Common questions, part 1

One of the most common questions I hear as a Lactation Consultant is “How do I know if my baby is getting enough?”.

First I always start with how it can feel scary when you don’t know how much baby is getting. Especially if you are trying to do more breastfeeding and had been giving more bottles, it feels very unsteady to not know how much baby is eating. Bottles are so clearly marked, for some parents it may feel like a safer way to know baby is being fed enough.

Knowing your baby is getting enough when breastfeeding is much more subtle than bottles. There’s no easy number, but if you watch baby instead of numbers, they will tell you. Here are some signs to look for:

-How do you breast feel before and after feeds? Do they feel heavy before and lighter after feeds?

-What was baby like at the breast? Active with lots of swallows you can hear? Or sucking only a little then falling asleep?

-How are baby’s diapers? Wet and heavy?

-How about poops? From 6 days to 6 weeks having 3-10 poopy diapers a day is normal. Usually yellow and seedy, if exclusively fed breastmilk the poop shouldn’t have much of an odor, and should be soft.

-How does you baby act before and after feeds? Is baby hungry before feeds, then afterwards sleepy? Or is baby irritable and still acting hungry after the breast?

Yes this isn’t an exact science, it’s more of an art. When you are breast-feeding it’s more about watching baby and not being number focused. It’s also about trusting yourself and your baby. Most babies will let you know pretty quickly, and loudly, if they are still hungry after a breastfeed. Those who don’t scream after are the ones that fall asleep quickly at the breast. Both of these babies need an assessment with an IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant) to evaluate what is going on.

If you have been doing bottles of pumped milk then you have a good estimate of your supply. When transitioning to more breastfeeds and less bottles, reach out to an IBCLC and get support. There are a lot of things we can check and do to help make this process easier.

Questions? write below.