When your brest feeding?...?

Question

How do you know when your baby(s) is getting milk?

Answer 1

The easiest way for a new mom to tell that baby is getting enough to eat is if baby has at least 6 wet diapers every day and regular bowel movements. (Newborns usually have one after each feeding. They may get less frequent as baby gets older-some as few as 1 BM per week)

The best indicator is baby will gain 4-7 oz/week. Your local health department or a good pediatrician will usually weigh baby for free. You might even like to go and weigh baby, then feed him, then weight him again. Then you'll know how much milk baby is getting at each feeding!

You should be able to hear and see your baby swallow-his sucking pattern will change (from quick, short to slow, long sucks)

Pumping will not get as much milk as baby. Baby is much more efficient at empting your breast-so this is not a good indicatior of how much milk baby is getting.

You might not feel let-down. Some women don't. It doesn't mean you don't have enough milk.

If baby makes clicking sound or his cheek dimple, you have a bad latch. Use your finger to break the suction and repostion baby.

Your breast may get softer but not always. Usually this is a good indicatior early on but after you have been breastfeeding a while, this won't always work. It doesn't mean you have lost your supply. It just means your body is adjusting to breastfeeding.

Just because baby fusses at breast-don't assume you don't have enough milk!! Babies fuss at the breast for many reasons. An OVERsupply can cause this behavior. As can an ear infcetion, a sore in mouth--both cause pain while sucking. Reflux can also cause fussiness at breast.

You CAN'T nurse too often--you CAN nurse too little. It is normal for newborns to nurse every 45 minutes to ever 2-3 hours. They have tiny stomachs (only about the size if their little fists) and breast milk is fully digested in approximately 90 minutes!

Infants, thrive best when allowed to feed as they indicate their needs. NURSE ON DEMAND!! At the very least, this should be every two to three hours during the day and every four to five hours at night for a total of eight to 12 feedings every 24 hours. Calculate the time between feedings from the beginning of one feeding to the beginning of the next. Most feedings usually last 20 to 40 minutes, but do not watch the clock during the feeding. When your baby is a newborn nursing sessions can sometimes seem to last so long that you barely have any time to get anything done before the next session begins. This is normal and it will not last forever.

How old is your baby? They go through 2-3 growth spurts in the 1st 6 weeks! During growth spurts baby will nurse constantly. Breast milk is a system of supply and demand. Baby suckles more so you will produce more milk to meet his growing needs. This is normal and does not mean you don't have enough milk. Do not supplement, as this can be detrimental to the delicate balance of the supply and demand system.

Under 6 weeks you are still building your supply, the non-nutritive sucking helps to make sure you have enough milk. Breastmilk is all about supply and demand. If you don’t let your newborn suck at the breast during the 2-3 growth spurts they have by the agr of 6 weeks, you will have problems with supply, a fussy baby, a frazzled mom and it will all lead to early weaning.


Have you seen a Lactation Consultant or a La Leche League Leader? (A LLL Leader will help for FREE and might be able to visit you at home.) http://WWW.LLL.ORG
Get advice from other breastfeeding moms at the LLL forums http://forums.llli.org/index.php

If you need more assistance or have more questions feel free to email me by clicking on my avatar then on ‘Email Noggin Mama’ Please make sure to include your email address in the message or I will not be able to respond to your questions as the yahoo! answers message system limits the length of the message I can send and usually the info I have will not fit in the message.

If you do turely have a supply issue I can give you info on increasing your supply.

Answer 2

The pattern of sucking changes after the milk lets down and the baby starts getting some. It'll change from quick little sucks to longer slower ones with pauses in between to swallow. And like snow angel said, you can tell if baby is getting enough by the number of wet diapers and weight gain.

Answer 3

Sometimes you can see some milk at the side of their mouths as they are eating. When you first start a feeding session you should also feel your milk letting down...like a tingling sensation in both breasts and then your baby will usually suck faster because of the increased milk supply. Also you will know if you baby is getting milk because when you are finished nursing they will seem somewhat satisfied.

Answer 4

you can listen for swallowing sounds in the baby, it will sound like a clicking noise. Also the best way is to track the number of wet diapers your baby makes each day. For newborns to 6 weeks generally you should see at least 12 wet diapers a day. Also at the 2 week and one month checkups, the weight of your baby will she that she is eating.
Another methed calls for weighing the baby after each feeding session. weigh her before you feed her, then immeadiately after. You'll need a good scale that shows ounces or a baby scale. Howevcer many ounces she gains after feeding is how much she ate.

Best Wishes!

Answer 5

You will hear her swallow. She might even make a clicking noise when she does. She'll seem satisfied after ten or so minutes. She will also breathe a little harder, especially when the milk comes down. If you feel letdown, take her off the breast and look to see if milk is coming out. If you're really uneasy, you can take her to be weighed. If she's gaining weight, that's a good sign that she's getting enough milk. (I've just realized I used "she" because I'm nursing a girl - sorry if yours is a "he")

http://www.kellymom.com/newman/04enough_milk.html

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/normal/newborn-nursing.html

Answer 6

By the way the baby is sucking. You should see them swallowing and you will hear it too. As long as they are having a wet diaper at least an hour or so after they eat, you will know they are getting enough.

Answer 7

He has a slow and regular sucking motion.
You see him gulp, might hear him.
He cries loudly and moves a lot.
His mouth is humid.
His eyes are bright and alert.
Your baby is satisfied and relax when he quits your breast.
Your breasts get softer.
Your baby wets at least 1 diaper the first day, 2 diapers the 2nd day... up to 6 per days from his 6th day of life. He has at least 1 bowel movement per day.

Answer 8

You should be able to feel the milk coming down into your ducts, and the baby will be making his/her sucking noises. They won't be fussy anymore from struggling to latch or not getting enough milk, and if you look really close, the corners of their little mouths will be moist.

Answer 9

You can usually hear them gulping the milk. You know that they are getting enough milk if they have plenty of wet diapers and good weight gain. That's about all.

Answer 10

As long as your baby is having frequent wet diapers and is gaining weight at a steady pace, he or she is getting enough milk. You can always pump every so often just to measure how much you are producing if you are worried about it. :)