Breastfeeding provides the best mix of nutrition to help your baby grow, and it can be easier for her to digest than infant formula. Your breast milk contains antibodies that support your baby’s immune system. The physical closeness that comes with breastfeeding is also a natural way to bond with your baby.

Breastfeeding burns calories and can help you lose pregnancy weight. When you breastfeed, your body releases a hormone called oxytocin that helps reduce stress and promote uterine contractions to help shrink your uterus after pregnancy. Breastfeeding also saves time and money because you won’t need to buy and prepare formula.

Breastfeeding requires even more energy and nutrients than pregnancy, so it’s important that you eat a healthy diet and continue taking your prenatal vitamins. Most people breastfeeding should consume a total of 2,000 to 2,500 calories per day, or about an additional 500 calories. This will give you enough energy to help with breast milk production.

What you eat and drink can affect the quality of your breast milk, so proper nutrition plays a critical role in your health and the health of your baby.

Here’s a guide for what to eat each day while breastfeeding:

• Grains (at least half as whole grains) – 8 oz.
• Vegetables (choose a variety) – 3 cups
• Fruit (whole or cut up) – 2 cups
• Dairy (low-fat or fat-free) – 3 cups
• Protein (lean meats and beans) – 6.5 oz.
   

According to the CDC, how much and how often your baby feeds will depend on your baby’s needs. On average, most exclusively breastfed babies will feed about every two to four hours. Some babies may feed as often as every hour at times, often called cluster feeding, or may have a longer sleep interval of four to five hours.

As babies grow, their bellies also grow. Your baby will gradually be able to drink more breast milk at each feeding. If you are concerned about meeting your baby’s needs, talk to a lactation consultant, or your baby’s nurse or doctor, right away. They can help you address any breastfeeding problems and determine the best way to meet your baby’s needs.

• Wake Network of Care Breastfeeding Support
• Triangle Breastfeeding Alliance Local and Regional Resource
• US DHHS Office of Women’s Health Breastfeeding Resources

• US Breastfeeding Committee’s Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Resource List

• US Breastfeeding Committee’s Black Breastfeeding Resources

• US Breastfeeding Committee’s Hispanic Breastfeeding Resources
• BreastfeedLA Spanish Language Resources

• US Breastfeeding Committee’s LQBTQIA+ Resources
• Lactation Options and Strategies for LGBTQ Persons
• What is Chestfeeding?

• WakeMed Breastfeeding Support Group
• UNC REX Breastfeeding Classes
• Carolina Lactation Consultants
• Triangle Lactation

Sit in a comfortable chair that supports your arms and back. Try not to hunch your shoulders. Support your breast with your hand in a cupped C-shape. Place your baby across your stomach, tummy to tummy.

Your baby's head should be in the bend of your elbow, and their mouth should be directly in front of your nipple. Use a pillow to support your arm. Tuck their lower arm around your waist, out of the way. If correctly positioned, your baby's body should form a straight line from their ear to shoulder to hip.

Like a football player cradles a football, cradle your baby over your arm while you’re seated in a chair. This lets you see if they are latching on properly. Place pillows at your side to support your elbow and your baby’s bottom. Then, tuck them into the side of your waist and place their head in the palm of your hand, supporting the base of their head between your thumb and forefinger.

You may like this position best if you:

• Have large breasts;
• Are concerned about latch on;
• Have a small or premature baby; or
• Are sore from a cesarean birth.
   

This is a good position for those with premature babies or who have trouble getting their little one to latch on. It makes it easier to see them latch on compared to the traditional cradle hold.

Hold your baby across your body in the arm opposite the breast from which they will be feeding. Their position will be the same as in the cradle hold, but you will use your other arm to hold them. Your baby should be level with your breast, with their body turned toward you. Some find they can tuck the baby's bottom into the crook of their arm. When they open their mouth wide, pull them onto the breast far enough that the tip of their nose, cheeks and chin are all touching your breast.

This is a comfortable alternative position when sitting is uncomfortable. Lie on your side, using one pillow to support your head and another along your back. Your head and neck should be comfortably propped up with pillows.

You can also lie on your side with one arm bent under your head and the other hand supporting your breast. Lay your baby next to you on the bed so their mouth is aligned with your nipple. Put a pillow or rolled-up blanket behind your baby's back.