Is Your Baby Getting Enough Breast Milk?

It is absolutely essential to keep your baby breastfed for the first 6 months after birth. However, breastfeeding has its own unique problems. When you are formula feeding the baby, you know exactly how much your baby is consuming. However, while breastfeeding it is hard to tell exactly how much your baby is drinking. Besides, it also depends on the mood and hunger of baby at different times of the day. So how do you know if your baby is getting enough breast milk?

CHECK YOUR BABY'S GROWTH WITH THE BABY HEIGHT CALCULATOR

Fortunately, there are ways to know if your baby is feeding enough or not. You may not get an exact answer to the question if your baby getting enough breast milk? But if you watch carefully, you can tell whether your baby is getting nutrition or not. You just need to watch for some simple signifiers. If you feel your baby is not feeding enough, then you will have to consult a lactation expert. Do not e impatient and switch to the bottle immediately.

The simplest way to know if your baby is getting enough breast milk is monitoring your baby's weight gain on a regular basis. But that can happen on a monthly basis. If you want something more immediate, then here are some things you need to watch out for.

Pee Pee

How much does your baby pee on a daily basis? You should have fair idea about this as you will be changing diapers. If the diapers are not heavy anymore, then your baby may not be getting enough fluids and thus feeding less than usual.

Poopy Diapers

You baby may start pooping less than he or she used to if the feeding is not happening as per requirements. A drop in the number of poopy diapers is sure shot indication that your baby is going hungry.

Feeding Time

It is important to note down the time for which the baby feeds every day. Ideally, every feed should last for at least 15 to 20 minutes. If your baby feeds for less than 15 minutes, he or she is not getting the full feed.

Crying And Turning Away

Does your baby start crying and turn away while feeding? This could mean he or she is not getting enough breast milk. The hunger makes babies whine and become cranky.

Do Your Breasts Feel Heavy?

You are the best person to judge your breast milk supply. Do your breasts feel heavy and leak milk when it time for feeding the baby? If not, then your milk supply is running dry.

Expressing Milk

If you want an exact answer, then you can try expressing milk for one entire day and feeding your baby in a bottle. Your baby needs about 800 ml to 1000 ml of milk by the time he or she is 4 to 6 months of age. But it also depends on your baby's individual constitution.

Weight Gain

Your baby should gain 1 to 2 kgs every month after birth. By the time your baby is 4 months of ages, his or her birth weight should have been doubled. If the weight gain is not proper, then there are some problems with the feeding.