Feeding frequently and on demand in the early days of a baby’s life is the best way to ensure a plentiful milk supply. Your baby is letting your body know just how much he or she needs, and laying the “groundwork” for when your milk increases!
Once your milk increases, usually by days 3-5, look for these signs of the baby getting plenty of milk, or signs of good “milk transfer”:
-Deep, effective latch that is comfortable
-Softening of the breast after a feeding
-Lots of audible swallowing while the baby is eating
-In the early days, when the baby is getting colostrum, he or she should have one wet and dirty diaper for each day of life. For example, two wet and two dirty diapers when they are two days old.
-By the end of the first week, the baby should be having 6 or more wet diapers daily, and 3–5 dirty, yellow seedy diapers daily. No more dark stools once your milk increases!
-The baby is back to birth weight by day 10-14 of life, then having a steady gain of 2/3 ounce to 1 ounce per day in the early months.
Reach out to your lactation consultant and/or pediatrician for support if you are not seeing these signs of good intake. It’s okay to ask questions, don’t wait to ask for help!
