What Are the Hardest Weeks of Breastfeeding?

As a new mother, I looked down at the tiniest new member of our family. We had both spent the morning crying. Me, because she wouldn’t eat and her because… well, she was hungry. In the earliest weeks postpartum, I experienced most of the common breastfeeding challenges.

Even as an experienced pediatrician, I felt like breastfeeding was one of the hardest things that I had ever done. Those early days had me doubting my decision to breastfeed at all. However, as the days turned into weeks, gradually things started getting a little bit easier. My breastfed baby and I overcame many early hurdles and found success in our breastfeeding journey.

Now, as a breastfeeding expert, lactation consultant and former breastfeeding mother all in one, I can tell you that the first 6 weeks are the hardest weeks of breastfeeding.

As a result, I advise women not to quit breastfeeding on their hardest day and not before 6 weeks postpartum. Of course, there are always exceptions, but in my experience breastfeeding gradually gets easier after that time frame. 

What Makes the First 6 Weeks so Hard?

Just like with anything else in life, you need to teach your new baby how to breastfeed. While babies have certain instincts around feeding, they don’t just magically know how to breastfeed right away. After practicing around the clock for several weeks, one day you will wake up and be amazed at how easy it seems.

In addition to learning a new skill, you have likely overcome many of the early challenges of breastfeeding:

• Sore Nipples
• Engorgement
• Cluster Feeding
• Learning how to use an electric breast pump
• Regulation of your breast milk supply
• Learning your baby’s hunger cues
• Feeding your baby 8-12 times per day

Read more about why the first 6 weeks of breastfeeding are the hardest.

Waiting For Your Milk to Come In

When you first start on your feeding journey, your breasts will make a small volume of a substance known as colostrum. This is the first milk that your baby will take in the early days postpartum. As you continue to breastfeed, your breast milk will go through changes.

• Colostrum: Early breast milk
• Transitional milk: Partially colostrum and partially more mature breast milk
• Mature Breast Milk: Your breasts produce this type of milk from about week 2 until the end of your breastfeeding journey

The process occurs during the initial two weeks of your breastfeeding experience.

• Days 1-3: Small amounts of colostrum, approximately a teaspoon at a time every few hours.
• Day 3-5 postpartum: There is an increase in milk volume, known as secretory activation (your milk coming in)
• Days 5-7: Your breasts may become engorged until the milk down-regulates to meet the baby’s needs.
• About 2 weeks postpartum through weaning: You should produce about 24-30 ounces of breast milk per day (full milk supply)

You can’t measure specific volumes of breast milk when you are direct breastfeeding. However, these numbers give you an idea of where you have come from and where you are going. It is important to celebrate the milestones.

The Days Are Long, but the Years Are Short

The first weeks of your new baby’s life can be a blur of nursing sessions, diaper changes and sporadic periods of sleep.

There are several factors contributing to the difficulty during this time.

• Adapting to a new and more demanding schedule
• Both you and the baby are learning the best breastfeeding positions and techniques
• Frequent feedings are exhausting
• Sleep deprivation makes things more difficult
• Your baby is not very interactive for the first several weeks after birth

As you conquer these challenges, things start to seem easier. Even though the time feels like it will never end, you will also feel like time is flying back. Eventually, you will spend less time breastfeeding.

Read more about breastfeeding milestones during the first six weeks.

Breast Size Changes

During pregnancy and after giving birth, your breast size will increase significantly. You will also notice enlargement when your milk comes in. As your milk production adjusts to your baby’s needs, your breasts will remain large, but not as dramatically.

Additionally, as the weeks of breastfeeding continue, it is common for your breasts to feel less full or not as enlarged with milk volume. This is very normal and you need not be alarmed if you experience this adjustment.

What is so Magical About The Time After 6 Weeks?

Take a moment to reflect, as you have come so far in your breastfeeding journey. There are many reasons to celebrate this significant milestone. Around 6 weeks postpartum, there are many reasons why breastfeeding should seem easier:

• Breast milk supply is established
• Feedings are more consistent and predictable
• Baby is much more efficient with feeding at the breast
• Breastfeeding sessions take less time
• You are confident and experienced
• The environment feels more relaxed and comfortable.
• Overcame early challenges

These are just a few of the reasons that you should celebrate. Breastfeeding is one of the harder things that you will do in this life and you have made it so far already.

Breastfeeding is a Full Time Job

At first, breastfeeding is a full time job and you may feel like you do little else other than feed your baby. However, around six weeks after birth, things become less intense. In general, this is because babies tend to become more efficient at breastfeeding as time marches on.

As your breastfed baby grows, their mouth gets bigger which often makes breastfeeding much easier. Additionally, their strength increases and babies are able to extract milk from the milk ducts more easily and efficiently. Also, while cluster feeding may still happen with growth spurts, these frequent feeding sessions don’t occur nearly as often as they did in the early days of breastfeeding. These changes make breastfeeding more manageable and less consuming.

What If It Doesn’t Get Easier?

Breastfeeding can be a positive experience for many mothers, but it can also be challenging for others. Difficulties can arise in the first few weeks after birth and may persist beyond six weeks. If you’ve sought guidance from healthcare professionals and lactation specialists without resolution, it may be necessary for you redefine your definition of successful breastfeeding.

Breastfeeding can sometimes cause stress or anxiety for mothers, even after seeking help and trying different techniques. I support breastfeeding, but I also prioritize the well-being of the mother. If breastfeeding is causing so much stress that you can’t enjoy your baby or anything else, it might be best to modify your feeding method.

Even though you didn’t quit on your hardest day and you made it beyond six weeks, you can still re-evaluate your feeding choices.

Fortunately, there are safe alternative feeding options for babies in our country. Your healthcare professional can provide guidance on formula feeding or a combination of breast milk and formula for your new baby. If you have some breast milk and you have the bandwidth to provide it to your baby, it is beneficial to include it in your baby’s feeding routine, even if it’s just one ounce per day.

You are an important part of this equation and if breastfeeding is causing you misery, it is okay to reconsider your decision. Your worth as a mother is never measured in ounces of breast milk.

How Can 127 Pediatrics Help You in Your Breastfeeding Journey?

Whether you choose to provide your baby breast milk or formula, you are a great mother.

At 127 Pediatrics, we offer support and education for breastfeeding mothers. Dr. Wadley is board certified in both pediatrics and breastfeeding medicine. She is passionate about helping breastfeeding mothers to succeed. As a result, we offer local and virtual lactation consults. Additionally, we plan to offer online education in order to answer all of your breastfeeding questions.

If you would like a consult, please fill out a form on our website. Otherwise, you can receive a weekly dose of breastfeeding education in your inbox by clicking on the link below to sign up for our newsletter:

© 127 Pediatrics, May 2024

This article is for information purposes only. Please consult your personal physician for medical advice.