• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

La Leche League GB

  • Home
  • About
  • Breastfeeding Help
  • Membership
  • Get Involved
  • Mothers’ stories
  • Mum to Mum
  • Categories
    • Mothers’ stories
    • Mum to Mum
You are here: Home / Breastfeeding information / Is My Baby Getting Enough Milk?

Is My Baby Getting Enough Milk?

How do you tell if your baby is getting enough milk? In a world where everything is measured, it can be nerve-wracking when you can’t see how much milk your breasts are making.

Follow your baby not the book
Weight gain
Dirty nappies
How frequently are you breastfeeding?
Sleepy baby?
Breastfeeding solutions
Breast compressions
Simple ideas for boosting milk production

Follow your baby not the book

Some parenting books recommend routines for breastfed babies. But routines can reduce breastmilk production, as can unnecessary supplements or a dummy. Whatever his weight, a young baby needs to nurse at least 2–3 hourly to establish his mother’s milk supply and get enough milk. Frequent nursing is normal, partly because breastmilk is a drink as well as a food. Adults rarely go longer than a couple of hours without a drink, snack or meal. Your baby’s tummy is tiny and breastmilk is quickly digested so he needs frequent feeds to help him grow.

Mother sitting up with baby on her chest. She is kissing the top of baby's head.Weight gain

Newborns often lose up to 7% of their birth weight in the first few days. Once your milk production increases, usually on day 3–4, expect your baby to begin regaining his lost weight.  Most babies regain their birth weight by 10–14 days old.  Your baby will grow at his own rate, and a growth chart  will indicate how he is doing (see Further Reading). Once breastfeeding is going well and there are no concerns, weighing is advisable no more than once a month in the first six months. If there are concerns, monitor the trend of his weight change over several weeks rather than focusing on one particular week. Your baby’s weight may increase steadily and so follow a single percentile line on the chart, or rise faster, crossing the percentile lines. A gradual drop from one percentile line to the next (or the equivalent distance) is unlikely to be a problem unless his weight is low for his age. Heavier newborns often show ‘catch-down’ growth—meaning they gain weight steadily even though they gradually drop against the percentile lines. Dropping against the chart is more of a worry for lower weight babies. Seek help quickly if your baby isn’t gaining weight well.

See our page My Baby Needs More Milk, or contact an LLL Leader for further information.

Newborn sleeping on parent's chestLook at your baby
You may instinctively know how your baby is doing.  Ask yourself: Does he have good colour? Is he nursing vigorously? Is his skin firm? Does he look healthy and seem  active and alert? Is he meeting developmental milestones?

Dirty nappies

Dirty nappies are a good indicator of how much milk your baby has taken. The table below shows what is normal.

Age Dirty nappies per 24 hours
1-2 daysgreenish-black tarry meconium
3-5 daysat least 3 greenish transitional poos
5+ days
at least 3-5 yellow, unformed poos, the size of a 2p coin or larger
6 weeks +possibly less frequent but larger poos

How frequently are you breastfeeding?

The more often you breastfeed, the more milk you will produce. You will make less milk if you breastfeed less often. In the early weeks, a baby needs to nurse about every 2–3 hours, or at least 8–12 times in a 24-hour period, including some feeds at night.  Allow your baby to breastfeed for as long and as often as he seems interested. To help him get a balanced meal let him finish feeding from the first breast before offering the second.

Sleepy baby?

A baby who sleeps a lot rather than feeding every 2–3 hours may need to be wakened to nurse, and this is particularly important if he has jaundice or isn’t gaining enough weight. If this is difficult, or he is lethargic, ask your midwife, health visitor or GP to check that all is well. Our page Sleepy Baby  – why and what to do explains more.

baby breastfeeding with a nipple shield

Source: United States Breastfeeding Committee

For most breastfeeding problems there is a breastfeeding solution.  Here are some quick suggestions:

  • Most mothers can produce enough milk to meet their babies’ needs. Breastfeed often, offering both breasts—at least 10 times in 24 hours.
  • Wake your baby if necessary.
  • Watch for rooting (head turning) or fist sucking—crying is a late sign of hunger. Encourage ‘cluster nursing’—breastfeed very often at times when your baby is willing to.
  • Check your baby is latched on well. Position him ‘tummy to mummy’, with his whole body close against yours.
  • Make sure he has a large mouthful of breast.
  • Listen for swallowing as he feeds.
  • Seek skilled help early on if you are finding breastfeeding
  • difficult, uncomfortable or painful.
  • Keep your baby close—try Biological Nurturing™, reclining comfortably with your baby while lightly dressed or in skin-to-skin contact close to your breasts.
  • Give him lots of opportunity to breastfeed, even in a light sleep, and this boosts levels of the hormones that increase your milk.
  • Encourage breastfeeding for comfort as well as food as this boosts milk production. Stop using any dummy—breastfeed instead.
  • Night feeds are especially important for establishing and increasing milk production. See our page Safe Sleep & The Breastfed Baby.
  • Get help with household jobs—ignore the dust and eat simple, easily prepared meals so you can concentrate on resting and breastfeeding your baby.
  • The most effective way to increase your milk production is to take your baby to bed with you for a day or two, and focus solely on nursing and caring for him, whilst other people take care of you.

Newborn on mothers chest

Photo: Nicole Miles

Breast compressions

Breast compressions can encourage a baby to breastfeed actively and take more milk:

  1. Support your breast with one hand—thumb on one side, fingers on the other.
  2. Wait while your baby breastfeeds actively, his jaw moving all the way to his ear. When he stops swallowing, compress your breast firmly to increase milk flow. Hold it squeezed while he continues swallowing, then release your hand.
  3. Rotate your hand around the breast and repeat step 2 on different areas of the breast. Go gently—this should not hurt.
  4. Try switching breasts at least two or three times  during each feed—when he comes off the first breast on his own or when breast compression no longer keeps him breastfeeding actively. As time goes by you’ll find that you no longer need to do this.
Newborn looking at the camera

Source: United States Breastfeeding Committee

Simple ideas for boosting milk production

Removing small amounts of milk even from soft comfortable breasts increases milk production:  Full breasts slow milk production—you may need to nurse more often.

Babies nurse for comfort as well as for food:  Those little ‘in between’ comfort feeds really help your milk production.

Your baby is fussy:   Many babies have a regular fussy time (often evenings) however hungry or not they may be. Some babies need lots of stimulation; others need soothing. You’ll soon learn what your baby needs. If he settles at the breast, just let him nurse.

Expect your baby to want to breastfeed very often from time to time: Your breasts will quickly adjust to making more milk if you follow your baby’s needs.

Your baby’s feeds become shorter:  Perhaps only five minutes at each breast. Most babies become very efficient at breastfeeding once nursing is going well.

Babies’ feeding patterns are very individual: If your baby is gaining weight at an appropriate rate, then following the feeding pattern he chooses is the best way to meet his needs.

For more information about increasing our milk supply if needed, see our article: How to increase your milk supply.


Newborn resting on mother's breast. Skin to skin.

Your milk is always perfect for your baby, even if he is gaining weight slowly. A breastfeeding solution is usually possible if he needs more milk.

Call our Helpline to speak to an LLL Leader. Mothers in your local La Leche League Group can offer support and encouragement.

Written by Sue Upstone and mothers of LLLGB. Photos courtesy of Liz H, Ellen Mateer and  Kimberly Seals Allers.

Photos belonging to Kimberly Seals Allers are used under a creative commons license of Black Breastfeeding 360° http://mochamanual.com/bb/

Mother kissing sleeping baby's headFurther Reading

Rhythms and Routines
Amazing Milk, Best for Everyone
My Baby Needs More Milk
How to increase your milk supply
Unhappy Baby

Other websites
www.biologicalnurturing.com

UK–WHO Growth Charts
These charts are based on the growth rates of breastfed babies and can be found in your baby’s Personal Child Health Record (red book). Further copies, the more detailed hospital
0–4 charts and specialised charts for low weight babies can all be downloaded from: www.rcpch.ac.uk/growthcharts

Books
The Womanly Art Of Breastfeeding. LLLI, London: Pinter & Martin, 2010
My Child Won’t Eat, Carlos González, C. London: Pinter & Martin, 2012.

This information is available to buy in A4 printed form from our shop.

Copyright LLLGB 2016

 

Filed Under: Breastfeeding information, Milk Supply Issues Tagged With: dirty nappies, milk supply, more milk, nappies, weight, weight gain

Primary Sidebar

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • Join LLLGB
  • Find an LLLGB support group
  • Beginning Breastfeeding free online antenatal courses
  • News & Research
  • Breastfeeding Matters
  • Make a donation
  • Healthcare Professionals
  • Shop
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Login
  • La Leche League Great Britain Comments, Compliments and Complaints Policy

Footer

La Leche League GB is a Company limited by guarantee and registered in England

Registered office: 18 St Christopher’s Way, Pride Park, Derby, DE24 8JY

Company number: 01566925

Charity number: 283771 (England and Wales)                                     SC050396 (Scotland)

Postal address:
PO Box 29,
W Bridgford,
Nottingham
NG2 7NP

Contact Us

This website and its content is copyright of LLLGB © 2022 .
The images and written content contained in this website may not be used or reproduced in any way without our express permission. All rights reserved.
Privacy Policy | Site by Very Simple Sites