Kirsten Fisch
Co-Founder at - Momentum Health NetworkKirsten Fisch, MSN, RNC-MNN, IBCLC, LCCE Kirsten is a women's health nurse who specializes in high-risk pregnancy and postpartum care. She is certified in Maternal Newborn Nursing, a board-certified lactation consultant (IBCLC), and a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator. She works with women from conception through the postpartum period. Passionate about empowering women throughout their reproductive journeys, Kirsten combines evidence-based care with compassionate support to promote the health and well-being of mothers and babies.
If you’re pregnant and planning to breastfeed, you may have heard someone say something like this:
“I had to stop breastfeeding because I didn’t make enough milk.”
And sometimes that’s true.
But the reason many mothers struggle with milk supply is often not what people think.
After many years working as a postpartum nurse, I’ve seen the same pattern again and again. Many breastfeeding challenges that appear weeks later actually begin during the first few days after a baby is born.
Not because parents did anything wrong.
But because no one explained what those early days would look like.
When parents don’t know what is normal, it becomes very easy to assume something is going wrong.
The First Few Days Matter More Than Most Parents Realize
The first few days after birth are when your body begins building your milk supply.
At first, your body produces colostrum, a thick, nutrient-rich early milk that is perfect for your newborn’s tiny stomach.
During this time, your body is learning how much milk your baby needs.
Breastfeeding works on a simple principle:
The more milk that is removed, the more milk your body learns to make.
Frequent feeding in the early days helps signal your body to increase milk production.
But if no one has explained this ahead of time, frequent feeding can feel confusing or even worrying.
Why Newborns Feed So Often
Many new parents are surprised by how often newborns want to nurse.
Sometimes babies want to feed again shortly after finishing.
Other times they may nurse repeatedly for several hours.
This is called cluster feeding, and it is completely normal in the early days.
Cluster feeding helps stimulate your body to increase milk production. In other words, your baby is helping your body learn how much milk to make.
But when parents don’t expect this, they often assume something is wrong or that their milk is not enough.
In most cases, frequent feeding is simply part of the natural process of building supply.
Why Newborns Can Be So Sleepy
Another thing that surprises many parents is how sleepy newborns can be.
In the first day or two after birth, some babies sleep deeply and may not always wake up on their own to eat.
Sometimes they need a little help waking up to feed.
Because frequent feeding helps establish milk supply, waking a sleepy newborn to eat can be an important part of those early days.
Again, this is something many parents are never told before their baby arrives.
The Problem Is Often Preparation
One of the biggest challenges new parents face is that they are learning all of this after the baby is born, when they are exhausted, recovering from birth, and adjusting to life with a newborn.
There is a lot to absorb in a very short amount of time.
That’s one of the reasons we created Breastfeeding Blueprint, along with a companion workbook.
The goal is simple: help parents understand the realities of breastfeeding before their baby arrives.
Inside the course and workbook, we walk through the patterns that often cause parents to believe they “don’t make enough milk,” when they are experiencing normal newborn behavior.
Parents learn about:
- how milk supply is established
- why newborns feed frequently
- what cluster feeding really means
- why some newborns are very sleepy
- what the first 72 hours of breastfeeding typically look like
When parents understand these things ahead of time, the early days feel very different.
They worry less.
They feel more confident.
And they are better prepared for what their baby actually needs.
Preparation Changes the Experience
The first days with a newborn can feel overwhelming.
You are recovering from birth, learning your baby’s cues, and figuring out feeding all at the same time.
But when parents know what to expect, those early days become much less stressful.
Frequent feeding doesn’t feel like failure.
Cluster feeding doesn’t feel alarming.
Sleepy babies don’t feel confusing.
Instead, parents recognize that their baby is doing exactly what babies are designed to do.
And that knowledge can make the beginning of a breastfeeding journey feel far more manageable.
Learn More About Breastfeeding Blueprint
If you are expecting a baby and planning to breastfeed, preparation can make a big difference.
The Breastfeeding Blueprint course and companion workbook were created to help parents understand the critical first days of breastfeeding so they can begin their journey with confidence.
Because sometimes the most helpful thing you can have before your baby arrives is simply knowing what to expect.
Kirsten Fisch, MSN, RNC-MNN, IBCLC, LCCE Kirsten is a women's health nurse who specializes in high-risk pregnancy and postpartum care. She is certified in Maternal Newborn Nursing, a board-certified lactation consultant (IBCLC), and a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator. She works with women from conception through the postpartum period. Passionate about empowering women throughout their reproductive journeys, Kirsten combines evidence-based care with compassionate support to promote the health and well-being of mothers and babies.
