Is my baby drinking enough when breastfeeding?
Many mothers worry that their baby isn’t drinking enough when breastfeeding and might not be full. In most cases, this concern is unfounded. Here are a few clear signs that show you that your child is getting enough milk and is full.
The body produces “excess milk”
A newborn is thirsty about 10 to 14 times in 24 hours. Normally, your breasts produce enough milk to feed your baby. Because milk production works according to the principle of demand and supply. Nature also provides additional precautions and so usually up to 20 percent more milk is produced than your baby “requires”. So there is no need to worry. Your baby can drink its fill and happily from your breast! Under no circumstances should you give your child additional formula. This upsets the balance between your milk production and baby’s demand.
You can tell whether your baby is actually drinking enough by the following characteristics:
- It is doing well and is healthy and happy.
- It drinks every two to three hours for the first two to three weeks.
- It has a healthy complexion and firm skin.
- It wets six or more diapers in 24 hours.
- It gains 100 to 200 grams per week.
empty your breast
To ensure that your baby is really full, you should make sure that your baby drinks one breast “empty” at every feed. If your baby is only latched for a short time, it only drinks the first milk from the full breast, which is easy to suck and not so nutritious. His hunger returns more quickly and he gets used to the simple, light sucking without making an effort. However, this can deceive the breast. She believes the baby needs less food than it actually does, and as a result produces less milk than before. So give yourself enough time to breastfeed. The decisive factor is not the frequent application, but the duration of breastfeeding. Also make sure to change the starting breast at every feed. As a rule, your baby only drinks enough to empty one breast completely. If you change regularly
Is your child fed up?
If your baby’s larynx stops swallowing, it could be full. The best way to check it is as follows: place two fingers on your chest above your areola and press gently. If you feel a slight rhythmic movement, then your baby is still drinking. Otherwise it only enjoys being close to you and sucks a little on the breast. That can be nice for mom and child. But you should still exercise a little caution. Because long sucking can strain your nipples and lead to pain. So if your baby has been sucking for a while or has even fallen asleep, it is time to carefully remove your baby from the breast.
Is your baby not drinking enough because he falls asleep?
Some babies find it so comfortable on mom’s breast that they fall asleep breastfeeding before they’ve had enough. Often they did not get beyond the initial milk and only drank a little, really filling, milk. If you have this problem, you will find some good midwife tips in our article “The most common breastfeeding problems” with which you can not make your child too comfortable and ensure that your baby drinks enough.
Breast-feeding and proper breast donning and doffing
In our articles “How often should you breastfeed?” , “How long does a breastfeed last?” , “Put on and remove from the breast correctly” and “4 popular breastfeeding positions” you will get many more tips so that breastfeeding works well. Our special “Breastfeeding” also offers you an overview of further information about breastfeeding .