The first breastfeed

Every woman's experience of the first time they put their baby to the breast was unique. For some of the women we spoke to the baby latched on straight away and automatically seemed to know what to do. For these women, it was an emotional experience and they described it and their feelings using words such as amazing, awesome, wonderful, magical, special, fantastic, extraordinary, lovely, happy, natural, powerful, instinctive, fulfilling, spiritual, incredible, absolutely mind-blowing, brilliant, satisfying, wow, proud, protective, extremely thankful, very calm and soothing. For some women the first breastfeed was not particularly memorable though not unpleasant, especially if they were ill themselves or tired or medicated after a difficult birth experience (see 'Managing breastfeeding: Dealing with difficult times'). One woman said that she thought it was her duty to breastfeed and that she had done the right thing by her daughter and another was surprised that she was able to breastfeed so soon after birth.

Her baby latched on straight away and she remembers just holding him, feeling him and stroking him. He fed for some time and then fell asleep.

With the first breastfeed, she suddenly felt fulfilled. It was a spiritual experience for her.

For other women, the first breastfeed 'wasn't entirely pleasant' or it was 'disappointing'. Sometimes the baby was reluctant to feed and the mother needed extra help to get him/her to attach/latch-on. In a few cases, it was the mother who was reluctant to feed her baby at first (see 'Support from hospital staff - Interview 40'). Some women were not comfortable with the midwife's hands-on approach (see 'Going home with a breastfed baby - Interview 38' and 'Emotional & psychological aspects of breastfeeding - Interview 37) and some were embarrassed about exposing their breasts. Sometimes the women were left alone with their newborn and did not know what to do.

Her first breastfeed was uncomfortable but then the baby fed every two to three hours for the first day.

She woke to find her first baby in bed with her and tried to latch her on by herself. Thereafter she lacked confidence, in contrast with her second experience.

The birth experience and the health of both the mother and baby influenced the mother's experience of the first breastfeed, especially if she'd had a caesarean section.

She had a caesarean section with her first baby and a water birth with her second, after which she found breastfeeding easier.

Her baby took quite a while to suck after a caesarean birth.

She insisted on skin-to-skin contact with her baby immediately after her caesarean section delivery.

Some women were ill and required extra nursing care or recovery time and some babies were ill and were admitted to the neonatal nursery, resulting in separation of mother and baby (see 'When extra care is needed for mother and/or baby'). This often increased the mother's anxiety levels, especially when she had planned on skin-to-skin contact with her baby and wanted to breastfeed as soon as possible after birth, or when the baby was given infant formula (see 'Dealing with difficult times - Interview 25').

She was ill and unable to put her baby to her breast straight after birth which caused her to be apprehensive and anxious.

Her baby needed resuscitating and was given infant formula. She was concerned about not being able to feed him in the first hour.

Sometimes the baby was sleepy, especially after a difficult or medicated birth, and not interested in breastfeeding straight away. One woman found out later that it was quite normal for a baby not to want to breastfeed straight away.

After a quick birth and meconium in her waters, her baby did not want to feed. She says that she now knows that it is normal for some babies to take a long time to want to feed.

Those women with very sick babies who required intensive care or with special need babies were very appreciative of the chance to spend private time with their newborn straight after birth and to attempt the first breastfeed, saying that it was a very important time for them to bond with their baby.

Her baby was born with a cleft palate. She had him on her chest for skin-to-skin contact and put him to her breast. She developed an 'incredible, immediate intense bond' with him.