breast fed babies?

Question

I am breat feedin my 9 day old baby gilr and was wondering about diaper changes. she only has one dirty diaper a day and about 6 wet. could this be caused by my milk suply? and how do i know if she's getting enough. she nurses about every 3 hours and nurses about 30 mins at a feeding. 15-20 mins on left then the rest on the right. after about 30 mins she falls asleep also.

she also acts as if she is starving all the time. would it hurt anything if i give her a passy after feedings?

Answer 1

Bowel movement habits vary from baby to baby. Some breast fed babies seem to have a poopy diaper after each feeding, others can go a week or more between dirty diapers. Breast milk is a natural laxative and it is extremely rare for a breast fed baby to become constipated. My youngest was an infrequent pooper and would go 3-5 days and sometimes 7 without a poopy diaper. If you are feeding your baby on demand you can rest assured she is getting enough nourishment especially if she is sleeping well and growing. Breast milk is very digestible and it is common for a baby to use the vitamins and nutrients so efficiently that there is little to no waste to be excreted.

Answer 2

Her diapers sound about right.

At 9 days, she should be nursing a little more often, at least during the day.

Here's the plain and simple deal:
As long as you nurse her when she wants and for as long as she wants, she'll get enough. I would *not* introduce a passy at this stage. She's trying to establish your milk supply. To do that, she needs to eat often from you. Giving her a passy tells your body that she doesn't need to suck, which might limit your supply at this point. If she wants to eat more, you need to let her.
Other things to avoid:
1. Pumping right now. You don't need to pump, you need to nurse. Pumping is not a good indication of how much you make because baby always gets more than a pump.
2. Bottles. Some young babies have trouble switching between breast and bottle, so it's better for your relationship if you wait until 4-8 weeks of age before introducing a bottle
3. Supplementing. Babies of that age will often take a "top-off" of formula. this WILL HURT your supply as every ounce baby takes will be ounces you're not making
4. Scheduling. She needs to eat on demand right now.

You can encourage her to nurse by tickling her feet, rubbing her back, ticking her neck and ears lightly.

The old fashioned saying is "If baby is wetting, baby is getting." Learn to respond to her needs. Don't worry, she'll start to finish faster than 30 minutes in a couple weeks.

Answer 3

You want her to nurse. Don't give her a paci. She needs to nurse as much as possible if she's not eating enough. Your latch may be incorrect. You need to see a jaw drop, pause, and swallow. If you're not seeing her jaw drop she's not getting a mouth full of milk. At 9 days your supply should be good but she needs to be able to get it. I would highly recommend seeing a lactation consultant. You will have enough milk for your baby she just needs to get it.

On the other hand is the dirty diaper HUGE. If a lot of poop is coming out then maybe she's fine. If it's just a little poop then you need to fix the problem. at 9 days she should be having 4-5 poopy diapers. I would really contact a lactation consultant to see if your latch is correct and if she's getting the milk your making. She should also probably eat every 2 hours. Try waking her up and feed her every two hours during the day then let her cue you at night.

Answer 4

Ask your pediatrician but if you have good insurance, you can get a lactation consultant, too.
My babies nursed for short periods then fell asleep for 45 minutes. They were healthy and gaining weight but didn't nurse for longer periods until about 2 months old. You can increase your milk supply by manually extracting or pumping in between feedings but don't overdo or you'll be uncomfortable. Ordinarily, your milk supply will match the baby's needs. Don't supplement with bottles unless baby is not thriving. Nurse every time baby wakes up. You can alternate breasts (left for 10 am feeding/right for 11 am feeding). Make sure you are calm and comfortable during nursings and your milk will flow well. Keep it up, don't give up, it's great for baby and mom.

Answer 5

Birth to 6 weeks info -
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/enough-milk.html

What to expect in the early weeks -
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/normal/newborn-nursing.html

Breastfeeding log -
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/start/basics/bf-logs.html

At this age, she should be having 5-6 wet diapers per day.

She should typicaly have 3-4 dirty diapers per day at this age. Stool should be at least the size of a US quarter to count. (Many BF babies this age will stool a little with each feeding.) What is the color/consistency like? Maybe she is "saving it up" if it is one really significant diaper?

I'd suggest you try to encourage her to nurse a bit more frequently. She's acting like she's hungry all the time because a baby this age *IS* hungry all the time. Remember her tummy is only the size of her tiny fist. It's typical for a baby this age to nurse approximately every 2 hours around the clock. (At least that.....breastmilk digests in about 90 minutes.) Also, it's common to hit a growth spurt around 10 days to 2 weeks of age, which means constant nursing. She is working to bring your supply in and establish it to meet her needs.

Do you let her decide when to switch breasts or are you switching her after a set time? Try keeping her on the first breast as long as possible, until she comes off on her own. This will help to insure that she is getting plenty of hindmilk.

Answer 6

If she's not gaining weight than it should be a concern but not every breastfed baby has the typical multiple movements a day. It sounds like she's nursing often enough and for a good period of time....she obviously not dehydrated so just keep an eye on it and you'll find out her weight again soon.

Answer 7

I had the same kind of concerns with my newborn. The doctor explained to me that since breastmilk is all natural, most of it is absorbed by the baby and they won't poop as much as those little charts say (sometimes, they can go days without a BM). My daughter used to fall asleep at the breast as well. Some babies do because it's soothing and they're still tired :)
Your baby is probably getting enough milk, she's 9 days old and newborns usually drink about 1 - 2 oz each feeding. I read that if a baby isn't getting enough food, they start getting little sunken-in spots on their heads and when that happens, it's time to call a doctor.

You can always supplement with formula if you're still concerned and don't worry, the baby isn't going to turn on you and not take your breast anymore. I had to do because my daughter was a bit impatient. She's almost 5 months old and will still breastfeed if it's offered. Just make sure you keep your supply up.

Good luck ^.^

Answer 8

Most breast-fed babies have many BMs a day. Or they can go for several days without one. Our Pediatrician advised that it has a lot to do with the blood sugar levels in the mother. Make sure you are eating and drinking foods with natural sugars in them. Don't use sugar substitutes while nursing.

Answer 9

I think it would be perfectly fine to give her a pacifier in between feedings. If she's still hungry then the pacifier won't do any good, but some baby's just like to suck. About the poopy diapers and so forth...it's perfectly normal for a breastfed baby to go several days between a bowel movement because she's getting such good nutrition. As long as she's having wet diapers and at least a poopy a week, you have nothing to worry about.

Answer 10

It sounds as if everything is going perfect for you and your baby. I breastfed my son for 1 year. I think a lot of new mother's worry about their milk supply in the beginning. Each baby is different, but if the baby seems content, I wouldn't worry.