The most common worry
“Is my milk enough?” is the number-one question of new mothers, and the main reason formula is introduced before six months. Yet milk production runs on supply and demand: the more often the breast is emptied, the more it makes. What to watch is not how many millilitres come out, but what happens to the baby.
Four reliable signs
- Wet diapers. After day five, at least 6 clear or pale-yellow wet diapers in 24 hours.
- Stools. In the first month, 3 or more a day, yellow and seedy. After 6 weeks frequency can drop sharply, which is normal as long as stools stay soft.
- Weight gain. Back to birth weight within two weeks, then an average of 150 to 200 g a week for the first three months.
- Feeding behaviour. The baby feeds 8 to 12 times a day, can be heard swallowing, and looks content or falls asleep afterwards. Breasts feel softer after a feed.
Signs that are not reliable: frequent crying, wanting to feed constantly in the evening (cluster feeding is normal), breasts no longer feeling full after a few weeks, or a small pumped volume, a pump is never as efficient as a baby.
What you can log
Use the breastfeeding timer in the Catat tab to record side and duration, then look at the weekly summary in Tren: session counts and total breastfeeding hours give a far more honest picture than how you feel on an exhausting day.
When to get help
If wet diapers fall below 6 a day, birth weight has not returned by two weeks, jaundice increases, or nipples are badly damaged, see a doctor or lactation counsellor. Most latch problems are fixed within one or two sessions.
This article is general education and does not replace a doctor’s examination. When in doubt, consult a paediatrician.
