11/08/2025
Breastfeeding can be a rewarding way to feed and bond with your baby, as well as convenient and cost effective, however it does come with its challenges, especially in the first few weeks.
Some of the challenges you may experience when starting your breastfeeding journey include:
💜Low Milk Supply- It’s not unusual to worry that you are not producing enough milk for your baby. if your milk supply does drop, you can usually increase it again with some simple measures, including adjusting your positioning and attachment and feeding your baby frequently and responsively. A small percentage of mothers have conditions such as past breast surgery, thyroid conditions, polycystic o***y syndrome or insufficient glandular tissue that may mean they can’t make enough milk to breastfeed exclusively. If this applies to you, your breastfeeding supporter, midwife or health visitor should be able to support you to maximise your milk supply and combine breastfeeding with supplements of donor milk or infant formula (sometimes called mixed, or combination, feeding).
💜 Problems with Latching- If possible, try breastfeeding as soon as your baby shows any signs of hunger. A very hungry baby may become distressed and this can make latching more difficult. If your breasts have become very full or engorged it can help to express a little milk by hand to soften the breast and make latching easier for baby. It can also be recommended to do a lot of skin to skin with baby, particularly in a laid back position with baby on your chest so that the baby can ‘root’ for the ni**le themselves without the pressure to feed.
💜 Sore Ni***es- When you first start breastfeeding, you may have sore or sensitive ni**les. This is very common in the first week of breastfeeding, and is usually because your baby is not latching on properly. Invest in a good ni**le protective cream or ni**le shields to lessen the discomfort you may experience and speak to your midwife or breastfeeding support for advice.
💜 Pain During Feeding- In general, breastfeeding should not be painful, although it can be uncomfortable whilst you are getting to grips with it and finding the correct position and latching. Common causes for breast pain include a strong let down of milk (eased by expressing a little milk prior to baby feeding), breast engorgement (when the breast is too full of milk), eczema or dermatitis of the area, or vasospasm (when the blood supply temporarily stops flowing properly to the end of the ni**le)
💜 Compressed ducts and mastitis- Compressed ducts occur when engorgement, localised swelling or pressure on your breast squashes the ducts that your milk passes through, stopping your milk from flowing freely in your breast. If not addressed, compressed ducts can progress into mastitis. Mastitis is an inflammation of the breast accompanied by flu symptoms. You are more at risk of mastitis if your breasts become too overfull or there is too much pressure on your breast.
💜 Tongue Tie- Babies with tongue tie can find it harder to feed due to the restricted movement of the tongue. It can affect their latch which in turn can affect ni**le pain for the mother, a decrease in milk supply over time, poor weight gain for baby and risk of mastitis. Some babies with tongue tie have no problems with feeding but it is important to have all cases assessed in case intervention is required.
