Your Breastfeeding Questions Answered

If you’re like most new moms, you plan to breastfeed your baby. Breastfeeding is an excellent way to supply all the calories, nutrients and vitamins necessary for growth, and it fosters the bond between you and your little one. Along the way, it’s common to seek guidance. Here are answers to the questions that lactation consultants are asked most often.

How will I know if I have enough milk?

When you’re 18 weeks pregnant, you start making colostrum, the precursor to milk. Even if that milk isn’t expressed, it’s present, ready to feed your baby. The breasts are soft initially and then will start to feel fuller in three to five days. The more that your baby breastfeeds, the more your breastmilk supply continues to grow.  

• In the first few days, you may be producing just a few drops to a teaspoon of milk per feeding.
• Toward the end of the first week, you’ll produce 2 ounces of milk per feeding.
• At two to four weeks, your body will generate roughly 25 to 35 ounces a day.

Why is the milk different when I first start breastfeeding?

The first few days that you breastfeed, you’re supplying colostrum. It’s a thick concentrate with high amounts of protein and antibodies, which is perfect for your baby. Between the third and fifth day of breastfeeding, your body transitions to mature breastmilk, which contains more fat and sugar than colostrum.

How much breastmilk should I feed my baby?

For the first few weeks, babies need to eat every two to three hours. If necessary, wake your baby to feed to ensure he or she is receiving enough food on a regular schedule.

How do I know if my baby is eating enough?

Your baby should breastfeed every two to three hours with an average of 10 to 30 minutes per feeding, seem satisfied after feeding, and have adequate wet and dirty diapers. Your baby should have six or more wet diapers, along with several dirty diapers, each day. Your baby will lose weight in the first few days after birth but then will start regaining weight and should be back to birth weight by 2 weeks of age and then gain 5 to 7 ounces a week.

Should I be worried if my baby suddenly starts eating a lot?

When your baby feeds repeatedly in a short period, it’s known as cluster feeding and typically precedes a growth spurt. This is normal and helps to increase your breast milk supply. Many moms report that during their baby’s growth spurts, they don’t know when one feeding ends and the next begins.

Do I need to worry about the milk supply ending?

Once you have delivered the baby and the umbilical cord is cut, your hormones start to change. You produce more prolactin, along with other hormones. Prolactin triggers the production of breast milk. Then, as your baby suckles and takes more and more milk with each feeding, a nerve that connects your nipple to your pituitary gland signals that more milk needs to be produced. The more your breast milk is removed from the breast the more you will make. As your baby weans off feeding, less milk is produced. If you don’t pump milk or feed your baby, your milk supply will decrease. Every mom’s milk supply is different, but typically if a mom stops pumping and feeding for a few weeks, the milk supply will end.

How do I plan my milk supply so that I can go back to work?

For many women, the question is more about knowing when to start pumping milk so they can return to work. After giving birth and breastfeeding your baby for two weeks, you should be able to start pumping. This can look like pumping a little with each feed or pumping entirely in lieu of some feeds to build a supply stash.

When should I stop breastfeeding?

Moms should exclusively breastfeed their child for the first six months, then slowly introduce solid foods in the form of purees, mashes and small bites. In the first year, your baby’s diet should heavily consist of breast milk or formula. After that, how long you choose to breastfeed is a personal choice. Regardless of when you stop, it’s recommended that all moms slowly taper down the feedings rather than quitting all at once, which could cause breast pain and leakage.

What foods do I need to avoid when breastfeeding?

You don’t have to avoid foods, such as sushi and deli meat, as you do when pregnant. You can enjoy your regular diet, as long as your baby doesn’t have negative reactions to your breast milk. If you do notice that your baby is having a reaction, talk to your pediatrician. Even caffeine is OK to consume, provided you’re not drinking more than two cups of coffee a day. You can enjoy one alcoholic drink on occasion without needing to “pump and dump.” The general rule is that if you feel the effects of alcohol, then you’ll want to feed your baby breastmilk that has been pumped ahead of time.

What about medications?

All medications, even over the counter ones, should be discussed with your pharmacist or pediatrician.

If you still have questions about breastfeeding, check in with your local hospital. Most offer lactation consultants as well as classes to help make the process as easy as possible for all moms.