How to Determine if Breastfeeding Is Going Well

Your baby will let you know, through a number of different ways, if breastfeeding is going well. Here are some signs that your baby is getting enough to eat:

·        While feeding, you should be able to hear your baby suck and swallow.

·        After your baby is finished feeding and between feedings, he/she should seem 

      content and satisfied.

·        You should see a weight gain of approximately 4 to 8 ounces a week for the first 3 months, and at lest 3 – 5 ounces a week from 4 to 6 months.

·        Your baby should wet 1 diaper on day 1, wet 2 diapers on day 2, and 3 wet diapers on day 3 continuing in this same fashion until day 6 when he/she is wetting 6 to 8 diapers daily.

·         After day 6, your baby should continue to wet 6 to 8 diapers daily with pale yellow urine.

·        Your baby should have at least 1 to 2 soft, yellow coloured bowel movements daily. Some babies will have a bowel movement after each time they eat and this too is normal.

Growth Spurts and Breastfeeding

There will be periods of time when your baby may want to breastfeed more frequently than usual. This is referred to as a growth spurt.

● The first growth spurt usually occurs at 10 to 14 days after birth.

● Then at approximately 6 weeks, 3 months and 6 months of age and lasts for 24 to 48 hours. 

During this time your baby is rapidly gaining weight and height, and therefore needs to breastfeed frequently for extra energy. 

Many breastfeeding moms’ worry that they won’t be able to produce enough breast milk for their baby during a growth spurt.  However, it is important to remember breastfeeding works on the principle of supply and demand - the more you breastfeed the more breast milk you will make.

It is not recommended that you supplement your baby with formula or water as it competes with breast milk production.

References:

Auerbach, K. G. & Riordan, J. (1998) Breastfeeding and human lactation (2^nd 

      Ed.).Sudbury, MA: Jones and  Bartlett Publishers.

Breastfeed-essentials.com (2001) Growth spurts [Online]. Available:

      http://www.breastfeed-essentials.com/growthspurts.html

La Leche League International (1997). The breastfeeding answerbook. (Revised  

      Ed.). Schaumburg, IL: La Leche League International Inc.

Ladewig, P.A., London, M.L. & Olds, S.B. (2000). Maternal newborn nursing, a    

      family and community-based approach (6^th ed.) Upper Saddle River, NJ:     

      Prentice-Hall Inc.

Toronto Public Health (2000). Pamphlet: “Breastfeeding your baby”. Toronto,

      ON:Toronto Public Health.