How to Feed a Baby Enough Breast Milk

Many women choose to breast-feed their baby and give their little one all the benefits of breast milk. One of the biggest concerns for mother's who are breast-feeding for the first time is supplying enough breast milk for their bundle of joy. Although you can't measure the amount of milk the baby is digesting, there are a few ways to tell if baby is getting enough to eat.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Burp your baby after every feeding and observe his mood. Feed your baby a minimum of 8 to 12 times per day or more as your newborn requires. Listen for your baby to coo or drift off to sleep to know he is finished eating. Overall, a sense of satisfaction is what you're looking for in your child after breast feeding.

2. Notice how many diapers you change. Your baby needs to produce approximately 6 to 8 wet diapers each day; about 2 to 5 stools in the first few days; and 2 or less stools thereafter. Typically, the stools are loose in the beginning and firm up with proper nutritional intake by the mother. Breast feeding your baby is the primary source of nutrition and processing waste indicates your baby is well fed.

3. Check that your baby is putting on the proper amount of weight. On average, the newborn increases weight consistently for the first 3 to 7 days. Loosing a little weight is common within the first week of being born. A good sign that your breastfeeding is sufficient is when the baby grows healthy and strong.

4. Feed your baby for 15 to 20 minutes each nursing. Offer both breasts to the baby at each feeding to encourage milk production. Milk supply that lasts for the full length of time during breast feeding proves there's an adequate amount of milk available for baby's ingestion.

5. Monitor the baby's appetite to ensure a healthy desire to eat often. Let the baby dictate how often and how long to eat. The more you breast feed, the more milk you produce. Expect milk until your let-down reflex occurs. Nursing often prevents engorgement as breasts fill while waiting to release the breast milk.

6. Eat properly. The mother needs to consume an additional 500 calories to produce enough milk for the baby. Drink plenty of fluids, eat a healthy balanced diet and increase intake of calcium, as necessary.

Tips & Warnings

• Properly wash breasts before breast feeding. Do not use soap or lotions on nipples.
• Breast milk can be frozen and stored for use at a later time. Label frozen milk for proper use. Discard all unused breast milk.
• Women with certain health conditions and those taking medications need to consult with a lactation counselor or lactation specialist. Some medications can pass through the breast milk and harm the infant.
• Avoid alcohol, caffeine and nicotine. Its effects get into the breast milk.

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[lcauvin]

on 5/2/2009 There is a way to measure how much milk a baby is getting. Using an accurate baby scale (you may ask to use the one in the pediatrician's office), weigh the baby before breast feeding. Then breast feed the baby on both breasts. Then, without changing the baby's diaper or any other clothing, weigh the baby again. Subtracting the before weight from the after weight will give you the number of ounces the baby obtained. Don't worry if it doesn't seem like a lot. The more often you breast feed, the more milk you will produce.