Feeding at the start

Hunger is a cue on the baby, not a clock on the wall. Pain that does not ease needs a person who watches a feed.

Early cues: rooting, hands to mouth, stirring. Crying is late.
A good latch is more of the areola, and a pain that fades after the first seconds.
Wet nappies climb over the first days; weight often dips and should then rise.
Exclusive milk for about six months is the World Health Organization suggestion.

The first days

Feeds can be frequent, including clusters in the evening. That frequency brings milk in, usually around days two to four, when breasts grow warm and full. Engorgement eases with feeding, not with skipping. A baby who is not waking to feed, who has no wet nappies, or who is jaundiced and sleepy needs a check the same day.

If feeding hurts or is not the plan

Nipple damage is a reason to get a skilled watch of a whole feed, not a reason to endure. Formula is a complete food when breastfeeding is not possible or not wanted. Mixing unsolicited advice from relatives helps less than one consistent plan. Solids wait until around six months, beside milk, not instead of it.

Ask your midwife or doctor before you change medicine, herbs, or a birth plan.

Sizes and dates are averages. Feeding and sleep notes follow widely published public-health guidance, including World Health Organization infant-feeding advice and back-to-sleep recommendations. They are not a protocol for your hospital.