You think it should come naturally, but then soon realize it is a learned skill just like so many other things including parenting. I had two very different experiences with feeding each of my children, my first born had a tongue tie which at the time and being in the ‘just given birth haze’ I really had no idea what that actually meant. I was given a lot of advice which, looking back, was not very helpful and I was eventually told that my son’s tongue would grow normally over time and would not need surgery. Well that much was true, however the surgeon also told me it would not affect breastfeeding.
So after 3 months of many feeding problem’s including mastitis, I finally decided (with the full support of my husband) to bottle feed. It took me a month to ween and we never looked back ( until now).
Second time around with my daughter could not have been more different, although I was a little worried in the beginning and it did take 6 weeks to get our rhythm we made a great team. I went on to breastfeed without a hitch for 16 months, which is how my clothing label began.
When all goes well, breastfeeding can feel like a wonderful intimate dance you share with your baby, where you first must learn the steps and then off and away you go!!!
Further Reading:
https://www.medela.com/breastfeeding/mums-journey/support-first-month
https://www.womenshealth.gov/files/documents/your-guide-to-breastfeeding.pdf