Breast milk is widely acknowledged as the most complete form of nutrition for babies. In fact Breast milk gives your baby everything she needs to thrive for the first six months of her life.
If you’re breast-feeding, you might wonder whether your baby is getting enough milk. This is because breasts don’t come measured out in ounces the way baby bottles do, so it can be tricky to know if your baby is getting enough milk.
Rather than worrying and wondering about whether your breastfed baby is getting enough milk, check the following signs:
1. Number of wet and dirty diapers
One way to tell how much milk your baby is ingesting is by how many wet and dirty diapers you are changing in a day.
Intitially when your baby is born, in the first few days, he or she is ingesting colostrum, a thick, white substance that is nutrient-dense and filled with protective antibodies, but low in volume.
Your baby should have several wet or dirty diapers each day for the first few days after delivery. Beginning around the time that your milk comes in, the wet diapers should increase to 6 or more per day.
At the same time, stools should start turning green, then yellow. There should be 3 or more stools per 24 hours. Typically, once breastfeeding is going well, breastfed babies have a yellow stool during or after each feeding. As your baby gets older, stools may occur less often, and after a month, may even skip a number of days. If stools are soft, and your baby is feeding and acting well, this is quite normal.
2. Weight gain
Babies who are ingesting enough milk gain weight. It’s normal for a newborn to lose up to 10 percent of his weight in the first few days after birth, but by day 10 to 14, your baby should be back to birthweight or heavier. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that babies be checked by their doctors three to five days after birth and then at one month old. Depending on how well your baby gains weight, the doctor may want to see your baby more frequently.
3. Your baby’s behaviour
After a feeding, if your baby is still rooting, fussing, sucking his thumbs and crying, he probably hasn’t had enough.
On the other hand, if your one-week-old baby sleeps through the night beautifully, that’s also a sign that he may not be getting enough milk. Most babies need to nurse about every three hours day and night during the first few days and weeks of life. Typical nursing sessions last between 20 to 50 minutes during which your baby nurses at each breast. Afterwards, your baby should seem content – either sleeping happily or in a quiet alert state, taking in his surroundings. Those are signs of satiety that tell you he is getting enough.
4. Feeding behaviour
Your baby should feed at least 8 to 12 times a day. Remember, newborns feed often and will give cues or signs when they are ready to feed.
The length of each feeding varies and your baby will show signs when she is finished. When feeding well with good latch on, the infant will suckle deeply, you will hear some swallowing, and the feeding won’t be painful.
The baby should appear satisfied and/or sleep until time for the next feeding. If your baby sleeps for stretches of longer than 4 hours in the first 2 weeks, wake him for a feeding. If your baby will not waken enough to eat at least 8 times per day, call your pediatrician.
Early Signs of Hunger
Your baby starts to let you know when she’s hungry by the following early signs or cues:
- Small movements as she starts to awaken
- Whimpering or lip-smacking
- Pulling up arms or legs toward her middle
- Stretching or yawning
- Waking and looking alert
- Putting hands toward her mouth
- Making sucking motions
- Moving fists to her mouth
- Becoming more active
- Nuzzling against your breast
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