Is My Baby Getting Enough? by Jill Chasse, PhD

Is My Baby Getting Enough?
by Jill Chasse, PhD

Wouldn’t it be nice if breasts had little ounce lines on them like bottles do so we didn’t worry about how much our babies are getting? Well, Mother Nature has equipped us with other ways. When your baby is being nursed, it's important to pay attention to various signs and trust your instincts to make sure she is getting enough.

The main ways to tell if a breastfed baby is getting enough milk are: wet diapers and weight.

Your pediatrician will probably ask you how many wet diapers your baby has? Newborns should have six to eight wet diapers a day. This changes with age, so be sure to confirm with your baby's doctor. Also pay attention to the urine color- you want it to have no color at all, like water. When it's yellow, baby is dehydrated. Generally, the darker the yellow, the less milk she is getting.

Your baby will be weighed at every pediatrician visit. Your doctor will be able to tell if you’re providing adequate nutrition by the gain.

Timing and frequency of nursings also help to tell you he is getting enough. Most newborns breast-feed eight to 12 times a day , that is about every two to three hours. This spreads out as the baby gets older but may increase if the baby is going through a growth spurt.

If you are still concerned about the amount of milk your little one is ingesting, there are a few things you can look for. When he is eating, listen carefully and you'll be able to hear him baby swallowing. Look for a rhythmic motion in your baby's cheek, and possibly a gulping. Also look under the baby's ear for slight movement.

Remember to listen to your maternal instincts!