Is your baby is getting enough breast milk?

Following last week's Breastfeeding how to guide, here is a guide for new mums on whether your bub is getting enough milk!

Breastfed babies will usually demand feed between 8-12 times every 24hours (once your milk has come in). Most babies will not feed exactly every 3 hours. Babies tend to cluster their feeds together in the early morning and evenings and space them out throughout the rest of the day.

Routines?

Babies will often set their own “routine” by 8 weeks old. You do not need to set routines before then. Routines interfere with the natural processes of establishing a good milk supply.
An average routine that a baby will naturally adapt by 4-8 weeks of age is:

• 4-5am: Wake up 4am and feed very frequently during the next 2-4 hours.
• 8am: Baby will most likely then sleep for 2-4 hours after this huge feast! Make sure you sleep too, you will be very tired in the first few months.
• 11am: On waking he may have a feed every 2-3 hours until early evening.
• 6pm: Your milk supply is at it lowest stage towards the end of the day so baby will often feed very frequently during the 3-4 hour period. This is normal, you DO have enough milk. As he grows older and your supply establishes itself, this cluster period of feeding will reduce.
• 10/11pm: Baby will then most likely have his longest sleep from now.
• 2am: Throughout the early hours he will follow a more regular pattern of 2-3 hourly feeds until dawn where he begins the cluster feeds again from 4/5am.

How many breasts per feed?

After baby has finished the first breast, change baby’s nappy, now more alert, offer baby the same breast to feed off again before offering the other side This makes sure baby gets the fatty “hind” milk. In the first few weeks of age babies often only feed off one breast, but as he grows so does his tummy and he needs to feed off both sides.

Output

The amount of times your baby wees and poos is very important. By the time your baby is 5-6 days old they should be doing:

• 5-8 HEAVY wet nappies per 24 hrs
• At least 2-4+ yellow stools every 24 hrs

If your baby is not doing this, it may be an early sign that baby is not getting enough milk. Ensure you weigh bub at your local Maternal Child Health clinic and seek help from a breastfeeding support professional if required.

For more tips please check out our Breastfeeding FAQs, Katie's Mythbusting or ask a question on our Breastfeeding Support Page.

You can also read further articles on the ABA website