Getting Started
You will have many false starts, adjustments and restarts. You will also have many rewards. During the first few weeks of breastfeeding, avoid confusing your baby with other nipples such as pacifiers and bottle nipples. It does not matter whether your breasts are large or small. You will produce plenty of milk by nursing your baby frequently and by pumping your breasts. Frequent stimulation and removal of milk tells your body to make more breastmilk. Try not to worry. You will make the right kind of milk, in the right amount, and at the right time for your baby.
The first milk you produce is colostrum. Colostrum may look yellow and creamy at first, then it changes over the next week to a thin white liquid. Some women have a bluish white or light green color to their milk. Colostrum is rich in nutrients and antibodies that protect your baby. This milk also helps the bowels to work.
Breast milk is all your baby needs for the first 4 to 6 months of life. Avoid water or sugar water in the first several weeks after birth, as there are no nutrients to help your baby grow from these.