How do I know if my baby is getting enough milk?

Generally you can feel quite confident that your baby is getting adequate milk if they have about 6 'heavy' wet nappies or more in 24 hours. Poos are also a good indication in some babies.

A baby simply can't have lots of wet and dirty nappies if there isn't plenty of milk going in!

My baby wakes up a lot. Are they hungry?

Sometimes little babies can be difficult to read. If you can see and hear the suck/swallow action and you seem to have plenty milk, then it's highly likely your baby is getting good volumes and maybe the frequent waking is not always for food.

Occasionally babies have tummy discomfort that wakes them but they look like they are hungry, so we feed them again, but really we are adding to the discomfort. Sometimes babies just need a cuddle if they have plenty of wet nappies and seem to be feeding well but are waking every 20 minutes or each hour. 

Chat with us if you'd like to know more about your baby's feeding.

 

Author: Helen Stevens. RN. RM. MCHN. Manager of Clinical Services, Education and Research. Parent Infant Consultants. 0411880720.