Many moms who breastfeed seem to ask this question in the beginning. It is a common concern to worry if your baby is getting enough nutrition.

In nature, it is most likely that your breasts automatically produce enough milk for your growing baby. It is possible that due to some conditions, you may not be producing enough. When this happens, babies can experience low weight gain and possible dehydration. You may also have an overflow of breast milk. Read on to learn the signs that your baby is or is not having enough breast milk.

How Do I Know If My Baby Is Getting Enough Breastmilk?

Besides learning our feeding chart for the first year so that you know exactly how much to feed your baby, here are some guidelines to watch when nursing your new baby so that you know when your baby is getting enough breastmilk:

1. Wet Diapers

At first, you will only be producing colostrum. This substance is very thick and nutritious for your baby in the first days after birth. Because this substance is very thick, babies only wet 1 to 2 diapers daily. When nursing is in full force and you feel your breasts filling with milk, you will notice up to 8 wet diapers every day. If you use disposable diapers look for 5 or 6 wet diapers every day.

2. Softer Breasts After Feeding

Prior to a feeding, your breasts will feel hard and possibly hurt. After your nurse, the breast tissue should return to a soft spongy consistency and be free of pain.

3. Baby’s Bowel Movements

Bowel movements tend to be more frequent in the first days after birth. They appear loose and light like a mustard yellow and happen about 3 times daily at first. Over the first month they will be less frequent as the month progresses. About a year of age your baby’s stools will be about once a day.

4. Weight Gain

In the first days after birth, babies lose a small amount of weight. This is normal. At two weeks of age, babies should be back to their birth weight. Then in progressive fashion they continue to gain weight over time. It looks a little like this:

• Month One. Babies gain an average of 5 to 10 ounces weekly.
• Months Two and Three. Babies gain an average of 5 to 8 ounces weekly.
• Months Three to Six. Weight gain slows to 2.5 to 4.5 ounces weekly.
• Months Six to Twelve. Weight gain averages out at 1 to 3 ounces weekly.

Important note: If you are still worried about how to know if your baby is getting enough breastmilk, check with your hospital breastfeeding consultant. Many hospitals have programs to encourage breastfeeding and will weigh newborn breast fed babies at no charge at a breastfeeding center. There are also home health services that will come to your home to weigh your newborn. Contact your local hospital for programs.

5. More Signs That Your Baby Is Gettting Enough Breastmilk 

Signs	Description
Baby happy and relaxed	Babies who are getting enough breast milk will often fall asleep after nursing and seem very happy and relaxed.
Skin tone	If your baby is hydrated enough, he or she will appear very pink and have good skin tone.
Swallowing sound	You will know your baby is getting milk when you can hear swallowing while nursing. They will also turn their head away when they are finished eating.

Watch the informative video for answer to the question: how do I know if my baby is getting enough breastmilk

How Do I Know If My Baby Is Not Getting Enough Breastmilk?

Here are a few things to watch for to see if your baby might not be getting enough breast milk:

Signs	Description
Weight loss or no weight gain	Babies should start a steady weight gain after the fifth day and eventually reach the birth weight by two weeks of age. Weight loss after this time needs to get checked by your pediatrician.
Firm breasts after feeding	When your baby eats, it should soften the breast tissue. If they remain firm, they still contain milk that should be getting to the baby during feedings.
Less than 6 to 8 wet diapers	As mentioned above, wet diapers are an adequate indicator of hydration. Failing to wet 6 to 8 diapers a day may be a sign of dehydration.
Small stools that are dark	Your baby’s stools should occur at least 2 to 3 times a day and be mustard yellow. Any less or darker color could signal a feeding issue. Breastfed babies are rarely constipated.
Fussy baby	If your baby appears fussy or extra sleepy, then he or she may not be getting enough to eat. However, a fussy baby could be sensitive to something you have eaten such as; beans, onions or spicy foods.
Dark urine in the diaper	If your baby has dark colored urine there could be an issue with adequate hydration.
Nipple shape	After nursing, your nipples should retain a nice round shape. If they look out of shape your baby may not have gotten enough milk.
Yellowing skin	Newborn jaundice is a natural occurrence. Fluids help to flush these liver by-products from the baby’s body. If breastfed babies aren’t getting enough fluids, the skin may turn more yellow over time.
Dimples or noises while nursing	If the baby sucks in his or her cheeks and makes a “clicking” noise while nursing then you may have a case of improper latching. This can lead to inefficient nursing and may even lead to extra air in the baby’s stomach after feeding

How Often Should I Feed My Baby?

There really is no normal feeding schedule for breast fed babies. There are babies who nurse when they are ready to nurse and hungry and there are babies that seem to want to be on the nipple day and night. They do this both to satisfy hunger and for soothing purposes.

A general guideline, but only a guideline for nursing babies follows this typical pattern:

• The First Month. During the first day of life, you may notice your baby sleeps a lot and doesn’t care to nurse. Slowly they begin to increase feedings to every 2 to 3 hours. This adds up to about 8 to 12 feedings each day. Breast milk digests faster and the baby’s stomach is very small so they need fed a lot. Feeding on demand is always the best option.
• The Second Month. During the second month, babies need feedings of  8 or 9 times daily.
• The Fourth Month. Babies increase their feedings and eat more frequently during this month, however they may not feed for as long due to distractions and wanting to play.
• The Fifth Month. The number of feedings will drop during the fifth month.
• The Sixth Month. At six months of age, babies settle in to about 5 to 6 feedings daily and they tend to level off and eat at this frequency until weaning.

How Much to Feed If I Pump Milk To Feed My Baby?

This is a good way to feed your baby breast milk and will give you a chance to have some needed time away. There are some guidelines you should follow, but listen to your baby’s cues for how much they need. Here is a rough idea of how much your baby might need if fed breast milk from a bottle:

• First Month. Newborn babies can take about 2.5 to 3 ounces of breast milk about 8 times daily. This totals up to 24 ounces daily.
• Two to Six Months. Babies start increasing feedings to 26 to 28 ounces a day. This averages 4.5 to 5 ounce feedings six to eight times a day.
• Seven to Twelve Months. Babies in this age group will be eating solid foods a few times a day. They will still require at least 4 to 5 feedings of milk daily. Remember, the more solids your baby eats, the less breast milk they need. .

When you start your baby on solid foods, the feeding amounts tend to decrease even more. Keep in mind with bottle feeding it is important to not overfeed. Let your baby give you clues to when he or she is finished eating.