Is my baby getting enough milk?

It’s hard for you to know if your baby is getting enough milk since they can’t communicate yet. Fortunately, there are some signs to help you understand if your baby is having their fill. Read more below.

Weight Gain

Weight gain is the most accurate way to determine if your baby is getting enough milk. Most newborns lose at least several grams in the first couple of days before they start to steadily gain weight. They are usually back to birth weight by 2 weeks of age. Breast-fed babies gain an average of 0.11 kg- 0.22 kg a week in the early months.

Diapers

After the fifth day of life, baby should have at least 5 or 6 wet diapers a day containing urine that is pale and odorless. If you have trouble determining if the diapers are wet, place a piece of toilet paper in the front portion of diaper when changing your baby. If it is saturated after several hours, you’ll know baby is urinating frequently.

Baby should have at least 2 bowel movements every day. The early bowel movements will be black and tarry, but by the 4th day, they should become more mustard/yellowish in colour and loose in consistency, maybe even seedy.

Swallowing

You should hear swallowing every couple of sucks. It will sometimes take a couple of minutes for your milk to flow before you hear frequent swallowing. If your baby is swallowing infrequently after the first few days of life and is feeding often for 45-60 minutes at a time, call your lactation consultant or your baby’s health care provider for assistance.

Breast Changes

Your breasts should feel softer and look smaller after nursing, however it is common to have larger breasts in the first few weeks of nursing. As your milk supply evens out with baby’s demands, breasts may become closer to pre-pregnancy size.

If your baby is not getting enough milk, you’ll notice one or more of these signs:

• Your baby doesn’t regain his birth weight by the time he is 14 days old. In this case please consult your doctor immediately.
• Your breasts don’t feel softer after feeds.
• Your nipple looks misshapen or pinched at the end of a feed, or feels sore or damaged.

• Your baby is unsettled after feeds.
• Your baby is wetting fewer than five to six nappies at around five days old, or fewer than six to eight nappies in a 24-hour period if he’s older than five days.
• Your baby poos fewer than twice a day by five days old and the poos are not runny or yellow coloured. After a few weeks some babies poo only every few days, but dry nappies and scanty poos suggest your baby is not getting enough fluid .
• Your baby’s skin becomes more yellow, instead of less, after the first week.
• Your baby is sleepy for most of the time and you have to wake him to feed.
• Your baby has dimples in his cheeks or makes clicking noises while breastfeeding. This is a sign that your baby is not latched on properly.