Breastfeeding: Benefits, How to Get Started, and How to Handle the Hard Parts
Reviewed by Dr. Shachi Singh, MBBS
Consultant Gynaecologist & Laparoscopic Surgeon, Prakash Hospital, Noida
Published
new mom struggling with emotional and mental issues
Breastfeeding is the single most impactful nutritional intervention in a newborn's life — and simultaneously one of the most challenging aspects of early motherhood. The gap between "breast is best" (a clinically valid statement) and the lived experience of a new mother struggling with a poor latch at 3 AM is enormous. Understanding both the evidence and the practical challenges helps.
Dr. Shachi Singh, consultant obstetrician at Prakash Hospital, Sector 33, Noida, explains.
Why Breastfeeding Matters: The Evidence
For the baby:
- Human breast milk contains immunoglobulins (particularly IgA), lysozyme, lactoferrin, and a complete micronutrient profile — all uniquely bioavailable and dynamic, changing composition as the baby grows
- Colostrum (the thick golden first milk) is produced in small amounts but is extraordinarily rich in antibodies and growth factors — the newborn needs only 5 to 7 mL per feed in the first 24 hours
- Breastfed babies have lower rates of: respiratory infections, gastrointestinal infections, otitis media (ear infections), urinary tract infections, sepsis
- Lower risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) with breastfeeding
- Lower childhood obesity risk
- Possible reduction in type 1 diabetes, asthma, and atopic conditions
For the mother:
- Uterine involution: oxytocin released during breastfeeding causes uterine contractions, reducing postpartum bleeding and helping the uterus return to its pre-pregnancy size
- Reduced risk of postpartum haemorrhage
- Delayed return of ovulation (lactational amenorrhoea) — not a reliable contraceptive method unless specific criteria are met (baby under 6 months, exclusively breastfeeding day and night, no periods)
- Reduced lifetime risk of breast cancer — particularly premenopausal breast cancer (each year of breastfeeding reduces risk by approximately 4%)
- Reduced risk of ovarian cancer, type 2 diabetes, and osteoporosis
WHO recommendation: Exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months, with continued breastfeeding alongside solid food introduction through 2 years and beyond.
Getting Started: The First Few Hours
Initiate within the first hour: The recommendation is skin-to-skin contact immediately after birth and the first breastfeed within the first hour. This is the optimal window for the newborn's feeding reflexes and for stimulating milk production.
Colostrum, not milk, comes first: Many women (and their families) worry in the first 2 to 3 days that there is "no milk." Colostrum is present from before birth — it is simply small in volume (completely appropriate for the newborn's tiny stomach) and thick, so does not flow visibly. Transitional milk comes in at day 3 to 4, and full milk production by day 5 to 7.
Frequent feeding stimulates supply: Milk production works on supply and demand. The more the baby feeds, the more milk is produced. Frequent feeding in the first days — 8 to 12 feeds in 24 hours — establishes supply. Spacing feeds or supplementing formula in the first days undermines this.
Getting the Latch Right
A poor latch is the root cause of most early breastfeeding problems — nipple pain, cracking, low supply, and a frustrated, unsatisfied baby.
Signs of a good latch:
- The baby's mouth opens wide (gape) before latching — not just taking the nipple
- More areola (the dark area) is visible above the upper lip than below
- The baby's chin is pressed into the breast
- Cheeks are rounded (not sucked in)
- The mother feels suction but not pinching or biting pain — some initial tenderness as the skin adapts is normal; sharp pain throughout a feed is not
How to improve the latch: Bring the baby to the breast (not the breast to the baby). Position the nipple toward the baby's nose — not the mouth — to encourage chin-led, wide gape latch. If the latch is uncomfortable, break the seal with a clean finger and try again.
A lactation consultant or experienced postnatal nurse can assess the latch physically — this is invaluable for first-time mothers.
Common Problems and Solutions
Nipple Pain and Cracking
Almost always from a poor latch. Correct the latch — pain resolves. Meanwhile: expressed breast milk (hind milk) applied to cracked nipples and allowed to air dry between feeds is more healing than commercial nipple creams. Nipple shields (soft silicone shells worn over the nipple) can provide temporary relief while healing occurs.
Engorgement
When mature milk comes in (day 3 to 5), the breasts become very full, firm, and painful. This is normal and temporary. Management: frequent feeding (every 2 to 3 hours), cold compresses between feeds (to reduce inflammation), warm shower or compress immediately before feeding (to assist letdown).
Low Milk Supply
True low supply is less common than women fear. The most common causes:
- Infrequent or short feeds — milk production depends on stimulation
- Poor latch — baby is not transferring milk effectively even when present
- Early formula supplementation — reduces breast stimulation
Management: Increase feed frequency, improve latch, ensure effective milk transfer, consider pumping after feeds to increase stimulation. Domperidone (a medication that raises prolactin) is sometimes used for true supply issues — discuss with your doctor.
Mastitis
Breast infection presenting with a painful, red, hard, warm area in one breast and systemic flu-like symptoms (fever, body aches, fatigue). The most common cause is milk stasis — blocked duct progressing to infection — combined with any entry point for bacteria (cracked nipples).
Management:
- Continue breastfeeding — it is safe and is the most important part of treatment. Stopping makes mastitis worse by causing further engorgement
- Massage the affected area toward the nipple before and during feeding
- Antibiotics: flucloxacillin or cefalexin for 10 to 14 days — start promptly, do not wait to see if it resolves
- If a fluctuant, very tender area develops (suggesting abscess formation), ultrasound assessment and possible aspiration or surgical drainage is needed
Obstetric and Postnatal Care in Noida and Greater Noida
Dr. Shachi Singh at Prakash Hospital, Sector 33, Noida, provides postnatal breastfeeding support and management of mastitis for women across Noida and Greater Noida.
To book a postnatal consultation, call: +91 97023 46853
Clinic Hours: Monday to Saturday, 9 AM – 6 PM | Sunday, 10 AM – 2 PM
Address: D-12A, 12B, Sector-33, G.B. Nagar, Noida, UP 201301
This blog is for educational purposes only.
