Breastfeeding Basics
This section explains how breastfeeding and milk production works right from pregnancy to the early days, weeks and months after giving birth to your beautiful baby. Remember, you don’t need to read everything all at once, if it feels a little too much. Just dip into the topics that feel relevant to you right now!
If you’re new to breastfeeding, welcome!
Breastfeeding can be deeply beautiful, but it can also feel confusing, emotional and unexpectedly hard at times. In the early days, you’re not just learning how feeding works. You’re learning your baby. Their cues, their rhythms, their personality and what they need from you.
This space is here to support you with clear, evidence-based information, without overwhelm or pressure. You don’t need to read everything at once. Start where it feels most relevant to you, and come back as things change.
How Breastfeeding Works (the big picture)
Breastfeeding can be a natural process, but it is definitely a learning process between you and your baby and not something that is meant to feel effortless from day one. Early feeding can be so unpredictable and most often that comes with so much conflicting advice that it is not always clear what’s normal and what’s not.
This section explains the bigger picture of how breastfeeding works, so you can better understand what’s happening and feel more confident as things change over time.
Start with the parts that feel most relevant to you and return whenever you need reassurance.
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Breastfeeding is not just about your baby drinking milk or just about gaining weight. It is a relationship that beautifully and gently forms between your body and your baby over time.
Your baby is not only feeding for nourishment. They breastfeed for comfort, regulation, closeness, reassurance and connection with you. This is why each feed can look different from one moment to the next. Longer feeds, shorter feeds, frequent feeds, comfort feeds. All of these can be part of a healthy breastfeeding relationship.
Your body and your baby are continuously learning about each other. Through touch, smell, warmth, sucking patterns, and closeness, your body receives signals about what your baby needs from you. In response, your body adjusts milk production and milk flow. This quiet communication happens without you needing to consciously control it.
Because of this, breastfeeding will rarely feels tidy or predictable in the beginning. Change is expected. Variation is normal. You may think that you are starting to get the “hang” of a feeding routine one week and then the next week it’s all different again. This is normal, as your baby continuously grows and develops and their needs change, which is why it is important to follow their cues and lead.
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Breastfeeding is supported by a beautifully coordinated but complex system involving hormones, milk removal, time and a whole lot of patience (from mainly you, mama).
During pregnancy and the early 1-2 weeks after birth, hormones take the lead. After birth, the changes in hormone levels signal your breasts to begin producing milk in greater volumes. Oxytocin supports your letdown reflex, while prolactin supports your milk production (you’ll learn this in more detail in the next section).
As the weeks pass, milk production becomes increasingly guided by how often and how effectively milk is removed from the breasts. This is why early feeding can feel so frequent. Your baby is helping your body understand how much milk is needed, as they continue to grow.
When it comes to your milk supply regulating, it’s not a process that happens overnight, it’s a gradual process that we usually see occurring from around 6-12 weeks postpartum. This means that during the first couple of months, we can see ups and downs along the way as a common lactation sign but not always does it mean that it’s a sign that you’re not able to make enough milk for your baby…your body is just adapting to what your baby is able to do or asking you what he or she needs!
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The early days of breastfeeding can feel messy because so much learning is happening all at once.
Your baby is learning how to coordinate sucking, swallowing, and breathing. Your body is learning how much milk to make. Feeding patterns may include cluster feeding, frequent feeds, unsettled periods, or feeds that feel very different from one another.
These patterns are not signs that you don’t have enough milk. In many cases, they are your baby’s way of helping your body move into the next stage of milk production.
Frequent feeding in the early days plays an important role in establishing supply. When this process is supported with reassurance and guidance, it allows milk production to settle more smoothly over the following weeks.
Early breastfeeding is not meant to look polished. It is meant to be responsive.
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There is no ‘right’ way on how breastfeeding is meant to look.
Some babies feed often and briefly. While other babies feed less frequently but for longer stretches. Some love to cuddle in and fall asleep on the breast at the end of a feed, while others are alert and active feeders the whole way through. These differences reflect your baby’s temperament, development and individual needs.
Breastfeeding is shaped by many factors, including your baby’s birth experience, gestational age, oral function and your own body’s response to your lactation hormones. Because of this, comparing your breastfeeding journey with another mama can often create unnecessary worry.
What matters most is not whether feeding looks like someone else’s experience, but whether your baby is growing, feeding is progressing and you feel supported.
If something doesn’t feel right, gentle support can help clarify what is normal variation and what might need extra care. You do not need to struggle in silence to be doing breastfeeding “right”.
Understanding Milk Production
Breastfeeding and milk production are driven by hormones, milk removal and time. In the early days, things can feel unpredictable, your breasts will feel different, your baby’s feeding patterns can change quickly and it’s not always obvious what’s normal and what’s not.
This section walks you through how milk production begins, how it changes over time and why fluctuations are a normal part of breastfeeding - not a sign that something is going wrong.
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Breastmilk production begins during pregnancy, well before your baby is born.
During pregnancy, the hormones oestrogen and progesterone rise steadily. These hormones prepare your breast tissue to make milk, helping the milk-making cells grow and mature. When these hormones are high, they also limit the volume of milk produced, which is why colostrum is made in small, concentrated amounts during pregnancy and the early days after birth.
After you have given birth to your baby (and the placenta), your oestrogen and progesterone levels fall quickly. This hormonal drop is a key signal that allows milk production to increase.
Around day 2-3 after birth, progesterone levels reach their lowest point and prolactin levels begin to rise more significantly. Prolactin is the hormone responsible for making milk, and this shift is one of the reasons many parents notice changes around this time - including fuller breasts, changes in milk volume, emotional sensitivity (“milk coming in” stage) and what’s commonly known as the day 3 blues. This experience is very common and closely linked to normal hormonal changes, so each experience will feel different amongst women.
Prolactin
Prolactin supports milk production. Levels rise in response to nipple stimulation and milk removal, particularly in the early days and weeks. This is why frequent feeding early on helps establish milk production as your body and your baby begin to work together.Oxytocin
Oxytocin is the hormone responsible for milk flow, often referred to as the “letdown”. Oxytocin helps move the milk that has been made through the breast so your baby can access it. This hormone is sensitive to stress, pain, fatigue and feeling unsafe or unsupported, which is why environment, rest and emotional wellbeing can influence how feeding feels, even when milk supply itself is adequate.In the early weeks, milk production is largely hormone-driven. Over time, it becomes more responsive to how much milk is removed from the breasts (supply and demand). This transition is a normal part of breastfeeding and why following your baby’s hunger cues is always recommended.
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Colostrum, transitional milk and mature milk
Breastmilk doesn’t stay the same during your breastfeeding journey. It changes in stages as your hormones shift, what your immune system is doing and as your baby grows. These changes are normal, expected and often misunderstood, especially in the early days.
Understanding the stages of milk production can help explain why your milk looks different over time, why your breasts feel different and why feeding patterns may change as your body and baby learn to work together.
Colostrum (pregnancy to around day 2-4 postpartum)
Colostrum is the first milk your body produces, starting around the 16th week of pregnancy and continuing in the first days after birth.
It is made in very small volumes on purpose. Newborn stomachs are tiny, and colostrum is thick, highly concentrated, rich in immune factors and designed to be given often rather than in large amounts.
Because colostrum is produced in small, concentrated amounts, frequent feeding in the early days can be both normal and important. This does not mean that you do not have enough milk or that your baby isn’t getting what they need.
In fact, this frequent feeding is your baby’s way of communicating with your body and helping trigger the next stage of milk production. In some situations, unnecessary or early interference can disrupt this natural feedback loop and may affect how supply establishes over the following weeks.
This does not mean things can’t be supported or adjusted though, it simply highlights why early feeding patterns matter and why individualised guidance and lactation support can be so helpful (and critical) during this stage.
Transitional milk (around day 3 to day 10)
After birth of your little one (and the placenta), progesterone levels drop and prolactin rises, triggering a noticeable increase in milk volume. This is often referred to as “milk coming in.”
During this stage, colostrum begins to transition to mature milk and becomes higher in volume and fat content. Your breastmilk may also begin to look like cloudy water or watered down milk. Your breasts may also begin to feel fuller, warmer, heavier, or uncomfortable. Emotions can feel heightened as hormones shift but some mamas may also experience “flu-cold like symptoms” as their milk comes in too.
This phase is still largely hormone-driven. Feeding frequently during this time supports comfort, helps regulate supply and allows your body to adjust to your baby’s needs.
Mature milk (from around 10 days onwards)
As the early weeks pass, milk production gradually becomes less hormonally driven and more responsive to milk removal. This is known as supply and demand (which you will learn throughout the breastfeeding hub).
During this stage, milk can begin to look white but thinner in comparison to transitional milk. This can be surprising, but there’s no need to stress, it is completely normal. Mature milk is around 90% water, which helps keep your baby well hydrated, while still providing them with the necessary fats, proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and immune factors they need for optimal growth and development.
As your breastfeeding journey continues, milk production becomes increasingly responsive to milk removal and your baby’s feeding patterns. Mature milk will continue to adapt over time, changing in volume and composition as your baby grows, feeds more efficiently and their needs evolve.
It’s also normal for your breasts to begin to feel softer during this stage (usually from weeks 4-6 onwards), when supply is established. Remember, softer breasts do not mean less milk though, it often reflects that your body has learned how much milk your baby needs.
If it helps to see these stages mapped out visually, you can download our Breastmilk Production Timeline below.
This handout walks through colostrum, transitional milk and mature milk in a simple, parent-friendly format you can come back to anytime.
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Supply does not “set” overnight.
Your body and your baby learn each other over weeks and months.
This section will guide you through how supply regulates and why flexibility is part of a healthy breastfeeding journey. -
Milk supply is not the same every day.
Growth spurts, illness, sleep changes and stress can all influence feeding patterns.
This section will help you understand what’s normal and when to seek support. -
Letdowns are part of how milk moves through the breast, but they don’t always feel the same for every parent.
This section will explain what letdowns are and why they can feel unpredictable in the early weeks.
Understanding Milk Production
Breastfeeding and milk production are driven by hormones, milk removal and time. In the early days, things can feel unpredictable, your breasts will feel different, your baby’s feeding patterns can change quickly and it’s not always obvious what’s normal and what’s not.
This section walks you through how milk production begins, how it changes over time and why fluctuations are a normal part of breastfeeding - not a sign that something is going wrong.
-
Breastmilk production begins during pregnancy, well before your baby is born.
During pregnancy, the hormones oestrogen and progesterone rise steadily. These hormones prepare your breast tissue to make milk, helping the milk-making cells grow and mature. When these hormones are high, they also limit the volume of milk produced, which is why colostrum is made in small, concentrated amounts during pregnancy and the early days after birth.
After you have given birth to your baby (and the placenta), your oestrogen and progesterone levels fall quickly. This hormonal drop is a key signal that allows milk production to increase.
Around day 2-3 after birth, progesterone levels reach their lowest point and prolactin levels begin to rise more significantly. Prolactin is the hormone responsible for making milk, and this shift is one of the reasons many parents notice changes around this time - including fuller breasts, changes in milk volume, emotional sensitivity (“milk coming in” stage) and what’s commonly known as the day 3 blues. This experience is very common and closely linked to normal hormonal changes, so each experience will feel different amongst women.
Prolactin
Prolactin supports milk production. Levels rise in response to nipple stimulation and milk removal, particularly in the early days and weeks. This is why frequent feeding early on helps establish milk production as your body and your baby begin to work together.Oxytocin
Oxytocin is the hormone responsible for milk flow, often referred to as the “letdown”. Oxytocin helps move the milk that has been made through the breast so your baby can access it. This hormone is sensitive to stress, pain, fatigue and feeling unsafe or unsupported, which is why environment, rest and emotional wellbeing can influence how feeding feels, even when milk supply itself is adequate.In the early weeks, milk production is largely hormone-driven. Over time, it becomes more responsive to how much milk is removed from the breasts (supply and demand). This transition is a normal part of breastfeeding and why following your baby’s hunger cues is always recommended.
-
Colostrum, transitional milk and mature milk
Breastmilk doesn’t stay the same during your breastfeeding journey. It changes in stages as your hormones shift, what your immune system is doing and as your baby grows. These changes are normal, expected and often misunderstood, especially in the early days.
Understanding the stages of milk production can help explain why your milk looks different over time, why your breasts feel different and why feeding patterns may change as your body and baby learn to work together.
Colostrum (pregnancy to around day 2-4 postpartum)
Colostrum is the first milk your body produces, starting around the 16th week of pregnancy and continuing in the first days after birth.
It is made in very small volumes on purpose. Newborn stomachs are tiny, and colostrum is thick, highly concentrated, rich in immune factors and designed to be given often rather than in large amounts.
Because colostrum is produced in small, concentrated amounts, frequent feeding in the early days can be both normal and important. This does not mean that you do not have enough milk or that your baby isn’t getting what they need.
In fact, this frequent feeding is your baby’s way of communicating with your body and helping trigger the next stage of milk production. In some situations, unnecessary or early interference can disrupt this natural feedback loop and may affect how supply establishes over the following weeks.
This does not mean things can’t be supported or adjusted though, it simply highlights why early feeding patterns matter and why individualised guidance and lactation support can be so helpful (and critical) during this stage.
Transitional milk (around day 3 to day 10)
After birth of your little one (and the placenta), progesterone levels drop and prolactin rises, triggering a noticeable increase in milk volume. This is often referred to as “milk coming in.”
During this stage, colostrum begins to transition to mature milk and becomes higher in volume and fat content. Your breastmilk may also begin to look like cloudy water or watered down milk. Your breasts may also begin to feel fuller, warmer, heavier, or uncomfortable. Emotions can feel heightened as hormones shift but some mamas may also experience “flu-cold like symptoms” as their milk comes in too.
This phase is still largely hormone-driven. Feeding frequently during this time supports comfort, helps regulate supply and allows your body to adjust to your baby’s needs.
Mature milk (from around 10 days onwards)
As the early weeks pass, milk production gradually becomes less hormonally driven and more responsive to milk removal. This is known as supply and demand (which you will learn throughout the breastfeeding hub).
During this stage, milk can begin to look white but thinner in comparison to transitional milk. This can be surprising, but there’s no need to stress, it is completely normal. Mature milk is around 90% water, which helps keep your baby well hydrated, while still providing them with the necessary fats, proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and immune factors they need for optimal growth and development.
As your breastfeeding journey continues, milk production becomes increasingly responsive to milk removal and your baby’s feeding patterns. Mature milk will continue to adapt over time, changing in volume and composition as your baby grows, feeds more efficiently and their needs evolve.
It’s also normal for your breasts to begin to feel softer during this stage (usually from weeks 4-6 onwards), when supply is established. Remember, softer breasts do not mean less milk though, it often reflects that your body has learned how much milk your baby needs.
If it helps to see these stages mapped out visually, you can download our Breastmilk Production Timeline below.
This handout walks through colostrum, transitional milk and mature milk in a simple, parent-friendly format you can come back to anytime.
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From startups to seasoned brands, we partner with people who care about doing things right—and doing them well.
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Understanding Milk Production
Breastfeeding and milk production are driven by hormones, milk removal and time. In the early days, things can feel unpredictable, your breasts will feel different, your baby’s feeding patterns can change quickly and it’s not always obvious what’s normal and what’s not.
This section walks you through how milk production begins, how it changes over time and why fluctuations are a normal part of breastfeeding - not a sign that something is going wrong.
-
Breastmilk production begins during pregnancy, well before your baby is born.
During pregnancy, the hormones oestrogen and progesterone rise steadily. These hormones prepare your breast tissue to make milk, helping the milk-making cells grow and mature. When these hormones are high, they also limit the volume of milk produced, which is why colostrum is made in small, concentrated amounts during pregnancy and the early days after birth.
After you have given birth to your baby (and the placenta), your oestrogen and progesterone levels fall quickly. This hormonal drop is a key signal that allows milk production to increase.
Around day 2-3 after birth, progesterone levels reach their lowest point and prolactin levels begin to rise more significantly. Prolactin is the hormone responsible for making milk, and this shift is one of the reasons many parents notice changes around this time - including fuller breasts, changes in milk volume, emotional sensitivity (“milk coming in” stage) and what’s commonly known as the day 3 blues. This experience is very common and closely linked to normal hormonal changes, so each experience will feel different amongst women.
Prolactin
Prolactin supports milk production. Levels rise in response to nipple stimulation and milk removal, particularly in the early days and weeks. This is why frequent feeding early on helps establish milk production as your body and your baby begin to work together.Oxytocin
Oxytocin is the hormone responsible for milk flow, often referred to as the “letdown”. Oxytocin helps move the milk that has been made through the breast so your baby can access it. This hormone is sensitive to stress, pain, fatigue and feeling unsafe or unsupported, which is why environment, rest and emotional wellbeing can influence how feeding feels, even when milk supply itself is adequate.In the early weeks, milk production is largely hormone-driven. Over time, it becomes more responsive to how much milk is removed from the breasts (supply and demand). This transition is a normal part of breastfeeding and why following your baby’s hunger cues is always recommended.
-
Colostrum, transitional milk and mature milk
Breastmilk doesn’t stay the same during your breastfeeding journey. It changes in stages as your hormones shift, what your immune system is doing and as your baby grows. These changes are normal, expected and often misunderstood, especially in the early days.
Understanding the stages of milk production can help explain why your milk looks different over time, why your breasts feel different and why feeding patterns may change as your body and baby learn to work together.
Colostrum (pregnancy to around day 2-4 postpartum)
Colostrum is the first milk your body produces, starting around the 16th week of pregnancy and continuing in the first days after birth.
It is made in very small volumes on purpose. Newborn stomachs are tiny, and colostrum is thick, highly concentrated, rich in immune factors and designed to be given often rather than in large amounts.
Because colostrum is produced in small, concentrated amounts, frequent feeding in the early days can be both normal and important. This does not mean that you do not have enough milk or that your baby isn’t getting what they need.
In fact, this frequent feeding is your baby’s way of communicating with your body and helping trigger the next stage of milk production. In some situations, unnecessary or early interference can disrupt this natural feedback loop and may affect how supply establishes over the following weeks.
This does not mean things can’t be supported or adjusted though, it simply highlights why early feeding patterns matter and why individualised guidance and lactation support can be so helpful (and critical) during this stage.
Transitional milk (around day 3 to day 10)
After birth of your little one (and the placenta), progesterone levels drop and prolactin rises, triggering a noticeable increase in milk volume. This is often referred to as “milk coming in.”
During this stage, colostrum begins to transition to mature milk and becomes higher in volume and fat content. Your breastmilk may also begin to look like cloudy water or watered down milk. Your breasts may also begin to feel fuller, warmer, heavier, or uncomfortable. Emotions can feel heightened as hormones shift but some mamas may also experience “flu-cold like symptoms” as their milk comes in too.
This phase is still largely hormone-driven. Feeding frequently during this time supports comfort, helps regulate supply and allows your body to adjust to your baby’s needs.
Mature milk (from around 10 days onwards)
As the early weeks pass, milk production gradually becomes less hormonally driven and more responsive to milk removal. This is known as supply and demand (which you will learn throughout the breastfeeding hub).
During this stage, milk can begin to look white but thinner in comparison to transitional milk. This can be surprising, but there’s no need to stress, it is completely normal. Mature milk is around 90% water, which helps keep your baby well hydrated, while still providing them with the necessary fats, proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and immune factors they need for optimal growth and development.
As your breastfeeding journey continues, milk production becomes increasingly responsive to milk removal and your baby’s feeding patterns. Mature milk will continue to adapt over time, changing in volume and composition as your baby grows, feeds more efficiently and their needs evolve.
It’s also normal for your breasts to begin to feel softer during this stage (usually from weeks 4-6 onwards), when supply is established. Remember, softer breasts do not mean less milk though, it often reflects that your body has learned how much milk your baby needs.
If it helps to see these stages mapped out visually, you can download our Breastmilk Production Timeline below.
This handout walks through colostrum, transitional milk and mature milk in a simple, parent-friendly format you can come back to anytime.
-
From startups to seasoned brands, we partner with people who care about doing things right—and doing them well.
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