Breastfeeding: Evaluating Your Milk Supply

In the first days of breastfeeding, new moms are always concerned about whether their baby is getting enough to eat. Although answering that question would be so much easier if your baby could tell you whether she is hungry or full, new parents can monitor a few signs and cues to see if their breastfed baby is thriving.

Here are some signs you can monitor to help evaluate whether your baby is getting enough milk:

• Weight gain. It is normal for babies to lose about 5-7 % of their birth weight in the first days after delivery. Their bodies require a great deal of energy in those first days, as they learn to maintain their body temperature as well as their digestive, respiratory and circulatory systems. Babies should regain up to their birth weight by two weeks postpartum. Once mom's milk comes in and the breastfeeding relationship is established, you baby should gain (on average) about 6 ounces per week.
  
  
• Diapers. After the first week, babies who are eating enough to meet their needs will produce 5-6 (or more) soppy-wet diapers daily. The term "soppy wet" was coined when cloth diapers were the norm, and refers to the appearance of a cloth diaper that contains 3 or more tablespoons of liquid.
  

About The Author

Tanya Jolliffe Tanya earned a bachelor's degree in dietetics and nutrition and has more than 15 years of nutrition counseling experience. She has worked with clients in such areas as prenatal nutrition, general family nutrition and therapeutic nutrition in end-stage organ disease.