Signs of Breastfeeding Well

Almost all mothers go through a period when they think they don’t have enough breast milk.

Sometimes mothers worry about this when their baby is just born. Other times it is after breastfeeding is well established. The good news is that most women have more than enough breast milk to feed their baby.

Having your baby breastfeed well and often in the first week will help you to build a healthy breast milk supply. Breastfeed your baby at least 8 times in 24 hours (day and night).

Remember breastfeeding is a learned skill for mothers and babies. It requires patience and practice. Get help right away if your baby is not showing signs of breastfeeding well.

• A Good Latch
• Wet Diapers & Stools
• Weight Gain
• Other Signs

• You will feel: your breast being pulled with no pain
• You will hear: your baby swallowing (a quiet, exhaled kaa kaa kaa)
• You will see:
  • A wide open mouth
  • Curled out lips
  • Chin pressed into your breast
  • Sucking and swallowing (Quick and shallow at the beginning and deep and slow as the breast milk starts to flow)

 

Mouth Openings

Pause when mouth is opened the widest. Your baby is drinking during this pause.

Mouth Closing

At all ages urine should be clear to pale yellow with almost no smell.

Baby’s Age	Wet Diapers Each Day	Stools Each Day
One day old	At least one wet diaper (a wet diaper feels like at least two tablespoons or 30 ml of water poured on a dry diaper).	At least one to two sticky dark green/black stools (meconium).
Two days old	At least two wet diapers.	At least one to two sticky dark green/black stools (meconium).
Three days old	At least three heavy wet diapers (a heavy wet diaper feels like at least three tablespoons or 45 ml of water on a dry diaper).	Three or more brown/green/yellow stools.
Four days old	At least four heavy wet diapers.	Three or more brown/green/yellow stools.
Five to six days old	At least six heavy wet diapers.	Three or more large, soft, yellow, seedy stools (a large stool is the size of a quarter or larger). Baby should not be passing any meconium at this age.
Six weeks to six months	At least six heavy wet diapers.	Three to four per day or one large, soft, yellow seedy stool per week. After six weeks some breastfed babies may have 1 very large yellow stool every one to seven days. This is normal as long as the stool is soft like toothpaste, or seedy, and watery, and your baby is healthy. It is also normal for some breastfed babies to have many stools each day.

 

See Best Start’s resource, Signs That Feeding Is Going Well (PDF).

• Breastfed babies may lose seven to eight per cent or less of their birth weight in the first few days after birth
• Should return to their birth weight by 10-14 days of age
• Should show a pattern of weight gain by four to six days
• Should gain at least 25-35 grams (0.9-1.2 oz.) a day in the first four months of age

• Your baby has a loud cry
• Your baby’s mouth is wet and pink
• Your baby’s eyes look alert
• Your baby moves actively
• Your baby comes off the breast looking relaxed and sleepy
• Your breasts feel softer and less full after breastfeeding

Video: Admission to Postpartum. Keeping Your Baby Skin-to-Skin (02:16). Reproduced by permission of Healthy Families BC.