Breastfeeding Support - How can I tell that breastfeeding is going well and where can I look for support?

Oct 22, 2026

Breastfeeding Support guidance explains practical signs that breastfeeding is going well, including infant feeding frequency, feeding duration, swallowing/sucking pattern, skin colour, and baby comfort after feeds. It also lists when to seek help from a midwife or health visitor, covering insufficient feeds, persistent short or overly long feeds, sleepiness, latch refusal, fewer wet/dirty nappies, and jaundice or maternal nipple pain. The material provides quick-reference nappies chart information and links to reliable support resources.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages3

Reading Time8 min

AccessFree to download

Breastfeeding is going well when

Signs baby is feeding effectively

Talk to your midwife / health visitor if

Indicators of insufficient feeding

How can I tell that breastfeeding is going well?

Nappies changes by baby age

Notes on urates and disposable nappies

Breastfeeding Support How can I tell that breastfeeding is going well and where can I look for support? | Breastfeeding is going well when: | Talk to your midwife / health visitor if: | Helpful Links
[www.justonenorfolk.nhs.uk](www.justonenorfolk.nhs.uk) | | --- | --- | --- | | Baby has 8 feeds or more in 24 hours. | Baby has had less than 6 feeds in 24 hours. | [https://www.biologicalnurturing.com/video/bn3clip.html](https://www.biologicalnurturing.com/video/bn3clip.html) | | Baby is feeding for between 5 and 40 minutes at each feed. | Baby consistently feeds for 5 minutes or less at each feed. Baby consistently feeds for longer than 40 minutes at each feed. | [https://www.unicef.org.uk/babyfriendly/wp](https://www.unicef.org.uk/babyfriendly/wp)
content/uploads/sites/2/2017/12/Responsive-Feeding-InfosheetUnicef-UK-Baby-Friendly-Initiative.pdf | | Sucking pattern changes throughout the feed. | Baby always falls asleep on the breast and/or never finishes the feed, or does not come off breast unaided. | [https://thebreastfeedingcompanion.com/project/baby-falls](https://thebreastfeedingcompanion.com/project/baby-falls)asleep-while-breastfeeding/ | | Baby has normal skin colour. | Baby appears jaundiced (yellow discolouration of the skin) . | [https://thebreastfeedingcompanion.com/project/breastfeeding](https://thebreastfeedingcompanion.com/project/breastfeeding)jaundice/ | | Your baby is generally calm and relaxed whist feeding and is content after most feeds. | Baby comes on and off the breast frequently during the feed or refuses to breastfeed. | [https://www.bestbeginnings.org.uk/fbtb-attaching-graphic](https://www.bestbeginnings.org.uk/fbtb-attaching-graphic) | | Your baby has wet and dirty nappies (see chart over page) . | Baby is not having the wet and dirty nappies explained overleaf. | [https://www.justonenorfolk.nhs.uk/media/1909/rbm-ess-guide-2018-](https://www.justonenorfolk.nhs.uk/media/1909/rbm-ess-guide-2018-)norfolk-cb-7-ilovepdf-compressed.pdf [https://www.nct.org.uk/whatsinthenappy](https://www.nct.org.uk/whatsinthenappy) | | Breastfeeding is comfortable, position and latch maintained throughout feed, baby latches unassisted and does wide open mouth sucks. | Mum is having pain in her breasts or nipples, which doesn’t disappear after the baby’s first few sucks. Nipple comes out of the baby’s mouth looking pinched or flattened on one side. | Positioning and attachment
[https://www.unicef.org.uk/babyfriendly/baby-friendly](https://www.unicef.org.uk/babyfriendly/baby-friendly)resources/breastfeeding-resources/positioning-and-attachmentvideo/ [https://thebreastfeedingcompanion.com/project/breastfeeding](https://thebreastfeedingcompanion.com/project/breastfeeding)positions/
Laid back breastfeeding-self attachment
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8ocBa8IZ6Q&feature=emb_logo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8ocBa8IZ6Q&feature=emb_logo) | | --- | --- | --- | | Baby alert and active. | Baby is sleepy. | | | Need to offer supplementary human milk or pif? | Baby offered dummy or bottles. | How to make up formula bottles
[https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/making-up](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/making-up)infant-formula/
Storage of formula
[https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/infant-formula](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/infant-formula)questions/
Cleaning and sterilising bottles
[https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/sterilising](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/sterilising)bottles/
Storing breastmilk
[http://www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/wp](http://www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/wp)
content/pdfs/BFN%20Expressing%20Leaflet%202019 . pdf | | Breast feels full baby unable to latch. | Express by hand softer latch or target problem area. | Expressing
[https://vimeo.com/255757128](https://vimeo.com/255757128)
Breast compressions and hand expressing shown in video
[https://globalhea

FAQs

What signs indicate that breastfeeding is going well?

Breastfeeding is going well when the baby has at least 8 feeds in 24 hours, feeds for 5 to 40 minutes per feed, shows a changing sucking pattern, has normal skin colour, and is calm and content after most feeds.

When should you contact a midwife or health visitor?

Contact support if the baby has fewer than 6 feeds in 24 hours, consistently feeds for 5 minutes or less or longer than 40 minutes, always falls asleep on the breast, refuses to finish the feed, has signs of jaundice, or if wet/dirty nappies are not as expected.

How can you use nappies to assess whether feeding is enough?

Use the age-based nappies chart: early urates and meconium appear in the first days, then wet and dirty nappies increase with colour and consistency changes. Note that disposable nappies can make it hard to tell wetness, so a water test may help estimate urine.

Oct 22, 2026

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