Nursing a baby comes down to getting a deep latch, feeding frequently, and watching for signs your baby is getting enough milk. Most newborns breastfeed 8 to 12 times in a 24-hour period, or roughly every 1 to 3 hours. The mechanics feel awkward at first, but once you and your baby find your rhythm, it becomes second nature.
How to Get a Good Latch
The latch is the single most important thing to get right. A deep latch means less pain for you and more milk for your baby. A poor latch, where the baby’s lips form a narrow angle and only grip the nipple, leads to soreness, cracking, and inefficient feeding.
Here’s what a good latch looks like: your baby’s mouth opens wide, with lips flared outward at a wide angle (greater than 120 degrees). The chin presses firmly into your breast, while the nose stays free. More of the darker skin around your nipple (the areola) is visible above your baby’s top lip than below the bottom lip, because the lower jaw takes in a larger mouthful of breast tissue.
To get there, bring your baby to the breast so their lower jaw lands well below the nipple, not right at its base. The goal is to get your nipple far back in the baby’s mouth, to a spot roughly at the midpoint of an imaginary line drawn from the tip of the baby’s nose to the earlobe. When the nipple reaches that deep point, your baby is latched onto the right part of the breast and can draw milk effectively. If it pinches or hurts after the first few seconds, break the seal with a clean finger in the corner of the mouth and try again.
Four Common Nursing Positions
There’s no single “correct” position. What matters is that your baby can latch deeply and you’re comfortable enough to stay relaxed for the full feeding. Try a few and see what works.
- Cradle hold: The classic position. Your baby lies across your lap, belly to belly with you, head resting in the crook of your arm on the same side as the breast you’re using. This works well once you’re comfortable with latching.
- Cross-cradle hold: Similar to the cradle, but you support the baby’s head with the opposite hand. This gives you more control over positioning in the early days when you’re still learning.
- Football (clutch) hold: Your baby tucks under your arm on the same side, legs pointing behind you, with your hand supporting their head. This keeps the baby’s weight off your abdomen, making it a good choice after a cesarean birth.
- Side-lying: You and your baby both lie on your sides, facing each other. This position is especially useful if you’re recovering from a cesarean, had a difficult delivery, or are simply exhausted. Research supports it for greater comfort and satisfaction in those situations.
A fifth option, the laid-back or “biological nurturing” position, has you reclining with your baby lying on your chest. Some studies have found slightly lower rates of nipple pain and nipple damage with this position, though the differences weren’t statistically significant compared to traditional holds. It can feel more intuitive, especially in the first hours after birth, because it lets gravity keep the baby against you.
How Often and How Long to Feed
Newborns need to eat frequently. Expect 8 to 12 feedings spread across a full day and night, which works out to roughly every 1 to 3 hours. Some sessions will be long, others surprisingly short. Both are normal. Feeding on demand, rather than on a strict schedule, is the most reliable way to establish your milk supply.
Your body produces milk through a feedback loop. When your baby suckles, nerve endings in the nipple send signals to your brain, triggering the release of two hormones. One (prolactin) tells your breast tissue to make more milk. The other (oxytocin) causes tiny muscles around the milk-producing glands to squeeze, pushing milk through the ducts and out through the nipple. This is the “let-down” reflex, and you may feel it as a tingling or tightening sensation. The key takeaway: the more often milk is removed, the more milk your body makes. Emptying the breast through regular nursing is the single most important factor in maintaining supply.
How to Tell Your Baby Is Getting Enough
Since you can’t measure what goes into a breastfed baby, diaper output is your best daily gauge. The expected pattern changes quickly in the first week:
- Day 1: 1 wet diaper, 1 dark tarry stool
- Day 2: 2 to 3 wet diapers, 1 to 2 stools (greenish-black, transitioning)
- Days 3 to 4: 3 to 4 wet diapers, at least 3 stools (turning yellow-green and softening)
- Day 5 onward: 6 or more wet diapers, at least 4 yellow, seedy, soft stools per day
Weight gain is the other reliable marker. Babies typically lose some weight in the first few days, then begin gaining it back. During the first three months, a healthy breastfed baby gains roughly 5 to 8¾ ounces per week (140 to 245 grams). Your baby’s provider will track this at regular checkups.
Hand Expression Basics
Knowing how to express milk by hand is a practical skill, whether you need to relieve fullness, soften the areola before latching, or collect milk when you’re away from your baby. Start by washing your hands and warming the breast with a warm cloth for about two minutes. Gently massage the skin around the nipple to help things relax.
Sit up straight and lean slightly forward. Place your thumb above and fingers below the nipple, about an inch back from the nipple itself. Press your fingers back toward your chest, then roll them forward (don’t slide them across the skin) to compress the milk out. The rhythm is press, compress, relax, and repeat. It mimics the pattern of a baby suckling and becomes smoother with practice.
Storing Expressed Milk
Freshly pumped or hand-expressed breast milk stays safe at room temperature (77°F or cooler) for up to 4 hours. In the refrigerator, it keeps for up to 4 days. In a standard freezer, 6 months is ideal, though up to 12 months is considered acceptable. Always label containers with the date so you use the oldest milk first.
What You Need Nutritionally
Making milk takes energy. Nursing mothers need roughly 330 to 400 extra calories per day compared to what they ate before pregnancy. Two nutrients become especially important during lactation: iodine (290 micrograms daily) and choline (550 milligrams daily). If you eat a vegetarian or vegan diet, you may also need to pay attention to iron, vitamin B12, zinc, and omega-3 fats, since these are harder to get from plant sources alone.
Dealing With Engorgement and Mastitis
Engorgement, when your breasts feel painfully full and tight, is common in the first week as your milk comes in. The best approach is frequent nursing. If your baby has trouble latching onto a very firm breast, hand-express a small amount first to soften the areola. A technique called reverse pressure softening, where you press gently around the base of the nipple to push fluid back, can also help the baby get a grip.
Mastitis is inflammation in the breast that causes redness, warmth, and flu-like symptoms. Current clinical guidelines recommend continuing to feed on demand but not trying to aggressively “empty” the breast, as over-pumping can worsen swelling. Ice and over-the-counter pain relievers help with inflammation. Avoid deep massage of the affected area, which can increase tissue damage and swelling. Antibiotics are reserved for cases where a bacterial infection is confirmed. If you develop a fever, spreading redness, or symptoms that worsen over 24 to 48 hours, that’s when medical treatment becomes important.