How to tell if your baby is getting enough
Generally, a well-fed baby will let go of your breast and stop feeding when they've had enough. It is not typically advised to restrict their time or frequency to the breast as this can affect your overall supply and may impact on their growth. The time that babies spend on the breast will vary with each feed.
New babies may lose up to 10% of their birth weight but should be back up to their birth weight around the first 7-10 days of life. A "sleepy" baby may need to be woken every 2-3 hours during the day and 4 hourly at night in order to establish your milk supply. This type of feeding plan is best discussed with your health care provider as the "sleepiness" would need to be properly assessed.
breast feeding however is not always as straight-forward as this, especially if you and your baby are new to breast feeding.
- Babies will naturally pause during a feed as we might during a meal, so it is important to give them enough time to decide whether they've had enough before completing the feed.
- Some breast fed babies will also fall asleep at the breast and stay partially latched even though they are not feeding. These babies may be helped to unlatch to avoid nipple damage.
