Is Baby Getting Enough Breast Milk?
A Lesson in Supply and Demand
By Melissa Clark Vickers, IBCLC
Your baby relaxes as he nurses. A hungry baby is usually pretty tense. His hands may be clinched into tight fists. As he feeds, he begins to relax and his hands will open up. You relax as he nurses. One of the best by-products of breastfeeding for moms is the daily dose of a hormone called prolactin. Prolactin helps your body make milk, and has been nicknamed "the mothering hormone." Prolactin relaxes you while you nurse, and helps you cope with the demands of being a new mother. You may notice a wave of relaxation that comes over you during a feeding, complete with yawns and glazed eyes! That's prolactin at work. Your breasts soften during the feeding. Especially in the early weeks, your breasts will feel full and hard at the beginning of a feeding and then feel more like the skin under your arm at the end of the feeding. That milk had to go somewhere! 3 Your baby comes off the breast with a "drunken sailor" look. When your baby has had a good feeding, he'll come off the breast (usually on his own) with a precious look on his face of pure satisfaction – and often with milk running out of his mouth! 3 Your baby is content between feedings. Notice that contentment is at the bottom of the list and not at the top. A baby who is not getting enough to eat will not have enough energy to do more than sleep. A baby who falls asleep at the breast after only a few sucks is probably not getting what he needs. Aim for at least 10 to 12 feedings every 24 hours.
| One of the easiest ways to tell whether any milk is going in your baby is to look at what is coming out the other end. Wet diapers mean your baby is getting enough fluid. Look for six to eight wet diapers per day. If you are using disposables, try pouring 1/4 cup of water in a diaper to see how it feels. You can also put a man's handkerchief inside the diaper to tell when it is wet. The urine should be clear and pale – not dark and strong smelling (signs of dehydration or infection). Soiled diapers mean he is getting enough calories. After the tar-like meconium passes, you may see two to five or more bowel movements per day. Some babies will have a BM after every meal – often right after you change their diapers! The stool will be mustard-yellow and soft. The smell is not offensive, resembling buttermilk. | |
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