Parents are sometimes told there is a window to get breastfeeding established, and if they haven’t resolved their issues in this time frame, all hope is lost. Every situation is different but please don’t listen to the voices who say it isn’t even worth trying to reach your feeding goals. It is never too late to make changes to a baby’s positioning and attachment. This can be done at any age. It might be more challenging to increase the milk volume you produce after the first few weeks, but it absolutely is still possible. I support mothers who are mixed feeding, or even formula feeding entirely, or can then go on to produce a full milk supply and exclusively breastfeed.

The vast majority of the mothers who initially struggle to exclusively breastfeed their babies can go on to do so, with the right support. However, lactation consultants may meet the parents with underlying health issues that can make exclusive breastfeeding a challenge. That doesn’t mean we can’t work with you to help you understand what’s going on and to help you maximise your milk production.

A few decades ago, we thought that babies needed schedules. We now know that did an enormous amount of harm to breastfeeding rates in the UK, and also affected maternal mental health and our relationships with our babies.

Breastfeeding isn’t just a milk delivery system. It is a complex way for our babies to have their physical and emotional needs met, and our needs too! Parents are now encouraged to feed responsively: to learn how to meet their baby’s needs and to give their bodies the best chance to making the right amount of milk needed.

You can read more on the UNICEF website about why I think a focus on measuring intervals and scheduling feeds can be a problem here

There are two answers to this question. Firstly, how many minutes? UNICEF Baby Friendly suggest feeds from birth can be anything from 5 to 40 minutes. It is possible for a baby to get what they need in under 10 minutes. You can read more about measuring minutes (and when it matters) here.

The other answer is about how many months or years you should breastfeed for. Everyone has the right to answer that question in a way that’s right for them. The World Health Organization recommends families breastfeed for two years and beyond, and I do specialise in working with families who continue breastfeeding beyond babyhood (including helping them to stop). However, I will support you to breastfeed for as long as you want to.