IS MY BABY GETTING ENOUGH MILK?

As a breastfeeding mother, it may be difficult to judge how much milk your baby is drinking, especially in the first few days after birth. However, to answer this, let us explore some parameters of a well-fed baby:

1. WET DIAPERS - There should be 4 to 6 wet diapers (6 to 8 if using cloth diapers) daily, by day 4 after birth.

2. URINE COLOUR - After 4 days, your baby’s urine should be pale or colourless. If it is yellow or looks like apple juice, he/she is not getting enough hydration.

3. STOOL - In the first few days - your baby will pass meconium (the greenish black, first stool), then transition stool during day 4 to 7 which is brownish. After this period, the stool is generally mustard coloured or looks slightly like curdled milk. Your baby should pass 2 to 3 mustard-coloured stools per day; this indicates that he/she is receiving the fatty hindmilk from your breastmilk. If the stool is dark coloured or infrequent, it is recommended to contact your paediatrician because not getting enough calories could lead to his/her weight loss.

4. WEIGHT GAIN - On an average, your baby should gain about 155 to 240g per week.

5. BREASTFEEDING - Your breasts should feel full before and softer after a feed. You should be able to feel a milk-ejection reflex, your baby should be heard vigorously sucking and swallowing. You should be feeding 8 to 12 times in a 24-hour period.

If your baby checks all the above 5 parameters, relax!

It indicates that your baby is eating well and gaining weight at the right pace.

However, if you see any worrying signs in the above points, it could mean that while there’s an adequate milk supply, you are still not being able to deliver it to your baby for reasons such as:

• Stressing too much about breastfeeding

• Having an overstimulated baby

• Incorrect feed timings

• A poor latch

• Issues like tongue-tie, lip tie, cleft-lip etc.