World Breastfeeding Week 2025 Blog 2: Realistic Expectations

To mark World Breastfeeding Week 2025, Debra Hennessy IBCLC at Family Nursing and Home Care (FNHC), and Deborah McCoy Certified Breastfeeding Specialist Midwife at Health Care Jersey (HCJ), have collaborated on a series of Blogs to celebrate the week.

Blog 2 – Realistic Expectations

The benefits of breastfeeding for mother and baby are well known and were explored in our previous blog linked below:

The Benefits of Breastfeeding – Official Government of Jersey Blog

However, many of these benefits are dose related and offer higher health protection with longer duration of breastfeeding.

Unfortunately, some women end their breastfeeding journey much sooner than they intend with many citing reasons such as perceived low volume, long feeds, painful feeds or high frequency of feeds leading them to believe that their milk is not enough for their baby.

Understanding how breastfeeding works, normal newborn behaviours and setting realistic expectations will hopefully help to extend the duration of your feeding journey and promote better long-term health for you and your baby.

How Breastfeeding Works

At first, production and delivery of breastmilk is controlled by hormones called oxytocin and prolactin. Frequent feeding in the early days of your breastfeeding journey stimulates the production of prolactin receptor sites on the milk making cell walls. These receptors allow prolactin to enter the cell which in turn stimulates milk production.

Prolactin is only released in response to direct stimulation of the nipple and areola. This is why it is important that you allow your baby to feed as often as they wish and allow them unrestricted access to your breasts in skin to skin contact.

In addition, there is a prolactin circadian rhythm which means that prolactin release is higher at night. When you realise this, you can understand why night time breastfeeds are so important.

Oxytocin is the hormone that “delivers” milk. Oxytocin is released in response to hearing or seeing your baby as well as stimulation of the nipple and areola as the baby suckles at the breast. Some women feel this milk ejection reflex as a tingling or shooting sensation, heat in the breast, or a warm flushed feeling.  It is also known as the “love” hormone. It has a calming, analgesic effect, lowers maternal blood pressure, decreases stress hormones, decreases anxiety and promotes mothering and bonding behaviours.

Another mechanism that plays an important role in breastfeeding is Feedback Inhibitor of Lactation (FIL) which increases as milk accumulates in milk making cells. Therefore, when milk is not drained regularly from the breasts FIL increases and slows down the rate of milk production, conversely, milk production speeds up when less FIL is present.

As your breastfeeding becomes established, your baby begins to drive the production of your breastmilk. The more your baby feeds and effectively drains your breasts, the more milk will be made to meet his/her needs. If you do feel that you have a low volume of milk, placing your baby to the breast often in skin to skin contact will stimulate supply. However, replacing feeds with formula will cause a down regulation of milk production as the baby draws less milk from your breasts.

What’s in Breastmilk – Official Government of Jersey Blog  explores all of the important nutrients in breastmilk. Understanding the types of protein that make up human milk helps us to understand why breastfed babies feed with more frequency than those receiving formula milk from other animals.

Human breastmilk is made up of two types of proteins: 60% whey and 40% casein. Whey is easily digested and because your baby will only take small quantities in the early days they will want to feed frequently, at least between 8-12 times in a 24 hour period. Remember, that this frequent feeding plays an important role in the development of those prolactin receptor sites too!

Try to be responsive with feeding, look for the earliest feeding cues and place your baby to the breast before they begin to get too unsettled.

Breastfeeding is about so much more than nutrition. It is also about developing a close and loving relationship with your baby. It can be challenging to know exactly what your baby needs when they cry, but if you always offer a breastfeed and skin to skin contact as a first response, this will have a positive effect on your milk supply and stimulate oxytocin release in both you and your baby which is so beneficial for your baby’s brain development, bonding, promoting calm and settling your baby.

Remember that you cannot overfeed your breastfed baby, so you can use breastfeeding to soothe your baby and as a way of spending time together or having a rest whenever you both want.

Be prepared to feed…a lot! Consider having a Babymoon and use this time to get to know your little one, practice with different feeding positions. Remember that every time your baby goes to the breast, you are increasing prolactin receptor sites, increasing your milk making capacity, promoting your baby’s brain development and bonding with your baby.

Be kind to yourself. Remember that breastfeeding is a new skill that both you and your baby are learning together so take advantage of all the support that is available to you.

If you are pregnant and would like to know more about breastfeeding, contact your community midwife on 01534 449139 / 449190

Breastfeeding Buddies is a specialist clinic run by an IBCLC Health Visitor and Breastfeeding Champion three times a week and places can be booked through the Duty helpline on 01534 497640.

Baby Steps is a perinatal education programme run by Family Nursing and Home Care that will help you prepare you to get breastfeeding off to a great start.