Breastfeeding is one of the most wonderful opportunities a woman can have in her lifetime. The benefits of breastfeeding are plenty. The most common question among mothers would be” How to know newborn is getting enough milk”. The main reason for that is, unlike with an ordinary feeding bottle, you can’t determine how much breast milk your baby consumed. Let’s look at a few tips in this blog to determine whether your breast milk is enough for your baby or not.
Production of Breast Milk
Your body generates colostrum for the first several days following delivery. Although it does not come in lots of quantity, but it is packed with healthy nutrients. These are helpful in your baby’s growth and have a protective antibody content. The third or fourth day after giving birth is when your real breast milk will start to come, it will be whiter and more liquid-like than the colostrum.
The root cause of quitting breastfeeding
Breastfeeding helps in improving the bond between the baby and the mother. It gives food and nutrients to the newborn in addition to improving the immune status of the baby. Moreover, it protects mothers from future breast cancer. Actually, in most cases, breast milk secretion would be normal only. One of the most common reasons for stopping or discontinuing breastfeeding is a woman’s belief that her milk supply is not enough for the baby.
Reasons why you believe breastmilk is insufficient
In order to know whether your newborn is getting enough milk let’s first understand the normal changes expected after childbirth and during lactation months. There are several ways to boost breast milk supply, but first, let’s examine the reasons for believing that isn’t sufficient. Here are some of the reasons why you believe breastmilk is insufficient for your baby
- After a few weeks or months of breastfeeding, the breasts will become softer (after 1- 3 months)
- The more frequent feeding demands by the baby
- A feeling or misperception that the baby seems more satisfied and keeps quiet after formula feed.
How can you know if milk secretion is enough?
Here are some tips to find whether your milk secretion is enough
- Check if your baby passes 3-4 stools /day and passes urine 3-5 times/day (by 3-5 days of age)
- And by 1 week, it should be 3-6 stools and 4-6 urines.
- The newborn should be alert.
- The baby should continuously gain weight.
To sum up
Therefore, rather than depending on what your neighbours say, keep an eye on the suggestions made above to find out whether you will have sufficient milk secretion. If you feel you aren’t producing enough milk or your baby isn’t gaining weight as it should be, then consult your doctor for a better solution.
