Is Your Baby Getting Enough Milk?
Many women feel that a disadvantage of breastfeeding is that
our breasts are not see through and marked with indicators for ounces or
milliliters. Our breasts are very
tricky, changing size and shape throughout our lives and particularly during
pregnancy and lactation. Though they
are very soft in the first few days after birth, they are certainly not
empty. Your baby's tiny stomach can
only hold about 10 mls a feed. If he is feeding well and often enough he should
be able to get that much.
Signs During The Feed
Your baby will get more milk easier if she is latched on properly.
Once she is, watch her sucking.
Her sucking will be short and choppy until the milk starts flowing. As the milk flows, she should suck slowly,
deeply and rhythmically. You should see
a pause in her chin as it reaches the widest part of the suck. That pause indicates a swallow. The pause will be longer or shorter
depending on how much milk the baby is swallowing. You may hear a soft "ca" sound as well. You don't need to hear your baby gulping. Most babies don't gulp milk especially
during the first few days. Your baby
should suck and swallow for about 10 minutes of a feed either from one or both
sides. Depending on your flow and how often the baby rests, ten minutes could
take up to 40 minutes of being on the breast/breasts.
Count Your Baby's Diapers
Your baby's dirty diapers are an excellent indication that
he is eating enough. His first diapers
will be filled with meconium, a black sticky substance that is already in his
intestines at birth. Though they are
not made from colostrum, colostrum has a laxative effect that helps it come
out. As your milk changes from colostrum to mature milk, your baby's stools
will begin to lighten in color and become liquidy. This should happen around
the 3rd or 4th day postpartum. You can count dirty diapers according to your baby's age, that
is, 1 diaper on day 1, 2 diapers on day 2 until day 4. After that you should expect about 4 dirty
diapers a day. Stool should only be
counted if it is as large as an American quarter, about 2.5 cms diameter. If your baby's stool had not lightened up by
the fifth day or remain scanty, seek professional help.
Wet diapers can help determine if your baby is properly
hydrated. Like dirty diapers, babies
should have a wet diaper for each day of life, one on the first day, two on the
second and so on until day six. After
day six, he should continue to have 6 wet diapers in 24 hours. A diaper is wet if it has the weight of 3 Tbs of water in it. Try spilling 3 Tbs
of water into a clean dry diaper and feel the weight for comparison. If your baby's diapers are dry - get help.
Your Baby's Weight
Most babies lose
about 5 to 7 percent of their birth weight in the first few days. Your baby should reach his lowest weight by
day 4. After that, average weight gain
for a fully breastfed baby is around 6 ounces or 170 grams a week for the first
four months. After that weight gain
slows down to approximately 4 ounces or 120 grams a week for the next two
months and averages around 3 ounces or 85 grams a week until his first
birthday.
