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Is my baby getting enough milk?
When a mother first begins to breastfeed her newborn, she may be anxious to know exactly how much milk he is getting. While it is hard to quantify just how much milk a baby is receiving from the breast, continuous weight gain (after the first couple of weeks) and alertness are indications that he is getting enough. Nappies are another good way of telling that a baby is being adequately nourished. Wet nappies indicate good hydration, while poo nappies indicate enough calories. By about day four, mums and dads may change at least three small poo nappies (the size of a 2p coin) and about six wet nappies each day. A baby's poo nappies will change during the first few days from black and tarry to greenish, then to yellow. This mustard yellow stool is typically loose and unformed, like pea soup.
There are no hard and fast answers to questions about how long and how frequently a breastfed baby will nurse. As with so many issues around pregnancy, childbirth and parenting, it depends upon the individuals involved. No-one can say when a baby will sleep through the night – and a baby and mother will have their own feeding pattern. Moreover, this pattern will change as the baby grows. A mother does well to take her cue from her baby. As they develop their unique bond, she will begin to identify and understand the different sounds and gestures he makes. When a baby is hungry, he may indicate this by putting his hands to his mouth, making sucking sounds, putting his tongue out and licking, moving his head around in search of the breast (rooting), and fussiness. Crying is a late stage sign of hunger.
Colostrum
Colostrum comes in very small quantities (an average of 37 mls over the first 24 hours, gradually increasing daily as the baby suckles more). As newborn babies have tummies the size of a marble, an average feed is only 7-14 mls (a teaspoon is five mls). When full term milk comes in his tummy grows to accommodate the greater amounts (about 500 mls every 24 hours, rising to about 750mls every 24 hours by 3 months).
Composition of mature breastmilk
The composition of breastmilk changes during a feed: foremilk is thirst-quenching and high in volume, and hindmilk is richer in fat and contains more calories. It is a good idea to allow a baby to decide for himself when he has finished with the first breast, rather than allow an allotted amount of time for each breast. Once the baby has stopped feeding from the first breast, he can be offered the other breast, which he may or may not take. As a rule, this way a healthy baby can choose to meet his own needs with regard to the balance of fluid and calories he is receiving. However, if a baby is sleepy, has a poor sucking technique, or is inconsistent, he may need a little help.
Initially, a mother’s body does not know how much milk her baby needs – but as the body produces breastmilk on a supply and demand basis, it is important for a mother to feed her baby frequently (about 8-12 times in a 24 hour period), so that her body will automatically adjust the milk supply. Milk production is affected by how effectively the breast is drained: the emptier the breast, the more milk a mother will produce.
Mothers often find that their milk supply varies depending upon the time of the day. If a mother’s milk supply appears to be lower at a certain time (in the evening, for example), more frequent breastfeeding can help,
Human breastmilk is much more easily digested than artificial milk and so breastfed babies feed more frequently than formula fed babies – this does not necessarily mean that being hungry around an hour after being fed indicates that the breastfed baby is not getting enough nutrition. In addition, babies have a very strong need for frequent contact with their mothers and will gain comfort from non-nutritive sucking.
Growth spurts
Often, babies will display growth spurts at around ten days, six weeks and three months. During these periods they will feed more frequently in order to build up the mother’s milk supply to suit their growing needs.
Signs that a baby is feeding well:
- his chin is touching the breast, and he has a large mouthful of breast
- it is not hurting the mother (beyond a tenderness during the initial sucks)
- if the areola is visible, more of it can be seen above the baby's top lip than below his bottom lip
- his cheeks stay rounded while sucking
he comes off the breast on his own when he is finished
