Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding

Breastmilk provides all the nutrients your baby needs for the first six months. 

It's naturally balanced with the right mix of protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals to support healthy growth and development.

Did you know?

Breastmilk adapts to meet your baby’s needs. For premature babies, it contains higher sodium, chloride, fat, and protein levels to support their early development.

The composition of breastmilk

Your body produces different types of milk to support your baby’s growth at every stage.

  • Colostrum (from around 16 weeks of pregnancy until a few days after birth): Small in volume but rich in fat, protein, antibodies, and nutrients to support your baby’s immune system.
     
  • Foremilk (early in a feed): More watery and lower in fat, helping to keep your baby hydrated.
     
  • Hindmilk (later in a feed): Higher in fat and energy to help your baby feel full and support weight gain.

Your milk "comes in" about three days after birth. For some parents, it can take up to five or six days.

Feeding Cues and Attachment

Breastfeeding is a skill you and your baby learn together. It can take time to feel confident.

Babies are born with instincts that help them find the breast. Common ways to attach include:

  • baby-led attachment – your baby finds the breast and latches using their instincts
  • parent-led attachment – you help guide your baby to the breast.

Signs your baby is ready to feed:

  • opening their mouth or sticking out their tongue
  • turning their head towards your breast
  • sucking movements or mouthing their hands.

If you are finding breastfeeding challenging, you are not alone. Seek support early from a lactation consultant or child and family health nurse.

Delayed lactation

It can be common for milk to take a few days to come in. If it hasn’t arrived by day five or six, your midwife or nurse may suggest using a small amount of formula to support your baby while you continue breastfeeding.

This doesn’t mean breastfeeding won’t work long-term. Keep offering the breast often and consider speaking with an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) for support.

Common Breastfeeding Challenges

Breastfeeding is natural, but that doesn’t mean it’s always easy. Breastfeeding challenges are more common than many realise and do not reflect a lack of effort or care. 

Health factors that may affect milk supply

  • heavy blood loss after birth or retained placenta
  • thyroid disorders or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
  • insufficient glandular tissue
  • hormonal issues like low prolactin
  • previous breast surgery
  • certain infections, like HIV or tuberculosis that require careful management.

Some medications, both short- and long-term, may also affect supply or transfer through breastmilk. Always let your doctor know you’re breastfeeding before starting a new medication or treatment.

Mental health concerns, including postnatal depression, anxiety, or trauma, may also affect your breastfeeding journey. 

Social and Practical Considerations

Life factors can also impact breastfeeding, such as:

  • returning to work or study
  • limited private spaces for expressing
  • lack of support from work, family or friends
  • separation from your baby (e.g. NICU)
  • caring for twins or multiples.

If you are having difficulty, support is available. Lactation consultants, midwives, and child and family health nurses can help you find an approach that works for you and your family. 

Feeding Breastmilk in Other Ways

If feeding directly from the breast is not possible or preferred, you can still feed your baby breastmilk through:

  • using donated breastmilk
  • expressing breast milk by hand or using a pump
  • giving expressed milk in a bottle
  • using a Supplement Nursing System (SNS) line with expressed milk
  • combination feeding - using both breastmilk and infant formula.

See the Expressing, handling and storing breastmilk factsheet for more information about expressing and pumps.  

Your Diet While Breastfeeding

Most of the time, you don’t need a special diet while breastfeeding. Eating a variety of nutritious foods and staying hydrated will support your wellbeing.

Some breastfeeding parents may need extra:

  • Iodine
  • Vitamin B12
  • Vitamin D

Your doctor or child and family health nurse might also recommend Vitamin D supplements for your baby if they:

  • get little incidental sun exposure
  • have very dark skin
  • have or are at risk of low Vitamin D due to health conditions.

Caffeine

Caffeine in drinks like tea, coffee, soft drinks, and energy drinks can pass into breastmilk. Keep your daily intake under 200mg, around 1-2 cups of coffee.

Alcohol

Alcohol passes into your breastmilk about 30 to 60 minutes after drinking. Alcohol levels in breastmilk match your blood alcohol level. It takes about 2 hours to clear one standard drink. 

If you plan to have a drink, expressing milk beforehand ensures your baby has enough to eat while you wait for the alcohol to leave your system. 

It is no longer recommended to express and discard or “pump and dump” if you are drinking and breastfeeding.

The Feed Safe app can help you determine when it’s safe to breastfeed again.

Medications

Most medications are safe to take while breastfeeding; however, some can affect your baby or your milk supply. 

Always let your doctor or pharmacist know you are breastfeeding before starting any new medicine. 

You can also call MotherSafe on (02) 9382 6539 for free expert advice on medications during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Allergen related diets

Breastfeeding parents do not need to avoid common allergen foods unless their baby reacts to trace amounts passed through the breastmilk. 

In rare cases, such as Food Protein-Induced Allergic Proctocolitis (FPIAP), removing certain foods (like dairy or soy) may help. 

Breastfeeding can continue while the suspected foods are removed. Symptoms usually improve within a few weeks; most babies tolerate those foods again by 6 to 9 months.

Changes to diet are not needed for food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES) unless the baby is reacting through breastmilk, which is rare.

Dietary changes are only needed occasionally and should be guided by a paediatrician or paediatric dietitian.

Smoking and Vaping

Nicotine from smoking or vaping enters the bloodstream and breastmilk quickly, which can lower the levels of fat, protein, and energy in the milk. It may also decrease your milk supply and impact your baby’s growth and development. 

The best choice for both you and your baby is to quit smoking or vaping.

If you do choose to smoke or vape and breastfeed:

  • breastfeed before smoking or vaping - This gives more time before the next feeding, as nicotine in breast milk decreases by about half after 1.5 hours after smoking.
  • keep breastfeeding - Your milk still offers essential protection, even if you can't quit smoking.
  • don’t smoke or vape close to your baby or in small spaces like your home or car.
  • reduce second-hand smoke residue by:
    • wearing different clothes while smoking
    • covering your hair with a scarf or shower cap
    • washing your hands and brushing your teeth after smoking.