The following are just some issues that you may wish to consider which will help point you in the right direction.

1. Discuss breastfeeding with your doctor

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It is advisable to choose a doctor who is supportive of breastfeeding and discuss with him the different options of pain relief during childbirth as these may affect how soon you can commence breastfeeding.  It is said that baby's suckling reflex is strongest in the first thirty minutes after delivery therefore it is advisable to put the baby to the breast as soon as possible, some even advocate doing so on the delivery table, where possible.

2. Breastfeeding exclusively

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This is a decision that you have to come to fairly soon after the arrival of your baby. If you plan to breastfeed exclusively, it is of utmost importance for you to make that known, at the earliest opportune time, to the nurses who will be taking care of your baby while he is in the hospital nursery.

If you inform the nurse that you intend to breastfeed exclusively, it would mean that the nurses will not attempt to introduce infant formula to your baby when your baby is hungry. It also basically means that when baby is hungry, the nurse will bring baby to you whatever the time may be. So you will have to be prepared to be woken up in in the dead of the night or early hours of the morning to feed junior. Newborn babies generally feed on the average of 3 to 4 hour intervals, and at times even 1 to 2 hourly when they are going through a growth spurt. This routine can be exhausting, especially since you have just been through hours of labour, and new mums who are not mentally prepared for this, may find themselves so overwhelmed that they give up even before the first week is over.

Being mentally prepared helps you to make sure that you take active steps to ensure that you keep exhaustion at bay for example, trying to take naps while junior is asleep so that you will be well rested to tend to him when he wakes and wants to feed.

While this may sound like a tall order, there are huge benefits to breastfeeding exclusively. There is absolutely no need to give infant formula or any other fluids (even water) as long as you are feeding on demand (this means feeding as often and for as long as you and your baby are comfortable) and the baby is healthy. In fact, it is advised that babies be exclusively breastfed for at least the first 6 months. As a general rule, women who breastfeed exclusively are more likely to have more success with breastfeeding and as a consequence of which, tend to continue breastfeeding for a longer time. This is because the supply of breast milk is best established if the baby is not given anything else other than breast milk. Here's why, the supply of breast milk correlates directly with demand. If baby is exclusively breastfed, he is brought to the breast every time he is hungry and every time the baby suckles at the breast and empties it, it signals the need for the breast to make more milk. If instead the baby is given a bottle of infant formula, the baby would nurse less often and less vigorously at the breast thus causing the supply of breast milk to decrease quickly over time. One formula feed a day is all it takes for your body to produce less milk.  It is therefore important if you are serious about breastfeeding exclusively to be very absolute about it even though it may seem tempting to offer  a few sips of formula or water especially when he appears hungry even after you have just fed him. It might help you to know that if the very act of suckling (even after baby has fully emptied your breast) helps to stimulate the production of milk. Breastfeeding exclusively will encourage your milk to come in quicker and decrease your chances of severe engorgement.

Another problem with introducing the bottle to the baby too early is that the baby might develop nipple confusion. Feeding from the bottle is a lot easier for the baby as opposed to nursing from the breast which involves the use of cheek, tongue and jaw muscles. A baby who is used to the fast and continuous flow of milk from the bottle may eventually reject the breast as he will not be used to waiting for the let down and be too impatient to wait.

If you do have to feed your baby something else other than breast milk due to medical concerns (for example if your doctor advises you to temporarily stop breastfeeding in a case of severe jaundice in baby or if you are ill/ are on antibiotics not safe for breastfeeding) it is strongly encouraged that you at least stimulate supply by expressing your milk every two to three hours. This will make it easier for you to meet your baby's needs when you resume breastfeeding again. It is not uncommon for new mothers to give up breastfeeding totally when they feel that they are unable to meet the demands of their growing baby. The extra stores of milk which you pump out can be stored away in the freezer for your baby's use later unless you are on antibiotics which are unsafe for breastfeeding in which case the milk should be discarded.