How Do I Know If My Baby Is Getting Enough Milk?

With a newborn baby, many moms wonder if their little one is getting enough milk. And when your pediatrician asks you how many ounces your baby is taking at each feeding, it can make you wonder even more! Here are some quick tips for ways to reassure yourself that your baby is getting enough.

1) Your baby should be having 5-6 wet diapers per day. When your baby is first born, it can be difficult to determine if a diaper is wet (especially if you are using super-absorbent disposable diapers) – so a tip that may help you is to put a small piece of toilet paper in your baby’s diaper. You can easily tell when the paper has gotten wet and can be confident that your baby is getting enough milk.

2) Your baby should act content and sleep after a feeding. Don’t worry if your baby only takes on side – if he/she is content and sleeping, chances are he got a good feed!

3) Your baby will actually weigh more after eating. If you really want to know how many ounces your baby ate, then weigh your baby before you start breastfeeding. After feeding, weigh your baby again. The difference in weight is the amount that your baby took during that feed. **Make sure you don’t change your baby’s diaper before weighing after the feed – anything that may have been excreted during the feed also needs to be weighed** If you don’t have your own scale, you can call your pediatrician and ask them to do the weight checks. I’m sure they will be happy to oblige. Many baby stores and lactation consultants also have baby scales that you can use.

4) Most women can feel a change in the firmness of their breasts after feeding. Before you feed your baby, your breasts will feel “full” or “engorged”. After the feed, your breasts should feel “empty” or “less engorged.” Don’t worry if you don’t ever get over-engorged though – some women just don’t. But even if you don’t get painfully engorged, you should still be able to tell the difference between pre-feed and post-feed.

5) Most importantly – have confidence in your body. Women’s bodies have been nourishing our babies since the beginning of time. This is what your body was designed to do – and it makes a food that is perfect for your baby!

When you were a new mom – what tips and tricks did you use to convince yourself that your baby was eating enough? Please leave a comment to share your experiences with other moms.

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