Does breast milk increase mean that there is enough milk?

Does a new mother’s breast swelling necessarily mean that she has enough milk? In fact, it is not necessarily the case. When it comes to whether the milk supply is sufficient, we cannot look at whether the mother's breasts are engorged, but whether the baby can eat enough. This is the only reason to prove it. Therefore, we can look at the baby's stool, urine and weight. These are important conditions for judging whether the breast milk is sufficient.

So how do you determine whether breast milk is enough for your baby ?

1. Look at the stool

Newborns (0-1 month)

The baby should have one bowel movement within 24 hours after birth, two bowel movements on the second day, and at least three bowel movements a day starting from the third day. If your baby has bowel movements less than this number, you should consider that he or she is not getting enough breast milk.

The first stool your baby passes should be dark green (almost black) and sticky. After that, it gradually turns yellow, and starts to become yellow stool from around the third day.

Because meconium has a sticky texture, it can sometimes cause meconium plug constipation, which is difficult to defecate. If the baby's abdomen is bloated and he cannot eat, you need to see a doctor.

Around Week 3-4

Babies 3-4 weeks old usually have bowel movements more than 3 times a day. But after 3-4 weeks, some babies will gradually defecate once a day or once every few days.

Why is this? In fact, the baby is not constipated, but is just "holding food in his stomach"!

When a baby holds his stomach full, it means his digestive function is gradually getting stronger. The frequency of bowel movements will decrease, and the amount of each bowel movement will be larger than the previous N times a day. But the stool that is accumulated in the stomach is still soft stool, not the dry and hard stool when constipated.

Therefore, the baby’s “holding stomach” does not mean that the mother has less breast milk. Mothers should not worry too much and do not rush to add milk powder. Be careful not to cause indigestion, constipation, or diarrhea in the baby.

At this time, mothers only need to pay attention to whether the baby's mental state and appetite are normal. If your baby has not defecated for a long time and has obvious symptoms such as abdominal distension, constipation, vomiting, etc., you should go to the hospital for examination as soon as possible to rule out congenital megacolon.

Special attention should be paid to babies who only defecate once every few days before they are one month old.

2. Look at urine

The baby should urinate at least once within 24 hours after birth, and then increase once a day until the 5th day. From the 6th day onwards, the baby should urinate at least 6 times a day.

Your baby's urine should be clear - a light yellow, clear liquid. If your baby urinates less frequently or has dark urine, you should consider the possibility that he or she is not getting enough breast milk.

Tip: If there are orange or light pink crystals on your baby's diaper, which may look like blood at first glance, it usually means that your baby is not drinking enough water - that is, your baby needs to eat more milk and your mother needs to breastfeed more. (Crystallized urine usually only appears in the first few weeks.)

3. Look at your weight

Newborns usually lose about 7% of their weight within 3-4 days after birth due to the excretion of meconium and excess water in the body. This is called physiological weight loss. But then it gradually recovers and returns to birth weight within 2 weeks.

If your baby loses more than 10% of his weight, or has not returned to his birth weight after 2 weeks, you should be alert to insufficient breastfeeding and may need to seek help from a doctor or lactation consultant!