Your baby will need feeding soon after birth. If you’re planning on breastfeeding your aby, it is best to try and latch your baby on as soon as you can. Amazingly, your baby can, if all is well, crawl to your breast from your tummy if you’re lying down. This is because your baby can smell your colostrum (first milk).
Your colostrum, produced from 20 weeks of pregnancy onwards, is the best first food for him or her. It is thicker and richer than mature milk and can be cream or golden in colour. It is best to try and breastfeed your baby within the first hour or so, if that is possible. At this stage, your baby is likely to be more awake and able to feed effectively.
If you choose to offer your baby the first feed from a bottle, holding your baby close, skin to skin, is ideal for responsive feeding. This is where you work with your baby cues to find the right pace for the feed and notice when your baby is satisfied.