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Is My Baby Getting EnoughTo Eat?

© Shawna Smith

It is one of the most common questions asked by new nursing mothers: “How can I tell if my baby is nursing enough?” It can be hard to trust that your breasts are providing adequate nutrition when there aren’t any numbers to measure what goes into baby. However, even though you can’t measure the milk, there are tried and true ways to tell if your baby is thriving on breastmilk.

Pay attention to baby’s bowel movements. For the first few days of life, your baby will be passing meconium, which is very dark green, almost black. By the third day, this meconium should start changing to a regular stool, which is usually mustard colored. Breastmilk stool can vary in color and consistency, but as long as baby is definitely not passing meconium by the fifth day, you can be assured there is nothing to worry about. By the end of the first week, baby should be having 2-3 yellow bowel movements a day. If the stool looks brown, call a doctor.

During the first month, baby should have about 1 substantial bowel movement a day. After this first month, though, the pattern can change. Breastfed babies who are older than 1 month can go as long as two weeks without a bowel movement and be perfectly normal, as long as it is normal when it does come. By contrast, they can also go every day and also be normal. When in doubt, always call a doctor, but generally, if the stool is loose and mustard-y, there isn’t anything to worry about.

Wet diapers are another indication of baby’s intake. Around the 4th day of life, your baby should have 6 soaking wet diapers in a 24-hour period. If, after the 4th day, you see any pink or red in the urine, that would be cause to think that baby wasn’t getting enough to drink.

Also watch the baby while you are nursing. Pay attention to the way that he suckles at the breast. You should be able to notice slight pauses during suckling – this is when baby has a mouthful of milk. You can also occasionally hear swallowing, which is nice, but some babies swallow so quietly that you can’t hear them. Make sure that baby isn’t just “nibbling” for the whole nursing session – there should be a good amount of time that baby sucks and pauses, because this is when he gets the most milk.

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