Nobody Told Me: Breastfeeding Edition
Welcome back to Nobody Told Me — this one’s all about breastfeeding.
It can be incredibly rewarding… and often way harder than people imagined. Here are six things I wish someone had told me.
Before we dive in… have you checked out our courses? They’ll pair well with this blog!
Level up your prep with our step-by-step classes on pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, and those wild newborn days. Grab one—or bundle and save:
Your game plan, done.
OK let’s get into it.
1) Cluster feeding is a mind-… well, you know
Feeding on demand (even when it feels constant) is crucial for newborns. It drives milk supply, helps the transition from colostrum to mature milk, and can help resolve residual jaundice. Babies experience growth/development spurts and will often feed around the clock at ~10 days, 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months.
You’ll feel like there’s a baby on your boob 24/7. Take care of you: enough calories, hydration, rest where possible, and protect your nipples (comfortable latch first, then balms/lanolin/silverettes if needed).
2) The hunger is relentless
Making milk requires ~300–500 extra calories/day. Increased thirst can be misread as hunger, and shifting prolactin can nudge appetite up.
What helps: nutrient-dense foods (protein, healthy fats, fiber, produce), not just quick carbs. Keep snacks + a big water bottle within reach. Many continue a prenatal vitamin (ask your provider). Go easy on caffeine/alcohol (both pass into milk) and hydrate well.
3) “The weight will just fall off” — myth alert
Yes, milk-making burns calories — but rapid weight loss can decrease supply. If body comp is a goal, work with your provider or a postpartum specialist to do it safely while protecting supply.
Also… the hunger (see #2). Eat when you’re hungry — just plan satisfying options so you’re not on a blood-sugar rollercoaster.
4) The magic pill doesn’t exist
No supplement, cookie, drink color, or sports beverage will magically increase supply. Supply = demand: to make more milk, remove more milk, more fully, more often. Supplements can be supporting players, but they’re not a Hail Mary. Start with effective, frequent removal (great latch, milk transfer, pump programming if pumping).
5) It can feel hard — and oddly not “natural”
“Breast is best” can make struggles feel like failure. They’re not. Preparation helps (learn basics before baby). So does a supportive village that knows your feeding goals. That’s why I built my breastfeeding course — because so many told me, “I know nothing,” and then felt blindsided.
6) It’s basically a full-time job (at first)
Newborns feed 8–12 times/24h. If each feed is 25–30 minutes, you’ll spend 4–6+ hours/day feeding — plus diapers, spit-ups, and settling. In the early weeks, cluster feeding makes it even more frequent. Plan support, prep snacks, be kind to your bandwidth — this is a season.
