Is My Baby Getting Enough Breast Milk?!

Is My Baby Getting Enough Breast Milk?!

There are so many amazing things about a woman's body. Mainly the intense, miraculous, overwhelming, amazing world of reproduction. We get pregnant, we anticipate for 9(+) months, we manage to gently ease these little angels into the world (eye-roll, maniacal laughter, sarcastic snort here- your choice) and then the “dot, dot, dot”.

The story of how we got from there to here is as individual as snowflakes but I’m pretty sure I can say all of us, not long after having those little bundles of joy, start the never ending question period that is, AM I DOING THIS RIGHT???

We read books, look up websites, we talk to our mothers, sisters, (dare to even ask the mother in law?!) we cry with friends and snap at our partners and we stress! We didn't have a lot of control during that incubation time but now we are in the driver's seat and it is scary! But we do it, one day at a time, one NIGHT at a time, one feed at a time. And with those feeds, while we sit and “relax” we think, how, on Earth, do I know if this little lovey is getting what he/she needs from me? IS MY BABY GETTING ENOUGH MILK? Well mama, let us tell you a few signs to watch for to ease your mind and help those shoulders come down a notch.

The 3 main areas to pay attention to are weight gain, feeding technique and behaviour, and output/diapers.

During a postpartum visit with your doctor or midwife, they will weigh your baby and compare it to the birth weight. Now there is a bit of number play here but the general idea is that your baby will lose a bit of weight (5-7-10% depending on who you talk to) in the first 4 days after birth. By day 5, your baby should be gaining weight (20-35 grams/day) instead of losing and have regained that lost weight by 10 days to 2 weeks of age. After 2 weeks, your baby will gain 120-240grams/week.

Personal story, my third and heaviest baby did not regain her birth weight back by two weeks and I felt like a failure. It was my job to do this “one” main thing. So I started drinking the suggested teas and took a shot of something that tasted terrible every day (don't ask what, I have no clue what it was now) and I pumped and bottle fed just so I could see how much she was getting then I supplemented with formula (I just had to know she was getting enough!) and fed any time I thought she might be hungry and I stressed. This was my third, I should know what to do, right?! Then her chiropractor asked me how I was during a visit, as I complained about my tea, and she said, “Do you think there is a problem?” and I frustratingly replied “No! She looks fine and acts fine and I'm spraying her in the face for goodness sake!” She said, “Stop with the tea, you are doing a great job.”. For whatever reason I needed permission to listen to my gut and from then on her weight wasn't a problem. Which brings me to feeding.

Once you have established a good latch, there are a few things to look for that show your baby is getting enough milk. At the start of the feed your baby's eyes should be open and baby alert. During the suck their mouth should be wide and have slower periods with intermittent pauses while the milk is going in. The longer the pause, the more milk is going in, so fast “open, close” sucks are taking in less milk. It is drinking vs sucking (or sipping!). Imagine chugging through a straw and what happens in your mouth. That’s a bit difficult to put into words but there are great videos on youtube. Here’s one of them: Good Drinking At Breast

During the first 2-3 days pauses are difficult to detect as they are quite short due to colostrum having less volume than milk. Feeding times should be approximately less than 30 minutes (can vary) and end with softer breasts and a content baby. Baby may be gently falling asleep and have limp hands or an unworried expression, this is that “milk drunk” state we all love and miss! MINIMUM breastfeeds are 8x in 24 hours but in the first few weeks it is more like 10-12x/24hrs. Don’t forget those very important night time feeds-at least 2-3x. Babies have tiny tummies that hold a small volume and breastmilk is easily digested - which is why they feed ALOT! And that is normal.

If what goes up must come down, we know what goes in must come out! Since we can't visualize the precise volume the baby is taking in, we monitor their diapers. After the meconium (sticky tarry first poops) have cleared the baby's system, usually around day 3-4, the colour and consistency changes to a seedy yellow/brown stool. See below. To tell if the amount in each stool is adequate we use the “O-K” method, as in make the O-K 👌🏼👌🏾👌🏿 sign with your hand and the amount in the “O” (forefinger to thumb) is considered one good poop! This amount is what you watch for during the first month. Now it's difficult to monitor wet diapers amongst all of this colourful solid waste but ample stools generally translate to ample milk and also wet diapers, see below. Very concentrated urine during the first few days of life can contain urate crystals (uric acid crystals). These urate crystals can cause a pink, red, or orange-colored, powdery stain in your baby's diaper called brick dust. Tell your care provider as this is a sign of not enough milk and find someone to help you with breastfeeding/formula feeding, like an IBCLC!

Day 1- 1 Wet/ At least 1-2 black or dark green poops

Day 2- 2 Wets/ 1-2 black or dark green poops

Day 3- 3 Wets/ 2-3 brown, green or yellow poops

Day 4- 4 Wets/2-3 brown, green or yellow poops

Day 5-7- At least 5 wets/ 2-3 soft and seedy, yellow poops

2 weeks on- 6 wets/2-3 soft, seedy, yellow poops

Breastfeeding My Baby Guide is a helpful guide of “How do I know if my baby is getting enough breast milk?”

The first 24 hrs are different for all babies. Give yourself time to snuggle and celebrate and rest. Have a water bottle handy because you will be thirsty with all of this milk making!

TIP: From day 1- Keep a very simple log: one column for pees, one column for poops, checks when you change!” If you have more questions or comments, let us know!