Although most women can breastfeed there may be occasions when it may not be possible to breastfed fully or not at all. Please discuss any concerns you may have with your midwife during pregnancy.
If you’ve had a straightforward birth, it’s a good idea to have lots of skin to skin contact after your baby is born. When your baby lies on your chest they will smell your skin and the feeling of being close to you will calm their heart rate and breathing which is so important after birth. They will also begin to search, nuzzle and root around for your breast as they have a natural instinct to suckle. Starting with breastfeeding in this way will begin to set up your milk production and begin laying down a strong and loving foundation as you begin your life together.
Most mums do have the ability to produce enough milk but it is important to understand that it may take a few days to build your milk supply. That’s exactly how things are designed to go. Your baby doesn’t initially need a lot of milk as their tummies are very small. The trick to getting it going quickly is to try to feed your baby little and often through the day and night. This will stimulate the milk supply.
Effective attachment will stimulate your breasts to make enough milk for them. If you are concerned your baby isn’t latched on properly, ask your midwife, health visitor or local breastfeeding support group to check. They know what to look for and can teach you too.
Yes. Both large breasted and small breasted women will see that their breasts get bigger and heavier when they begin breastfeeding. This is due to an increase in breast tissue and milk being produced in the breast which enables mums to provide their babies with adequate milk.
Will I be able to breastfeed with flat nipples?
Nipples come in all shapes, sizes and colours. Whatever shape nipple you have, it should be possible to breastfeed if you make sure your baby is properly attached to the breast.
Your baby is not expecting a certain kind of nipple, yours are the only ones your baby will know.
A small number of mums, although they would like to breastfeed, cannot breastfeed for medical reasons. If you think this is the situation for you, talk to your midwife or doctor about whether you might be able to, for example, change your medication.
The Breastfeeding Network provides information about drugs and breastmilk through their special ‘drugs in breastmilk’ service.
Breast surgery, breast implants and breast reduction surgery can all affect the chances of breastfeeding. If you have had surgery and would like to breastfeed, speak to your surgeon to find out more about the procedure you had and its effects on breastfeeding. A lactation consultant (IBCLC) can also help you maximize your chances of giving your baby breast milk.
If one breast has had surgery or been removed it is possible to breastfeed a baby on just one side and your breast will be able to build an adequate milk supply for your baby if you get good support from breastfeeding expert.
There are all sorts of things you can do to keep the lovely bond you would have had if you breastfed, even if you are bottle feeding your baby, ideally with expressed milk, but also with formula milk. You can still have skin to skin contact simply by taking off your shirt if you’re feeding at home. You can still be sensitive to your baby’s feeding cues. You can still hold them gently and look into each other’s eyes. Try to be as responsive to your baby’s needs as much as you can, and the bond shouldn’t be affected.
