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Day 247 of 280 · 35 weeks + 2 days

The first feeds

Last reviewed · 3 min read · 9 sources · Plain-text version

Thirty-five weeks and two days. Your body is already making early milk. Tonight you read the newborn guide's feeding section together, before anyone is tired.

Size this week
about the size of a honeydew melon
Length this week
around 46.2 cm from head to heel
A woman with a full bump curled on a sofa beside her wife, both reading the same tablet propped on a cushion, mugs of tea on the side table, early evening light.

Thirty-five weeks and two days. The first feeds happen in a blur of tiredness and visitors. Reading about them now, together, means you'll both recognize what you're seeing when it starts.

Your baby

A single honeydew melon on a plain pale wooden table, soft window light.

Around now your baby is around 46.2cm long from head to heel, about the size of a honeydew melon (NHS). By 36 weeks, the NHS says, a baby can suck and digest breast milk (NHS). The feeding part is nearly ready, weeks before it's needed.

Your body

Yellow stains in your bra are most likely colostrum, an early milk rich in antibodies; it can start weeks or even months before the birth (NHS). The NHS says your milk typically comes in 3 to 5 days after birth (NHS); the Office on Women's Health says three to six days, and that breasts may leak and feel full even if you're not breastfeeding (OWH).

If you plan to breastfeed, the AAP suggests checking now whether your insurance covers an electric breast pump ordered in advance; WIC usually supplies one after birth (AAP). If you plan to use formula, or a mix, the same guide applies to you.

Try today

  1. The first-feeds read

    Time: 15 minutes · Feed on cues, however you feed in the guide

    1. Sit down together and read the newborn guide's feeding section out loud, one paragraph each.

    2. Each of you names one thing you didn't know and one thing you're unsure about.

    3. Read the answer on how to tell your baby is eating enough: by 5 to 7 days old, a breastfed baby should have 6 or more wet diapers a day (AAP).

    4. Write your two "unsure" questions down for the pediatrician or a feeding helper.

    Make it work:

    Decide now who handles what isn't feeding: burping, diapers, water and snacks for whoever is feeding. That's the partner's half.

Watch for

  • Normal

    tiredness; the NHS calls fatigue common in these weeks and says to rest throughout the day (NHS).

    Call your provider

    for overwhelming tiredness, one of the CDC's urgent warning signs (CDC).

  • Normal

    indigestion, heartburn, and bloating (NHS).

    Call your provider

    for severe nausea and throwing up, especially if you can't drink for more than 8 hours or eat for more than 24 hours (CDC).

  • Normal

    nerves about feeding and the birth.

    Call your provider

    for scary, upsetting thoughts that don't go away (AAP). Call 911, or call or text 988 or 1-833-TLC-MAMA, for thoughts of harming yourself or your baby (CDC).

For you

How you feed your baby is your decision, and it can change. The newborn guide's line is "however you feed": watch your baby's cues, let them set the pace, and ask early if feeding hurts or worries you. If the thought of feeding is already making you anxious, say so before the birth; the NHS's list for this week includes talking to your doctor or midwife if you feel anxious or low (NHS).

If you're the partner: the first feeds aren't a spectator event. You're the one who fetches, burps, changes, and keeps visitors to a sensible length.

Sources

This guide is general education that summarizes published research and guidance from groups like the American Academy of Pediatrics, the CDC, and the WHO. It isn’t medical advice, and every child develops on their own timeline. Your pediatrician knows your child; if something feels wrong, call them. In an emergency, call 911.

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