A nurse, midwife or other knowledgeable person can help her find a comfortable nursing position. This will stimulate the mother's breasts to produce plenty of milk. Later, the baby can settle into a more predictable routine. These may interfere with their appetite for nursing and that can lead to a diminished milk supply. The more the baby nurses, the more milk the mother will produce.
Artificial nipples require a different suckling action than real ones.
Suckling at a bottle could also confuse some babies in the early days. They, too, are learning how to breast-feed. If the nipples do crack, the mother can coat them with breast milk or other natural moisturisers to help them heal. Vitamin E oil and lanolin are commonly used, although some babies may have allergic reactions to them. Proper positioning at the breast can help prevent sore nipples.