When you breastfeed your baby it becomes difficult to analyze how much milk exactly your child takes. If you know precisely what are the signs of a well nourished infant you can say whether your child is taking sufficient amount of milk or not. Read on to learn about the signs that can tell you that your infant is well nourished during his first few months.Just like many nursing moms, there must be times when you wonder whether your newborn is taking enough milk or not. You might also worry about your milk supply. However, if you are aware of the signs that show whether your baby is well nourished or not you would stay assured regarding your concerns related to milk supply.
Is Baby Getting Enough Milk?
When a newborn fusses usually people think that he is hungry. No matter whether the
newborn cries or wakes before time from sleep, you will find your family members saying that the child must be hungry. However, breastfeeding does not comfort the infant at times and this makes the mother think whether her
milk supply is enough or not.
In most cases it is not about the quantity or quality of milk produced when things go wrong with an infant. If you simply want to figure out whether your little one gets enough milk, there are signs that can help you.
Signs of a Well Nurtured Infant
Have a quick look at the commons characteristics of a well nourished infant.
High Energy Level
The first sign of a well nourished infant is that when he wakes up he is active and has plenty of energy. However, if your baby fusses or does not sleep well there could be many other reasons also. Most of the reasons have nothing to do with hunger.
Healthy and Steady Weight Gain
Gaining weight regularly is an overall pattern of healthy growth of the child. Do not worry about the amount of weight your child gains every week because there might be slight fluctuations as there are many factors working within few days of birth.
Number of Wet Nappies
If your child makes at least 6 nappies wet within 24 hours it shows that he is receiving sufficient fluid. It is a simple
formula that the child will excrete what he takes in. So, if no external fluid is given to the child and he is completely dependent on your milk and he or she passes adequate amount of urine, it means that your
child is getting enough milk.
However, if there is less number of nappies it does not mean that your child is poorly fed. Just make sure that you talk to the pediatrician regarding this so that necessary investigation is done on time.
Contentment during Feeding
When you breastfeed your newborn you will find that your infant is swallowing milk. Most often you will find that he falls asleep during
breastfeeding time and a little bit of milk flows out of his mouth. You will also notice that your breasts become light and soft since your baby has sucked all the milk from it.
Long Naps
If your newborn has sound sleep and he takes long naps, you can stay assured that your child is getting enough milk. However, wakefulness or fuss can be due to many other reasons also.
Although, the above mentioned signs show that your child might not be receiving enough milk, it does not give you concrete answer or solution. If you find any of the signs not showing up with regards to your baby, it is advisable to get in touch with your doctor immediately and discuss the matter. You can also seek advice from a lactation consultant so that you get assured whether you have a consistent and enough flow of milk to nurse your child or not.
What are the signs that a baby is well fed? How to know if a baby is getting enough of breast milk? How to improve breast milk supply? Discuss here.