A Parent’s Guide To Early Breastfeeding Challenges

August is National Breastfeeding Awareness Month, dedicated to supporting parents and highlighting the benefits of breastfeeding for both mothers and babies.

During the first year of life, breast milk helps babies grow healthy and strong. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 84% of infants start out receiving some breast milk. By six months, more than 50% are still nursing, and nearly 40% continue through their first birthday.

While breastfeeding is a natural process, it’s also a learned skill for both mother and child. It rarely comes without a learning curve, and experiencing early challenges is completely normal.

“When a baby is born, two people are learning a brand-new skill at the exact same time,” said Melanie Snyder, RN, BSN, IBCLC, lactation specialist at Penn Highlands Healthcare. “Patience with yourself and your baby is just as essential in those first few weeks as any technique.”

Here are tips on how to build your supply, improve your baby’s latch and recognize when extra support is needed.

Establishing a Healthy Milk Supply

Lactation operates on a supply-and-demand system — the more frequently and effectively milk is removed, the more milk your body is signaled to produce.

• Feed on Demand, Not on a Clock: In the first few weeks, newborns typically need to nurse 8 to 12 times in a 24-hour period. Look for early hunger cues (rooting, lip-smacking or bringing hands to the mouth) rather than waiting for crying, which is a late sign of hunger.
• Prioritize Skin-to-Skin Contact: Holding your baby bare-chested against your skin stimulates the release of key hormones that stimulate milk production and let-down.
• Ensure Full Drainage: Let your baby finish the first breast fully to ensure they get the calorie-rich hindmilk before offering the second.
• Nourish Your Body: Producing milk requires extra energy. Stay well-hydrated, eat balanced meals and rest as much as your schedule allows.

Managing Latch Issues

A shallow latch is the leading cause of early breast pain and poor milk transfer. Aiming for a deep, asymmetrical latch helps ensure both your comfort and adequate nutrition for your baby.

• Position for Success: Bring your baby to your breast, supporting their neck and upper back without pushing their head.
• Bring Baby in Quickly: As their mouth opens wide, scoop their chin onto your breast first so their lower lip sits well below the base of the nipple.
• Check the Seal: Your baby’s lips should flare outward like fish lips, covering more of the lower area of the breast than the top.

Brief tenderness during the initial latch can happen in the early days, but sustained pain throughout a feeding is a sign that the latch needs to be adjusted.

Knowing When to Seek Professional Help

While mild adjustment soreness is normal, severe pain or poor baby weight gain should always be evaluated by a medical professional.

“Pain is your body’s communication system,” said Jackie Westrick, RN, IBCLC, lactation specialist with Penn Highlands Healthcare. “If feeding is painful, or if you’re worried about whether your baby is getting enough milk, that is the time to give your physician a call.”

Signs You Should Get Checked:

• Persistent pain: Sharp or pinching pain during or between feedings.
• Damaged nipples: Cracked, bleeding or misshapen nipples.
• Breast infection signs: Fever, flu-like symptoms or hard, painful, red areas on the breast.

Signs Your Baby May Need Help:

• Low output: Fewer than 5 wet diapers per day after day 4 or persistent reddish uric acid crystals in the diaper.
• Poor weight gain: Losing more than 10% of their birth weight or failing to return to birth weight by two weeks of age.
• Lethargy: Difficulty waking for feedings or immediately falling asleep at every feed.
• Audible clicking: Smacking or clicking noises while nursing, which often indicate a lost suction seal or restricted tongue movement.

Here to Support You

Parents do not have to navigate this journey alone. Penn Highlands Healthcare offers lactation support, including pre-hospital breastfeeding instruction, prenatal classes and lactation counselors to help new moms after deliveries. To learn more about all of the resources available, visit www.phhealthcare.org/breastfeeding.