Your First Antenatal Visit: What Happens and What to Bring
The first antenatal appointment sets the pattern for the whole pregnancy. Knowing what will happen — and what information to bring — makes it far more useful.
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Most mothers who stop breastfeeding early do so because of a fixable problem in the first two weeks. Almost all of them are solvable with the right help at the right time.
The first hour and the first days
Skin-to-skin contact and the first feed within an hour of birth improve breastfeeding success substantially. The first milk — colostrum — is thick, yellow and produced in very small quantities, which leads many families to conclude there is 'no milk'. In fact a newborn's stomach holds only about five to seven millilitres on day one, so those few drops are exactly the right amount, and they carry a concentrated dose of antibodies.
Mature milk comes in around day three to five. Until then, frequent feeding — eight to twelve times in 24 hours — is what signals the body to produce more. Giving formula or water during this period reduces stimulation and makes the eventual supply smaller.
Worth knowing
Honey, sugar water, gripe water and animal milk should not be given to a newborn. Exclusive breastfeeding means breast milk only, with no water, for the first six months.
Getting the latch right
- The baby's mouth should be wide open, taking in a large part of the areola and not just the nipple
- The chin should touch the breast and the nose should be clear
- The lower lip should be turned outward
- You should hear swallowing, not clicking
- Feeding should not be painful — pain almost always means a shallow latch
Common problems and their solutions
Sore or cracked nipples are nearly always caused by a poor latch rather than by feeding too long. Correcting the latch, applying expressed milk to the nipple after feeds and allowing air drying resolves most cases within days.
Engorgement — hard, painful, swollen breasts around day three to five — is relieved by frequent feeding, a warm compress before the feed and a cold compress afterwards, and expressing a little milk to soften the areola so the baby can latch.
A blocked duct feels like a tender lump. Continue feeding from that side, massage towards the nipple during the feed, and apply warmth beforehand. If fever and flu-like symptoms develop, it has become mastitis and needs medical review — but feeding should continue, as stopping makes mastitis worse.
'Not enough milk' is the most common reason given for stopping and is usually a misperception. A baby passing six or more wet nappies a day and gaining weight appropriately is getting enough, regardless of how much you can express or how soft the breasts feel.
How to know feeding is going well
- Six or more wet nappies in 24 hours after day five
- Regular soft yellow stools in the early weeks
- Weight regained to birth weight by two weeks, then steady gain
- The baby is alert when awake and settles after most feeds
- You can hear swallowing during feeds
Feeding while working
Expressed breast milk keeps for four hours at room temperature, 24 to 48 hours in a refrigerator and up to three months in a deep freezer. Express at work at the times the baby would normally feed, to maintain supply. Store in clean containers labelled with the date, thaw in warm water rather than a microwave, and never refreeze.
Continued breastfeeding alongside complementary foods is recommended until two years. Feeding morning and evening around work hours, with expressed milk during the day, works well for a great many mothers.
Key takeaways
- Colostrum is small in volume by design — a newborn's stomach holds only a few millilitres.
- Painful feeding almost always means a shallow latch, which is correctable.
- Six or more wet nappies a day and steady weight gain mean the baby is getting enough.
- Continue feeding through blocked ducts and mastitis; stopping makes both worse.
A note on medical advice
This article is general health education written and reviewed by the Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology at SIMS. It is not a substitute for an examination, a diagnosis or the advice of your own treating doctor, and it cannot account for your history, medicines or reports. If a symptom is sudden or severe — chest pain, stroke symptoms, breathing difficulty, serious injury, seizures or heavy bleeding — call 9281862028 or come straight to the emergency department instead of reading further.
BreastfeedingNewbornPostnatalLactation
