It is common to wonder if your baby is getting enough milk. You may not be able to express a lot of breast milk at first, but this is normal and does not mean you do not have enough milk to breastfeed. Here are some ways to know if your baby is full:
- Let your baby show you how long to breastfeed. Once your baby has fed well on one breast and stops to let go, burp your baby and then offer the other breast to see if they are still hungry.
- You should hear or see your baby swallow while nursing.
- Your baby should breastfeed 8-12 times in 24 hours.
Baby's Stomach
Your baby’s stomach is tiny and will not take very much to become full at each feeding. Look at how much your baby will grow in just 10 days!
- Day 1 = shooter marble
- Day 3 = ping pong ball
- Day 10 = large chicken egg
What is Cluster Feeding?
If your baby is feeding every hour, this is called cluster feeding and it is perfectly normal. For example, your baby breastfeeds every hour for 3-5 feedings and sleeps 3-4 hours between clusters.
What Should my Baby’s Poop Look Like?
Your breastfed baby’s poop will change over the first five days.
- Day 1-3 = black, thick and sticky; called meconium.
- Day 3-4 = greenish to yellow and less thick.
- By day 5 = mustard yellow, seedy and watery.
When to Contact Your Healthcare Provider or Lactation Consultant
Make contact if your baby:
- Has a dry mouth.
- Has red colored urine.
- Has yellow skin, which might be a condition called Jaundice.
- Poop does not change to yellow and seedy by day 5.
- Does not have enough wet or dirty diapers.
- A diaper count list is on this page to know what you should expect.
- A suggested breastfeeding and diaper diary is at the bottom of this page.
- Does not wake up to eat at least 8 times in 24 hours.
- Is losing weight after day 5.
- Is under birth weight at 2 weeks.
Diaper Count
You can tell when your baby is getting enough milk by the number of diapers used each day. Your baby should wet/dirty the following number of diapers per day.
| Baby's age | Wet diapers | Dirty diapers |
|---|---|---|
| 1 day old | 1 diaper | 1 diaper |
| 2 days old | 2 diapers | 2 diapers |
| 3 days old | 3 diapers | 2 diapers |
| 4 days old | 4 diapers | 3 diapers |
| 5 days old | 5 diapers | 3 diapers |
| 6+ days old | 6 diapers | 4 diapers |
Breastfeeding & Diaper Diary
Each day, track the approximate time that you start breastfeeding and the time of each wet and dirty diaper. Tracking this information will help you feel more confident that your baby is getting enough milk. Download the free Breastfeeding and Diaper Diary to help you keep track, or take notes of your baby's progress on your own.
- Time of feedings.
- Time of wet diaper(s).
- Time of dirty diaper(s).
- Total number of feedings in 24 hours.
- After 4-6 weeks of age, your baby’s poop may decrease. It is not unusual for breastfed babies older than 1 month to poop every 2-4 days or longer.
If you have any questions or concerns about breastfeeding, contact your doctor, a lactation consultant or a WIC local agency for help.