A baby cries, refusing the breast even as milk is available. The mother’s nipples are cracked, each feeding a painful ordeal. This scene, described in a Bangladeshi newspaper as a common occurrence, captures the anxiety that surrounds early breastfeeding — a moment when families often reach for formula in desperation, unaware that the baby may simply need a better latch or more time.

This week, as World Breastfeeding Week is observed from August 1 to 7, the focus falls on the gap between ideal practice and real-world support. In India, the proportion of infants exclusively breastfed has dropped from 63.7 percent in the National Family Health Survey-5 to 55.8 percent in NFHS-6, according to a report in The Hindu. The same article notes that a rise in C-section deliveries, linked to delayed initiation of breastfeeding, may have contributed to the decline.

In Indonesia, a lactation consultant and paediatrician, Dr Revina Tranggana, advises mothers to wait at least three days after birth before turning to commercial milk-boosting supplements, since the body typically begins producing milk only after that period. She warns that relying on supplements without regularly emptying the breast every two to three hours can lead to blocked ducts and mastitis, a painful inflammation. Meanwhile, lists of lactogenic foods — from leafy greens and oats to chickpeas and eggs — circulate widely, reflecting a persistent worry among mothers that their milk supply is insufficient.

The advice that emerges from these sources is strikingly consistent: resist the urge to feed by the clock, watch for the baby’s own hunger signals — a hand to the mouth, a stirring — and keep the infant close, in the same room and the same bed, so that feeding can happen on demand. The mother’s body warmth, one article notes, helps the baby thrive. It is a quiet, patient choreography, far removed from the urgency of a bottle.