Breastfeeding

From around six months, you can begin offering solid foods alongside breast milk. If you’re able to, you can continue to breastfeed for up to two years or more for ongoing benefits for both of you. 

Whether you're breastfeeding or choose to bottle feed or a mixture of both, feeding is a chance to connect warmly and bond with your baby. Responding to your babies needs builds love, care and comfort in a way which brings you closer and supports both yours and your baby’s mental health. 

The benefits of breastfeeding 

Breastfeeding supports your baby’s health, development and emotional wellbeing, and helps you build a strong bond. It also offers important health benefits for you. The positive effects for both of you can last well beyond the breastfeeding stage. 

Breastfeeding helps to: 

• Build a secure, loving bond between you and your baby. The skin-to-skin contact releases positive hormones for you both.  

• Protect your baby from illnesses and infections.  

• Reduce the chances of allergies, asthma, digestive problems, and obesity for your baby. The benefits last into adulthood (NHS, 2025). 

Breastfeeding is good for your health too.  It can reduce your risk of: 

• Breast and ovarian cancer. 

• Osteoporosis. 

• Heart disease. 

• Obesity. 

• Dementia (NHS, 2025).

And remember breast milk is always ready, always the right temperature, and changes to suit your baby’s needs.

Knowing when to feed your baby 

Breastfeeding involves you responding to your baby’s cues, as well as your own need to feed your baby.  

Your baby may show they’re ready to feed by: 

• Licking lips or turning their head. 

• Wriggling or stretching. 

• Bringing their hands to their mouth or sucking their fist. 

Breastfeeding isn’t just about food; it’s about love, comfort, and reassurance so you don’t need to wait until your baby is hungry. You might choose to feed when: 

• They need comfort or reassurance. 

• Your baby has had immunisations or feel unwell. 

• You're going out or settling them for sleep. 

• You need a moment of calm and connection. 

• Your breasts feel full. 

Positioning: How to breastfeed your baby comfortably 

There’s no one right position, just what works for you both. 

• Get comfortable and relaxed before a feed. 

• Keep water or a snack nearby.  

• Support your arms and shoulders. 

• Hold your baby close, tummy to tummy, ideally with no blankets or clothes in the way. 

Helping your baby latch 

• Aim baby’s nose, not their mouth, to your nipple. Let them tilt their head back and open their mouth wide. 

• They should take a big mouthful of breast, not just the nipple. 

• You may feel a tug, but it shouldn’t be painful.

The NHS website has helpful images and a video on how to latch. 

If feeding hurts or feels uncomfortable, it may be a sign of shallow attachment. Get some advice from your health visitor with your healthcare professional, doctor or a breastfeeding supporter.   

Laid back breastfeeding  

Leaning back slightly with baby resting on your chest can be a comfortable, relaxing position for you both. This encourages your baby's feeding instincts and supports better posture. 

• Recline comfortably, making sure your head and shoulders are well supported. 

• Let your baby’s whole front rest against your chest 

• Support their head gently, they’ll find your breast on their own. 

Expressing and storing breast milk  

Expressing milk means collecting milk from your breasts so you can store it and feed it to your baby later. If you don’t need to express milk, it's best to wait until your baby and you feel confident with breastfeeding. Waiting until your baby is around four to six weeks will enable your milk flow to establish.   

You might want to express milk if: 

• You’re returning to work or study. 

• You want to share feeding with a partner or co-parent. 

• Your baby was premature or can’t feed directly. 

• You’re managing full breasts or trying to encourage your supply. 

Sometimes you may be advised to try expressing and storing your first milk (colostrum) before your baby is born, because they might need extra milk when they arrive.  You can express and store your milk from when you’re 36 to 37 weeks into your pregnancy. The Breastfeeding Network has information on expressing and storing breastmilk.

Ways to express milk: 

• Hand expressing. There’s information and videos on the NHS website on hand expressing.

• Manual pump. 

• Electric pump - these can be expensive but can often be hired. 

Storing breast milk 

You can safely store expressed breast milk:  

• At room temperature in a sterile container, for up to six hours. 

• In the back or bottom (not in the door) of a fridge kept at 4˚C or colder, for up to five days. 

• In the ice compartment of a fridge for up to 2 weeks. 

• In a freezer for up to 6 months if the freezer is at -18˚C or lower. 

To use stored breast milk: 

• If the milk has separated, gently swirling, rather than shaking, will help mix the contents.  

• Defrost in the fridge overnight and use it within 12 hours. Never refreeze milk, once thawed.  

• Warm the milk to body temperature in a bowl of warm water. Don’t use a microwave as this could create hot spots which burn your baby’s mouth.  

There’s more information about expressing and storing breast milk on the NHS website.

Common breastfeeding challenges 

Worried about milk supply? 

The more you feed your baby, the more milk you will produce. If your baby is relaxed and calm during and after a feed and they come off the breast by themselves, they are likely getting enough milk.  

Your baby’s nappies and weight gain will also let you know if they’re feeding well. Speak to your health visitor about where and how to get your baby weighed. This may be at a clinic or at your local family centre. Always take your ‘Red Book’ or to give it its official name, the Personal Child Health Record (PCHR) with you to weighing appointments as this will help track how your baby is growing. You should have been given a Red Book shortly before or after your baby was born. If you haven’t been given one, or if you’ve misplaced yours, contact your health visitor to find out what to do. 

If you have any concerns talk to your doctor, health visitor, with your healthcare professional or a breastfeeding supporter.   

Mastitis (painful, inflamed breast tissue) 

Mastitis is when your breast tissue becomes painful and inflamed. You may also feel tired and have flu-like symptoms. Although it is painful, try and continue to breastfeed or express as usual.  

There are self-help measures you can take if you develop mastitis, but if your symptoms don’t start to improve after 12-24 hours it’s important to contact your doctor or call 111 as you may need antibiotics. 

Sore nipples 

Soreness can be common in the early weeks of breastfeeding but if it continues it could be a sign your baby’s latch is too shallow. Read advice on sore or cracked nipples on the NHS website.

Tongue Tie 

Tongue Tie can be a reason your baby isn’t latching properly. This is when the strip of tissue that attaches your baby’s tongue to the bottom of their mouth is shorter or tighter than usual. In some cases, tongue ties are released in a simple procedure, but not all babies need this. 

If you're worried that your baby may have tongue tie, contact your midwife, health visitor or doctor. NHS Start for Life has further information on tongue-tie.

Need more help with breastfeeding?  

If you’re finding breastfeeding difficult, don’t struggle in silence. Support is there for both you and your baby. However, you're feeding, you're doing an amazing job.  

If you need some help, there's lots available from professionals and parents who’ve been there too.  

• There’s lots of information on breastfeeding on the NHS website.

• There are breastfeeding support groups across the country who can help you. There’s a breastfeeding support service finder on the NHS website.  

• In some parts of the country, we offer breastfeeding support through Family Hubs and Children’s Centres. Find out what services we offer near you.  

• You can call the National Breastfeeding Helpline on 0300 100 0212 for information and support 24 hours a day, every day of the year.   

• Unicef has videos to help you with different aspects of breastfeeding.

All of the information on this page was created with practising health professionals. This page was reviewed in December 2025. We will next review the page in 2028.