By: Lori Feldman-Winter, MD, MPH, FAAP
If you’re expecting a baby soon, you may have questions about the best way to nourish your little one. Research and experience show that breastfeeding provides optimal nutrition and health benefits for both babies and parents. At the same time, babies can thrive on breast milk, infant formula or a combination of the two.
Making an informed feeding choice & getting the support you need
There is no "right" or "wrong" choice, but breastfeeding and human milk offer benefits that no other infant nutrition source can provide.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends exclusive breastfeeding for about the first six months if possible. We also support continued breastfeeding after solid foods are introduced as long as you and your baby desire, for 2 years or beyond.
Most infants in the U.S. begin life breastfeeding. In fact, more than 86% do. But many families face challenges that make it difficult to meet their breastfeeding goals. That's why practical support and encouragement is so important.
As you consider your infant feeding options, here are some key facts about breastfeeding, its benefits and ways to help your family get off to a healthy start.
Breast milk is nature-made for your baby’s nourishment and growth.
Babies need plenty of calories to fuel early growth and development, which happens at an amazing pace! Breast milk delivers exactly the right blend of calories and nutrients, but there’s more to the story.
Breastfeeding creates closeness.
The skin-to-skin contact and cuddling that happens every time you breastfeed helps your child feel safe and cared for, encouraging the trust and emotional bonds so essential to human health.
Breast milk builds your baby’s immune system.
Breast milk supercharges the disease-fighting climate inside your baby’s gut (also known as the gut microbiome). This helps protect your little one from illness from the very start. Over time, it also reduces risks for asthma, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes and many other serious health issues.
It feeds the brain, too.
Studies link breastfeeding with healthy brain development and higher intelligence scores.
It’s safe, free, and ready whenever your baby feels hungry.
Breastfeeding parents can skip the extra cost and labor of buying, mixing and storing formula. Breast milk is the ultimate portable meal and healthy nutrition, all in one.
Breaking it down: AAP recommendations for breastfeeding and child health
Whenever possible, we recommend that babies consume only breast milk for the first 6 months of life. There is no need to give your baby infant formula or other sources of nutrition.
Beyond 6 months, we recommend continued breastfeeding along with other nutritious foods. Your baby does not need any infant or toddler formula.
Breast milk is custom-made for your child, delivering a mix of nutrients and antibodies that can’t be found in any other source.
We understand that some parents will not be able to breastfeed. For these families, infant formula is a safe, nutritious choice. Learn more about healthy formula feeding here.
Breastfeeding benefits parents, too.
The physical closeness of breastfeeding can feel comforting and rewarding. Since pumping and storing breast milk lets your partner (and others) feed the baby, more people in your caregiving circle can enjoy the experience too. More benefits to know about:
Breastfeeding releases hormones that encourage you to nurture and care for your baby.
It helps return the uterus to its pre-pregnancy size more quickly than formula feeding.
It can provide extra support for contraception, especially for birth parents who feed only breast milk in the first 6 months.
How to prepare for breastfeeding success
Before leaving the hospital or birthing center, ask for help making sure your baby is latching on well and taking in enough milk. During the first day of life, your baby may get only a teaspoon or so, and that’s perfectly normal and healthy! The amount they take in will increase each day, right along with your milk production.
Hospitals and health care centers can be great partners in helping you and your partner get off to a good start. Some helpful tips:
- Encourage your baby to nurse within the first hour of life while you are in skin-to-skin contact. Placing your baby directly skin-to-skin on your chest improves the chances of successful breastfeeding.
- Frequent feeding during the first few days also supports success. Even if your baby consumes only a small amount, offering them the breast whenever they show signs of hunger helps you both get into a good rhythm. It is normal for a newborn to sleep for a stretch after the first feeding, then wake and feed very often on the second day and throughout the night.
- Lactation support can make a big difference! Hospitals and birth centers often have breastfeeding experts on staff, they may be lactation consultants, trained nursing staff, physicians, doulas and other members of the healthcare team. So, don’t hestitate to ask questions or ask for support.
We support EVERY parent who wants to breastfeed.
Studies show that guidance from doctors, hospitals and the community delivered in a culturally centered way can help a parent’s chances for meeting personal breastfeeding goals. Since breast milk is the best food for all babies, AAP policies call for breaking down barriers that keep new parents from viewing breastfeeding as a healthy, workable choice.
Barriers to breastfeeding often come in the form of racial or gender bias that plays out in unhealthy ways. For example, research shows that babies of color are formula-fed in hospitals and birth centers more often than white babies, even when there’s no medical reason for it. Non-white families are also more likely to receive formula samples from birth teams, sending another message that discourages breastfeeding.
These choices may explain, at least in part, why breastfeeding rates are lower among non-Hispanic Black, American Indian and Alaskan Native families than others. Adoptive and LGBTQ+ parents may also face biased assumptions about their ability to breastfeed.
The AAP has taken a strong stand against any and all practices that might discourage parents from making informed choices about breastfeeding. Specifically, we support:
More paid family leave to make breastfeeding easier
Workplaces that offer comfortable, private use of breast pumps
Insurance coverage for lactation services, pumps and other supplies
Community breastfeeding programs
Action to discourage formula makers from targeting communities with low breastfeeding rates with marketing strategies that undermine breastfeeding and instead portray breastfeeding as the social norm especially in marginalized communities
Learn more about the AAP’s commitment to breastfeeding equity here.
Keep these points & facts about breastfeeding in mind as you’re getting started.
- Breastfeeding babies often lose some weight in the first few days. Your pediatrician will weigh your infant and help you figure out if weight loss poses any concerns. Do not worry—breast milk is all your baby needs.
- The size of your breasts has nothing to do with milk production. Even small-breasted parents can make enough milk to satisfy their child’s needs.
- Nipple pain is common, but may need special treatment. Sometimes, your baby’s nursing position can make nipple discomfort and chafing worse. Getting a good latch can help. Ask your pediatrician or lactation consultant for tips to ease and treat nipple pain.
- Newborns should nurse whenever they show signs of hunger. Generally, this means you’ll be feeding your infant around 8 to 12 times every 24 hours. Everyone is different, so the time spent nursing or the number of sessions each day and night will be unique to you and your baby. As your baby grows, their intake during a single feeding will increase, giving you more time between sessions.
- Feeling calm will help you nurse successfully. We know–that’s a tough one when you’re living the sleep-deprived life of a new parent! But taking time for deep breathing, a soothing cup of caffeine-free tea or a mini-massage may help you relax before nursing. (In fact, these simple steps can help anytime you’re feeling overwhelmed.) Don’t be afraid to ask for help with all of the other tasks at home, such as cooking, cleaning, changing baby’s diapers and shopping for supplies.
Are there some babies who shouldn’t breastfeed?
Nearly all families and babies can benefit from breastfeeding. However, infants with a rare condition called galactosemia should not breastfeed. Babies who inherit it may lack the enzymes needed to break down a simple sugar found in breast milk, causing digestive problems, weight loss and other struggles.
Newborn screening tests help medical teams diagnose galactosemia in babies. You can learn more about the condition from your family doctor or pediatrician.
How milk banks help families and babies
There are many reasons new parents might not be able to breastfeed their newborn, or might assume they can’t. For example, a birth parent might fall ill after giving birth, making it hard for them to nurse. Parents of adopted newborns might want to feed their baby breast milk, even though they can’t make milk themselves.
Milk banks help families like these by providing donor human milk from healthy parents. They work by collecting breast milk from carefully screened parents, testing and treating the milk, then safely storing it. Parents can learn more from their pediatrician or family doctor. The Human Milk Banking Association of North America also offers good articles and tips.
More encouragement for nursing parents
- If people shame or stigmatize you, hit the "ignore" button. You are doing what’s healthy for your baby and family, so feel free to set aside social pressures, including the occasional stare when you feed your baby in public.
- Ask your employer about spaces and policies for breastfeeding. If you know other work colleagues who’ve done it, check in with them. What did they do when the lactation room was busy? Did they hit any work-related bumps along the way? Parent-to-parent advice can make all the difference, especially in the workplace.
- If you want to breastfeed beyond your baby’s first birthday, get support. Ask your pediatrician for guidance on giving breast milk alongside solid foods. Talk with parents who’ve done it and ask their advice. As your child’s doctor will confirm, what’s right means what works for you, your baby and your family. Whenever you need encouragement, don’t hesitate to ask.
Note: This article uses the word "breastfeeding" to describe all the ways of offering breast milk to little ones. Many people feel the term "chestfeeding" is better. If you have a preference, be sure to tell your birth team and pediatrician. Respect for your choices is part of providing the best possible health care for you and your family.
More information
About Dr. Feldman-Winter
 Lori Feldman-Winter, MD, MPH is a former chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Section on Breastfeeding. She is also the Academy of Breastfeeding representative to the United States Breastfeeding Committee.
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