As part of Chapter Chapter #5, Marcela Rios, a doula and breastfeeding counselor, shares how to evaluate
whether your baby is feeding well and getting enough milk.
Understanding Your Baby’s Feeding
“One of the biggest questions breastfeeding mothers have is: is my baby getting enough milk? And really, how can you answer that if you can’t see how much milk is coming out of the breast and, consequently, how much the baby is getting? Would using a breast pump to see and control the volume offered to the baby be the solution?
Let’s talk about possible ways to evaluate feedings? I hope to bring you safety and confidence by the end of this text! There are several ways to evaluate the transfer of milk from mother to baby, and one of them is through the senses. Sometimes it is possible to hear the baby swallowing the milk while breastfeeding, or even see the swallowing movement (preceded by a moment of pause, which is when the baby has the largest volume of milk in his mouth), or some mothers can feel the milk coming out of the breasts (during the letdown reflex).
Other ways to evaluate the effectiveness of breastfeeding are: if the baby is breastfeeding 8 to 12 times every 24 hours, if he seems happy and satisfied after breastfeeding; if his cheeks are round, his chin touches the breast and he takes in a large part of the nipple-areolar complex while breastfeeding; if the nipples are round and not bruised after feedings and the breasts are softer and less full.
However, in my opinion, the most tangible way to assess the amount of milk ingested by the baby is: look at the diapers! Do you agree with me that, if the baby is breastfeeding, he will pee and poop? So let’s count those diapers! In the first 24 hours of life, it is expected that the baby will have at least 1 wee diaper (and we are not expecting a poop diaper yet, but of course the baby will eliminate the meconium, as often as he wants).
In the next 24 hours we expect 2 diapers of pee and 2 of meconium (starting to change color). On the third day of life, 3 pee and 3 poop diapers (still changing color, getting a lighter color). On the fourth day, 4 diapers of pee and 3 of poop, and from the fifth day, 5 diapers of pee and 3 of poop (yellowish, watery and seedy). Tell me, has it become easier to assess whether the feedings are being effective?”
Writen by Marcela Rios | Doula, childbirth educator and breastfeeding counselor
Posted on Instagram @barbaracrepaldiphoto on September 3, 2024.
≫ These images are part of the “Breastfeeding Moment” project by photographer Barbara Crepaldi, with the support of doula Marcela Rios. The goal of this project is to share valuable information and create beautiful memories for the featured mothers. Every two months, Barbara Crepaldi Photography will host a raffle for subscribed women. The winner will receive a studio breastfeeding shoot, and her photos and story will be featured on Instagram and here.
For more information on how to participate, please visit the instagram page @BarbaraCrepaldiPhoto.
