Breastfeeding creates a strong bond between mother and baby if feeding time is relaxed and pleasurable for both. Make sure your baby can see you, and smile and talk to him while he is suckling. He will come to associate the pleasure of feeding with the sight of your face, the sound of your voice, and the smell of your skin. Make sure you are both comfortable before you start. You should feed your baby from both breasts, and you may want to burp him before changing over.

The sucking action of your baby at the breast sends messages to the hypothalamus, which is turn stimulates the pituitary gland in your brain to release two hormones: prolactin, which is responsible for the manufacture of milk in the milk glands, and oxytocin which causes the milk to be passed from the glands to the reservoirs behind the areola. This transfer is known as the let-down reflex.

During the 72 house after delivery, the breasts produce a thin, yellow fluid called colostrum, made up of water, protein, and minerals. It contains antibodies that protect the baby against a range of intestinal and respiratory infections. In the first few days, your baby should be put to the breast regularly, both to feed on the colostrum and to get used to latching on to the breast.

Once your breasts start to produce milk, you may be surprised by its watery appearance. When your baby sucks, the first milk that he gets – the foremilk – is thin, watery, and thirst – quenching. Then comes the hindmilk, which is richer in fat and protein.

Breastfeeding has to be learned, and you should seek support and advice from your family, from friends with babies, and from your pediatrician or a lactation consultant. Above all you will learn from your baby, by understanding his signals and discovering how to respond to them. No special action is required to prepare the breastfeeding unless you have an inverted nipple. If you do, use a breast shell to make your nipple protrude so the baby will be able to latch on. If you are having your baby in a hospital, make sure the nursing staff knows you intend to breastfeed, and don’t be afraid to ask for help. Suckle your baby as soon as he is born – in the delivery room, if you are in the hospital – to form a bond with him as early as possible and let him get used to suckling.