HUNGRY NEWBORN After hours of labour, your baby may be rather thirsty, and eager to nestle down in the safety of your cradling arms. You'll be feeling euphoric but totally exhausted, so your newborn baby's eagerness to instantly nuzzle his way to your breast may take you a little by surprise. Nursing is one of the best ways to bond with this incredible little person curled up against you – that really is your baby, although it’s hard to believe at the beginning. Why not give it a go, you'll be getting him off to the healthiest start possible.

BABY IS BREAST-READY Your baby will be wide awake right after delivery and eager to suck. A newborn baby has in place a number of very helpful newborn instinct that will prompt him to turn his head and root for your breast when your skin touches his cheek, open his mouth and latch onto your nipple, and automatically swallow the collostrum you produce. Studies have shown that breastfeeding is more likely to be successful in the long run if it started just after the birth. But don't pressure yourself to rush things. If you don't feel up to breastfeeding immediately, relax and wait until you and your baby are both ready. The staff on the delivery ward will make sure your newborn baby has had a feed within three hours of birth.

STEP BY STEP If you plan to put your little one at the breast at birth, his sharp sense of smell will help guide him to your nipple when he is delivered onto your tummy. Give him a helping hand by placing him next to your breast. Hold your nipple so that it touches his cheek. This sensation should trigger his rooting reflex, and he should turn towards it and open his mouth. As soon as he does, guide the nipple in confidently until he latches on. Your midwife will assist in getting your baby into the right position. Let your little one nurse as long as he wants, then join him in a well-deserved sleep.

Don't worry about the length or success of your baby's first meal. His feeding, however brief, will provide him with a sample of first milk, known as collostrum. Even a few drops of this fantastic, disease fighting liquid will provide im him with vital protection from germs and microbes. He needs it now that he has left the protective environment of the womb. Your baby's sucking will also help to the release certain important post-natal hormones in your body - hormones that trigger the start of milk production and the contraction of your uterus.

To learn why breast is best for your baby, read "Breastfeeding Basics."