Your milk hasn't "come in" yet, your baby feeds for ages and then wants more half an hour later, and you're quietly wondering whether any of this is working. It is. The first week of breastfeeding looks small, slow and a bit messy, and that's completely normal. Here's what to expect.

Colostrum: small but mighty

In the first few days your breasts make colostrum — a thick, golden "first milk." It comes in tiny amounts, and that's by design. Your newborn's tummy is roughly marble-sized on day one, so a teaspoon or two per feed is exactly enough.

Colostrum is concentrated and rich in antibodies. Think of it as the first immune boost and a gentle laxative that helps clear the early black, sticky poo (meconium).

Feed often — on cues, not the clock

Newborns feed a lot. Across AU (ABA, Raising Children Network), the US (AAP) and WHO, the guidance is similar: feed whenever your baby shows hunger cues, aiming for around 8–12 feeds in 24 hours, including overnight.

Watch for early cues rather than waiting for crying:

  • Stirring, mouthing, turning the head (rooting)
  • Bringing hands to the mouth
  • Sucking sounds or restlessness

Very sleepy newborns sometimes need waking for feeds in the first week, especially if they're small, jaundiced, or not yet back to birth weight. Your midwife, GP or child-health nurse can guide you here.

When your milk "comes in"

Somewhere around day 2 to day 5, many parents notice their milk transitioning — breasts feel fuller, firmer and warmer, and feeds get noticeably wetter. This is normal engorgement as volume increases.

To stay comfortable:

  • Keep feeding frequently — drainage is the best relief.
  • Try a warm flannel before feeds and a cool pack after.
  • Gentle hand expression can soften a too-firm breast so baby can latch.

Output: your best at-home sign

You can't measure millilitres at the breast, so nappies are your dashboard. Output ramps up as your milk does.

Baby's age Wet nappies (per day) Dirty nappies (per day)
Day 1 1+ 1+ (black/sticky meconium)
Days 2–3 2–3 2+ (changing to greenish)
Days 4–5 4–5 3+ (yellow, loose, "seedy")
Day 6+ 6+ heavy wet 3+ soft yellow
6–8
wet nappies a day once milk is in
8–12
feeds in 24 hours
2–5
days until milk usually comes in

By the end of the first week, healthy feeding usually shows up as six or more heavy wet nappies and several soft yellow poos a day, plus a baby who feeds, settles and is gaining toward birth weight.

Cluster feeds and the witching hour

Some evenings your baby will want to feed again and again, with short breaks — often in the late afternoon or evening. This is cluster feeding, and it's normal newborn behaviour, not a sign you're "running out." It helps drive your supply and often clusters before a longer sleep.

What helps:

  • Settle in somewhere comfortable with water and a snack within reach.
  • Offer the breast freely; this is not the night to ration feeds.
  • Tag-team with a partner for nappies, burping and cuddles.

Safety while you feed

A note on vitamin D

Recommendations differ by region, so this is worth raising with your provider:

  • United States (AAP): a 400 IU/day vitamin D supplement is recommended for all breastfed and partially breastfed infants, starting in the first few days after birth and continuing while breastfeeding — this applies regardless of sun exposure.
  • Australia (Raising Children Network and state health departments): routine supplements aren't advised for every baby; instead, a vitamin D supplement is targeted at babies with risk factors (for example, limited sun exposure, darker skin, or a mother low in vitamin D).

Because the right approach depends on where you live and your baby's situation, check what's advised with your GP or child-health nurse.

When to reach out

Please talk to your GP, midwife, child-health nurse or a lactation consultant if you notice:

  • Fewer wet/dirty nappies than the guide above, or very dark concentrated wee
  • Ongoing painful, cracked or bleeding nipples (a latch check usually helps)
  • A baby who is hard to wake for feeds, floppy, or feeding fewer than 8 times a day
  • A red, hot, painful area on your breast with fever or feeling unwell (possible mastitis)
  • Any fever in a baby under 3 months — seek urgent care straight away

You're doing the hard, invisible work of week one. Small feeds, lots of them, and a close eye on nappies — that's the whole job right now.