Your First Two Weeks of Breastfeeding: What to Expect and How to Thrive
As a Certified Lactation Educator serving families in the Eastside and Greater Seattle area, my focus is empowering families with evidence-based support and personalized care, guiding parents through the joys and challenges of infant feeding with knowledge and confidence. The first two weeks of breastfeeding are a time of learning, adjustment, and discovery—for both you and your baby. Understanding what’s normal and what to expect can help you feel more confident and supported as you begin this journey. Let’s explore what those early days often look like and how to set yourself up to thrive.
5-5-5 Rule at home
Five days IN BED with baby
For the first 5 days after you get discharged, spend all your time in your bed to allow your body to fully heal/rest and bond with your newborn in a protected bubble-like environment which gives you the opportunity to solely focus on establishing breastfeeding in a supportive environment. It’s best to bond with baby skin to skin during the first five days at home. During the first few days (and weeks), frequent stimulation of the breasts is essential to establish an abundant supply.
Plan for your partner or support person to handle the household and take care of other siblings with opportunities throughout the day for the other siblings to say hello to mom/baby.
Five days AROUND THE BED with baby (in your room)
The next 5 days are spent around your bed (in your room) to continue resting, bonding with baby, and focus on providing a supportive environment for breastfeeding. You also can exert a little movement that’s low effort. This is also a great time to start fully involving other children in your daily routine with their new sibling. Activities like watching a show or movie, reading books, and coloring or playing with toys are great ways to keep your older children involved and start introducing them to their new sibling in a way that will mirror their daily lives. Walking for a few minutes each day can support recovery.
Five days AROUND THE HOUSE with baby
Days 10 – 15 are dedicated to navigating into other parts of the house for short periods of time. Making sure you’re still near your bed for when your body needs to rest is crucial. Your focus should still be on establishing breastfeeding and bonding with baby (not resuming all responsibilities you had pre-birth). Naps are encouraged and keep standing to a maximum of 30 minutes at a time. If you’re feeling antsy, invite some friends or family over to help with household tasks! They can make dinner while giving you a chance to continue bonding with baby and rest, and then you can all visit while you eat together.
Tips for promoting breastfeeding
Reduce your stress as much as possible because stress can affect your milk supply. Give yourself permission to be okay with the idea that your breastfeeding journey may be different than you initially thought. Releasing this pressure on yourself will truly help promote a better environment to breastfeed your baby.
Breastfeed baby within 1 hour of delivery. This is the most important step when planning to breastfeed and will help with a robust milk supply.
Hold skin to skin and watch your baby crawl up to the breast for the first feeding. This may happen from 10 to 60 minutes after birth.
Delay the eye treatment, first weight, newborn injections and other procedures that are common right after delivery until the first feeding is finished if possible.
Breastfeed whenever the baby shows hunger cues and at least 8 or more times per 24 hours (at least every 2.5 hours or sooner). Babies are often sleepy after delivery and you will need to wake the baby up for feedings. This will ensure baby is getting enough milk and creating a good milk supply.
Offer both breasts at each feeding.
Increase fluid intake by drinking 12 ounces (about 1.5 cup) of water with each feeding (8 to 10 cups a day).
Have your partner or support person give back rubs which stimulate nerves that serve the breasts (central part of the spine).
Eat nutritious meals; continue to take prenatal vitamins.
A drowsy baby will not feed for long. Undress the baby to the diaper, rub the tummy and back, talk to and rock your baby until the eyes open. A good strategy is to put the baby naked (except for a diaper) on your chest skin to skin for 1/2 hour prior to feeding.
Try the sandwich hold. Gently squeeze the breast into a “sandwich”. Create an oval of the areola with your thumb lined up with your baby’s nose, your fingers under the breast.
Assure the baby is completely emptying your breasts at each feeding. If the baby is not emptying your breast or is struggling with a latch, pump or hand express to empty your breasts. In order to make more milk and increase your supply, you need to move (remove) milk to signal your body to make more milk.
Hand express after feedings
Use a hospital grade double electric pump if at all possible.
Assure the flanges are appropriate size.
Wear a bra or bustier that will hold the flanges in place while you pump so your hands can be free for massaging.
Pump after feedings or between feedings.
Delay the use of a pacifier until breastfeeding is established (around 4 weeks).
Keep an eye on baby’s wet diapers. Look for one wet diaper according to the baby's age until day 6. For example, 3 wet diapers on day three, four on day four, and so on. Continue with 6 wet diapers and 2-3 stools daily after day 6. More is fine, but make sure you’re getting the minimum.
If you’re not seeing improvement with breastfeeding and you are still having vaginal bleeding after 2 weeks, discuss the possibility of retained placental fragments with your healthcare provider. Small bits of the placenta can secrete enough hormones to prevent the milk from coming in.
September 28, 2025
