What to Expect When You Start Breastfeeding

What to Expect

As your baby grows and develops, breastfeeding will change too. Here's what you can expect:

During the first few weeks of life, your baby will breastfeed frequently – usually every two to three hours. 

This frequent feeding helps stimulate your milk production. As your baby's tummy gets bigger, he or she will be able to go longer between feedings. 

By about six weeks, most babies are breastfeeding eight to 12 times a day.

Around four to six months, you may notice that your baby starts to nurse less often during the day and more at night. 

This is normal as babies' sleep patterns change at this age. 

Some babies may even start sleeping through the night (six to eight hours) without waking up to breastfeed.

As your baby gets older and starts eating solid foods, he or she will gradually breastfeed less often. 

By six months, most babies are breastfeeding three to five times a day. Some babies continue to breastfeed until they're a year old or older, while others wean (stop breastfeeding) before then.

Every baby is different, so there's no set schedule for how often your baby will breastfeed. Just follow your baby's lead and trust your instincts.