How will I know that my baby is getting enough milk?

  • Breastfeeding should be comfortable. If your baby is feeding well he/she will remain on the breast throughout the feed.
  • Listen for your baby swallowing.
  • Towards the end of a breastfeed your baby may suck and pause . It is an easy mistake to think that your baby has finished or is ‘playing about’ . In fact this is an important part of the feed and you baby is getting high fat milk which helps baby gain weight.
  • Your baby will appear content and satisfied after feeds.
  • They should be healthy and gaining weight.

An illustration of fat content during a feed

Fatcontentofbreastfeed.gifStart of the feed high volume lower fat

Sucking pattern throughout a feed – Initial flutter sucks – slow rhythmic sucks and swallows as milk flows – ending with flutter sucks with occasional swallows for the higher fat rich milk towards the end of a feed.

Pees and Poos

The number of wet and dirty nappies that your baby has is a very good way for you to tell if your baby is getting enough breastmilk. If you have any concerns that your baby is not following this pattern please contact your Midwife or Health Visitor

Day 0 - 3 babies first poo, black and sticky called meconium
Day 3-4 changing colour brown/green called changing stool
Day 5 onwards yellow ‘seedy’ and runny with a minimum of two a day

You should have a minimum of two wet nappies their first and second days.

Day three to four - three nappies

Day five to six – six heavy wet nappies

It is very unusual for breastfed babies to be constipated as there is a natural laxative in breastmilk.

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