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Breastfeeding Help: Common Problems in the First 2 Weeks

parvinsalehikasaei
2 hours ago
6 min read

By Parvin, RN, CLC, certified doula · Sweet Start Services, San Jose · Updated October 2026

Short answer: In the first two weeks, most newborns feed 8 to 12 times a day, and milk usually increases around days 2 to 3. Pain that lasts through a feed, cracked nipples, too few wet diapers, or no return to birth weight by about two weeks means it's time to get breastfeeding help at home.

If you're in San Jose or elsewhere in the Bay Area and want hands-on help, see where to get breastfeeding help at home near the end of this guide.

This article is educational and is not medical advice. Always follow your own provider's and pediatrician's guidance.

What Happens in Days 1–5, When Milk "Comes In"?

In the first days, your breasts make colostrum, a thick, yellowish early milk. The amounts are small, and that is normal for a newborn's tiny stomach.

Around days 2 to 3, according to La Leche League, milk production increases noticeably. Breasts often feel fuller, heavier and warmer. Frequent feeding during this time tells your body to keep making milk. Most breastfeeding problems in this window are about latch, fullness and confidence, and most are fixable.

How Often Should a Newborn Breastfeed?

The CDC advises feeding 8 to 12 times every 24 hours. Night feeds count too; if you're running on empty, build a night plan for feeds and sleep with your partner.

Diaper Counts: Your Best Daily Check

Diapers are an easy daily check. CDC minimums:

Baby's age

Wet diapers (minimum)

Poops (minimum)

Day 1

1

1

Day 2

2

3

Day 3

5

3

Day 4

6

3

Days 5–7

6

3

Poop changes from black or dark green to yellow during the first week. The CDC flags fewer than 6 wet diapers and 3 poops a day by day 5, or weight loss continuing after day 5, as signs baby may not be getting enough. Babies should be back to birth weight by about day 10 to 14.

Why Does Breastfeeding Hurt, and How Do I Fix the Latch?

A little tenderness at the start of a feed is common. But the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) explains that pain beyond the first minute or so of nursing is a sign of improper latching. Sore nipples while breastfeeding are usually a latch problem, not something you have to push through.

Signs of a good latch

  • Baby's mouth is open wide, lips turned out

  • Baby takes in much of the areola, not just the nipple

  • Chin touches the breast; nose is close but able to breathe

  • You hear or see swallowing

What to do if it hurts

  • Break the suction with a clean finger in the corner of baby's mouth; never pull baby straight off.

  • Wait for a wide-open mouth, then relatch.

  • Try a different position (football hold, side-lying, laid-back).

  • Rub a little expressed milk on nipples after feeds and avoid tight bras (Office on Women's Health).

Bruising, cracks or bleeding point to latch problems that deserve hands-on help.

How Do You Relieve Engorgement?

As milk increases, breasts can become hard, swollen and painful, often around days 3 to 5, which can make latching harder.

What helps (per the Office on Women's Health and La Leche League):

  • Feed often, including at night

  • Use reverse pressure softening (Office on Women's Health): press gently around the areola toward your chest wall while counting slowly to 50, to soften it before latching

  • Hand express a little milk to soften the breast (La Leche League)

  • Use cold compresses between feeds, about 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off (La Leche League)

If you notice a red, hot, painful area with fever or flu-like feelings, call your doctor. That can be a sign of mastitis.

How Do I Know If I Have Low Milk Supply?

Low milk supply is one of the most common worries, and often supply is fine. Frequent evening feeds and softer breasts later on can be normal. Good diaper counts, steady weight gain and swallowing during feeds are reassuring signs.

Supply-friendly habits:

  • Feed frequently and offer both breasts

  • Talk to your pediatrician before adding formula; the Office on Women's Health notes that supplementing can lower supply unless it's medically needed

If weight gain or diapers are low, call the pediatrician. Worried about the cost of help? See postpartum doula cost in the Bay Area.

Should You Pump in the First Two Weeks?

You may pump to relieve fullness, protect supply, or because baby is struggling to latch. Ask your provider or lactation support person what fits your situation.

  • Wash your hands with soap and water before pumping

  • Pumping shouldn't hurt; ask for help checking flange fit

  • Inspect and clean pump parts after each use; replace moldy tubing

CDC breast milk storage guidelines (freshly expressed)

Where

How long

Room temperature (77°F or cooler)

Up to 4 hours

Refrigerator

Up to 4 days

Freezer

About 6 months is best; up to 12 months acceptable

When Should You Call Your Pediatrician About Feeding?

According to the AAP and the CDC, call your baby's doctor if you notice:

  • Fewer wet diapers than expected (fewer than 6 a day by day 5)

  • Poor feeding: not waking to feed, very short or weak feeds, or not feeding 8 times in 24 hours

  • Jaundice: yellow skin or eyes that is deepening or spreading to the belly, arms or legs

  • Fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, taken rectally, in a baby 3 months or younger: call right away

  • Lethargy: unusually sleepy, floppy or hard to wake

  • Not back to birth weight by about two weeks

Some feeding problems, such as suspected tongue-tie or poor weight gain, need your pediatrician's evaluation and may call for a referral to an IBCLC or other specialist.

Which Warning Signs for Mom Need a Doctor?

According to the CDC's Hear Her campaign, call your doctor or 911 right away for:

  • Fever of 100.4°F or higher

  • Headache that won't go away, or vision changes

  • Chest pain, fast heartbeat or trouble breathing (call 911)

  • Thoughts of harming yourself or your baby (call 911)

A hot, red breast with fever or red streaks also needs a call to your doctor. See the full list of postpartum warning signs in our week-by-week fourth trimester recovery guide.

Mental health support: National Maternal Mental Health Hotline 1-833-852-6262 (call or text, free, 24/7). Postpartum Support International HelpLine 1-800-944-4773. In a crisis, call or text 988 or call 911.

Where Can I Get Breastfeeding Help at Home in the Bay Area?

Lactation Support (CLC): $300 per 90-minute home session. Sweet Start Services brings breastfeeding help at home to families in San Jose, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Cupertino, Los Gatos, Campbell, Milpitas, Fremont, San Mateo, San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley and Walnut Creek.

In a 90-minute lactation session, Parvin can watch a full feeding, assess latch and positioning, help with engorgement and sore nipples, review your feeding and diaper log, and walk you through pumping and flange fit. She'll also help you know when to call your pediatrician. Need a different kind of visit? Compare every service on our booking page, see what a full postpartum visit includes, or learn about our postpartum doula services in San Jose.

Lactation support is at the center of Parvin's training: she is a Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC) and a California Registered Nurse (RN), with a Master's in Midwifery, doula certification and more than two decades as a nurse and midwife. Parvin's California RN license can be verified on the DCA License Search. If your baby needs an IBCLC or tongue-tie evaluation, she'll help you find one. A mother of four, she offers sessions in English or Farsi.

Sessions are daytime only (8:30 AM–8:30 PM, every day); Sweet Start does not provide overnight shifts or labor support. Carrot Card is accepted for eligible services, and HSA/FSA funds may be eligible; check with your plan. Read more about using Carrot or HSA/FSA for lactation support.

You can also ask your delivery hospital's lactation clinic or, if you qualify, Santa Clara County WIC about free breastfeeding support.

Talk through your feeding questions first: the phone consultation is free. Call (858) 531-2269, email Parvin@sweetstartservices.com, or schedule it online.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is breastfeeding supposed to hurt?

Some tenderness at the start of a feed is common early on. Pain past the first minute, or cracked or bleeding nipples, usually means the latch needs adjusting.

When does breast milk come in?

For many people, milk increases noticeably around days 2 to 3. Until then, colostrum is the right amount for a newborn.

How do I know my baby is getting enough milk?

Look for at least 6 wet diapers a day by day 5, audible swallowing, and a return to birth weight by about day 10 to 14.

Can I get breastfeeding help at home for latch problems?

Yes. Parvin, an RN and Certified Lactation Counselor, offers in-home lactation support across the Bay Area and virtual consultations for California residents.

Should I start pumping in the first two weeks?

It depends. Pumping can help with engorgement, supply or latch problems; ask your provider or lactation support person for a plan.

Sources

 
 
 

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