Still Small Voice
How do I know my baby is getting enough?How can you tell if your baby is getting enough milk? This is a common concern. There are a few ways to know. First, what comes in, goes out. Wet and Dirty diapers An easy way to remember how many wet and dirty diapers baby needs to have is: how old baby is in days, is how many diapers you need. On day 1, baby should have at least 1 wet diaper and 1 dirty diaper. On day 2, at least 2 wet diapers and 2 dirty diapers. On day 3, at least 3 wet diapers and 3 dirty diapers. On day 4, at least 4 wet diapers and 3-4 dirty diapers. On day 5, at least 5-6 wet diapers and 3-4 dirty diapers. After 5 days, they should continue to have 5-6 wet diapers and 3-4 dirty diapers a day. For cloth diapers, they should have 6-8 wet diapers a day. As baby gets older, the stools may decrease. Weight gain All babies loose weight in the beginning. They can loose up to 10% of their brith weight (c-section babies can loose more). They should regain their birth weight by 2-3 weeks, after that they will gain 4-8 ounces a week until around 4 moths, it will slow to 3-5 ounces a week. Growth Spurts Babies will had days with frequent nursing to increase the milk supply. These can be concerning for mothers. They will often worry about the milk supply. Baby will nurse for hours at a time, or want to feed every hour. This is how they increase the supply. If you let baby nurse when then ask, it will usually get better in 24-48 hours. Just sit back and enjoy your baby. Do not plan on organizing your closets during this time! They usually occur around 5-10 days, 2-3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, 4 months, 6 months, 9 months, 1 yr. Around 2-4 weeks the breast may soften like before you were pregnant. This happens during a growth spurt and the stools may also decrease at this time. This is a time when many women believe their milk has "dried up". It hasn't, just watch the we diapers and your baby.
http://www.kellymom.com/newman/04enough_milk.html
If you are concerned about you babies weight or wet and dirty diapers, call your baby's doctor or a lactation consultant.
Preparing to Nurse: breast changes during pregnancy, bras, nursing pads, and more. Making Milk: the hormones of Lactation Hunger Cues and Normal behavior the first few weeks .
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