Getting ready to welcome a new baby and planning to breastfeed? We’ve got the scoop on what no one else will tell you. Read on for the real deal so you’re not caught off-guard by unexpected surprises, with help from our friends at Munchkin. 

More than 90 percent of new mothers in Canada breastfeed after birth, but half of them will stop within six months. Their reasons are wide and personal and unique and universal: Among them, not enough breastmilk, difficulty or frustration, a medical condition for moms or babes, inconvenience and going back to work or school number among them. We support all these choices, but we also support demystifying and de-romanticizing breastfeeding so you don’t feel the pressure that can come with nursing. So, we say forget secrecy and let’s get talking instead: Here are five things no one tells you about breastfeeding.  

It might take a while for your body to produce milk 

For the first few days, your little one is actually getting nutrient-dense colostrum, a thick and yellowish (don’t flip out!) milk-esque appetizer before mom’s milk proper comes in, three to five days later. But it’s also very normal for milk production to be delayed until seven to fourteen days, at which point you’ll likely be producing somewhere between 16 and 32 ounces of milk. Ask your doctor or lactation consultant if you’re concerned, but try to be patient in the meantime.  

You are what you eat—and your baby’s eating it too  

Get this: The flavour of your breastmilk changes based on what you eat. But there’s no need to overthink this fact. If your baby is happy and hungry, keep doing what you’re doing. On the other hand, if they’re fussy, gassy or colicky, keeping track of what you eat might help to determine what’s causing their discomfort.  

Believe it or not, you can also use food to boost your milk supply. Take care to eat balanced diet of nutritious foods with ingredients that support milk supply, like Munchkin Milkmakers New Mama Cookie Bites, packed with oats, brewer's yeast and flaxseed. Other foods and flavours said to aid lactation are pumpkin, fennel and turmeric.  

It’s a full-time job, literally  

For the first month, your newborn should eat on demand between eight and 12 times a day—every two to three hours. Each session, depending on your baby’s hunger and enthusiasm, will last somewhere between 20 and 45 minutes. Crunch those big numbers to get to the absolutely astronomical number of time spread breastfeeding in the first year—about 1,800 hours. That’s actually about the same as a full-time job. So invest in a great chair, settle in and get comfy, grab a snack and binge something great on Netflix because you’re gonna be here a while.  

You could leak (or drip, spray or squirt!) 

Some biological magic: When you hear a baby crying—even if it isn’t your baby—your boobs can and will turn the taps on, whether there’s an infant to feed or not. Leaking is totally normal, as is squirting and spraying, especially from engorged breasts in the mornings if you’re blessed with a baby who sleeps at night. Keep a manual pump by the bed to collect the good stuff, and remember that this is a good problem to have—morning milk fountains prove that your body’s making milk to spare.  

It could hurt…or, um, feel really, really good  

New moms expect childbirth to hurt, obviously, but it’s not so obvious that nursing can be unexpectedly painful, too. This could be direct, from the baby's latch or bite (ow!), or indirect via your ever-fascinating body doing its weird and wonderful things, like menstrual-like cramps triggered by a contracting uterus. Ice packs, heating pads and supportive pillows can all help. On the other hand, stimulation of your nipples can be arousing, even in a non-sexual situation, and some women report pleasure and even orgasm. Don’t feel weird and definitely blame your hormones: Breastfeeding releases feel-good and relaxing oxytocin—the very same hormone released during sex.   

For more about the first year with your new addition, check out [hub address].