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How to tell if your baby is getting enough breast milk
By: Mary
Many mothers want to make sure that their baby is getting enough breast milk, and it may seem scary to not be able to count the ounces that goes into their baby each time they eat. There are, however, many different ways that you can check to make sure that your baby is getting enough to eat.
The best way to see if your baby is getting enough milk is to see if your baby is gaining weight. A healthy well fed breastfed baby will gain, on average, 4-7 ounces each week after the fourth day of their life. Weight loss before your baby turns 4 days old is common; your baby is shedding the excess fluid that he retained during your pregnancy and birth.
Most mothers, however, don’t have a baby scale that they have access to each week. There are many other ways to make sure that your baby is gaining weight, such as:
1.Bowel Movements. A well fed breastfed baby will have 4-6 bowel movements a day after they turn a week old. Your baby’s bowel movements should also change from a black color to a greenish color to a yellow mustard color.
2.Wet diapers: Your baby should have the same number of wet diapers a day to how many days old he is. For example, if your baby is 3 days old, they should have at least 3 wet diapers. By the time your baby is 7 days old, it should average out to about 6 wet diapers a day. If you can’t tell in the beginning if your baby’s diaper is wet, since they urinate such small amounts, it might be helpful to put a paper towel in your baby’s diaper.
3.Your baby should be fed on demand, at least every 2 hours during the first few weeks of life. Your baby should also act content after feeding, and will probably fall asleep. (Note: this does not apply to a growth spurt, which usually happens around 10 days of age)
4.You follow your baby’s cues on when they want to eat. Crying should not be an indication to hunger for your baby. That is the last resort for the baby. Think about it in your mind: you do not cry before you go get something to eat, you eat something before you get to that point. The same should apply to your baby. Commons signs of hunger are nuzzling the breast, rooting, and sucking on their hands.
If you have any concerns that your baby is not getting enough milk, make sure that you call your doctor. Also, if your baby is jaundice or very sleepy, ask your doctor if they would be willing to weigh your baby every week, or even every other day, to make sure that they are gaining enough weight.
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