baby, and arrange for her to have formula milk during the day (MA 2019) (mixed feeding).

Let your employer know in writing if you want to breastfeed or express after you return to work. Your employer can't discriminate against you because you want to breastfeed (AHRC nd), and should try to provide you with suitable facilities in which to breastfeed or express. A toilet cubicle isn't a suitable place to breastfeed or express breastmilk. Read our articles on breastfeeding and working and expressing and working for more information.

Working mums who are supported to carry on breastfeeding take less time off and are more likely to stay on in their jobs (Garvin et al 2013, Marinelli et al 2013). So it's good for your employer, too.

More on breastfeeding

• Check out our video on five simple breastfeeding positions.
• Discover how your body makes breastmilk.
• Find out what causes sore nipples and how to treat them.
• Read BabyCenter parents’ tips on breastfeeding.
• Learn about the size of your baby's stomach.