The three most critical factors to look at to assure yourself that baby is getting enough is weight gain, dirty diapers, and wet diapers.
Weight gain: Normal newborns may lose up to 7% of birth weight in the first few days. All babies whether breastfeed or formula fed will lose weight. Generally, you will notice a weight gain around 3-4 days with a vaginal delivery and 4-5 day with a C-section. After mom’s milk transitions to mature milk from colostrum, the average breastfed baby gains 6 oz./week (170 g/week) about a 1/2 oz. -1 oz. daily. Consult with baby’s doctor and your lactation consultant if baby is not gaining as expected. ***We like to see baby back at birth weight by 10-14 days*** Dirty diapers: In the early days, baby typically has one dirty diaper for each day of life (1 on day one, 2 on day two, and so on after that). After day 4, stools should be yellow and baby should have at least 3-4 stools daily that are the size of a US quarter (2.5 cm) or larger. By 6-8 weeks’ baby’s digestive system should adjust and you should see 2-3 bowel movements daily. Some babies stool every time they nurse, or even more often–this is normal, too. The normal stool of a breastfed baby is loose (soft to runny) and may be seedy or curdy. …show more content…
Once mom’s milk transitions from colostrum to mature milk, expect 5-6+ wet diapers every 24 hours. To feel what a sufficiently wet diaper is like, pour 3 tablespoons of water into a clean diaper. A piece of tissue in a disposable diaper will help you determine if the diaper is
Weight gain: Normal newborns may lose up to 7% of birth weight in the first few days. All babies whether breastfeed or formula fed will lose weight. Generally, you will notice a weight gain around 3-4 days with a vaginal delivery and 4-5 day with a C-section. After mom’s milk transitions to mature milk from colostrum, the average breastfed baby gains 6 oz./week (170 g/week) about a 1/2 oz. -1 oz. daily. Consult with baby’s doctor and your lactation consultant if baby is not gaining as expected. ***We like to see baby back at birth weight by 10-14 days*** Dirty diapers: In the early days, baby typically has one dirty diaper for each day of life (1 on day one, 2 on day two, and so on after that). After day 4, stools should be yellow and baby should have at least 3-4 stools daily that are the size of a US quarter (2.5 cm) or larger. By 6-8 weeks’ baby’s digestive system should adjust and you should see 2-3 bowel movements daily. Some babies stool every time they nurse, or even more often–this is normal, too. The normal stool of a breastfed baby is loose (soft to runny) and may be seedy or curdy. …show more content…
Once mom’s milk transitions from colostrum to mature milk, expect 5-6+ wet diapers every 24 hours. To feel what a sufficiently wet diaper is like, pour 3 tablespoons of water into a clean diaper. A piece of tissue in a disposable diaper will help you determine if the diaper is