If your baby is gaining weight on breast milk alone, has 6 or more wet diapers, 3-4 dirty diapers after day 4 following birth, then you can be assured that YOU DON’T have a low milk supply. Let NOBODY tell you otherwise.
There are so many myths surrounding breastfeeding that it can be hard for new mothers to know what’s fact vs myths. Being aware of myths vs facts, believing in your body’s ability to produce milk naturally, proportionate to your baby’s growing needs is key for your successful breastfeeding journey. Your body has been designed to take care of the baby’s growing needs naturally without any other intervention.
The following does not indicate a low milk supply:
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Baby feeds frequently – Breast Milk is digested easily, so it is normal for a breastfed baby to feed more frequently day and night.
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Baby suddenly increased the frequency of feeding and is fussier than usual. Baby might be going through a growth spurt during which the baby will increase the number of feeds, duration of the feed and is more fussy than usual. They tend to sleep for a long stretch , especially in the evening. It’s important to continue feeding on demand and not supplementing with anything as this is a natural process to increase your milk supply to meet the growing needs of your baby. Supplementing will interfere with this process, affecting your production.
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Baby wakes up in the night. After the first month, some babies sleep for longer stretches at night while others don’t. Every baby is different. Breast Milk is digested easily compared to formula . Baby waking up in the night doesn’t mean the baby is not getting enough milk.
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While crying, putting hands in mouth are hunger cues, after the newborn period (6-8 weeks), it could just be exploration, as the baby starts to get more control of their hands. The baby could cry for so many reasons including a dirty diaper, sleepiness, pain, colic or simply seeking comfort .
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If your breasts don’t feel full or leak anymore like it did in the initial days, it means your body has adjusted the milk production based on the demands of the baby.
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The amount of milk you pump doesn’t indicate the milk supply as the baby is very effective at removing milk from your breast compared to a pump.
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Your baby drinks a bottle of formula or expressed milk after nursing. When you put a bottle in the baby’s mouth, since the mouth fills with milk, the baby is obligated to swallow and the action of swallowing initiates another suck. The suck again fills the mouth and the cycle repeats, giving an appearance of the baby “gulping the bottle down hungrily”. Supplementing often will truly decrease your supply as it interferes with the demand and supply of breastmilk production.
Sources: http://www.mother-2-mother.com/cc-baby-B.htm#Fussiness
