Two Ways to Know Your Newborn is Getting Enough Milk

One of the most common worries of new parents is whether or not your baby is getting enough milk, especially during those early days when everything feels new and uncertain.

Luckily, there are two clear ways to watch for to be sure your baby is getting the calories they need, particularly in those crucial first two weeks, and in this blog, I'll help you know exactly what to look for. 

Diaper Output

One of the most common advice you’ll hear is to monitor your baby’s diaper output. This is certainly important, but it's crucial to go beyond just counting diapers. Here's what you need to know:

➡︎ Passing Meconium: By day 3 or 4, your baby should have passed their meconium, that thick, tar-like first stool and their stool should start to become a yellowish brown color

➡︎ Urine Output: Your baby should be having the number of wet diapers that matches their days of life until day 6, when it should be 6+ per day. 

➡︎ Ongoing Regular Stooling: By day 4, your baby should be having 4 or more stools per day

However, don't be fooled into thinking that just because your baby has a lot of stools, they are gaining weight appropriately. I've worked with many parents whose babies had many small and frequent stools and still had slow weight gain.

So, in addition to stool frequency, pay attention to the size of the stools. If your baby’s stools are consistently small, about the size of a quarter, it's time to look at other indicators as well.

Sucking Patterns

A baby’s sucking pattern can give you incredible insight into how well they’re feeding. There are three key aspects to watch:

➡︎ Sucking Bursts: How many sucks your baby does in a row before they stop to pause

➡︎ # of Swallows During the Burst: How many times they suck in a row before they swallow.

➡︎ Pauses Between Bursts: How long your baby pauses between sucking bursts.

Now let's break each one these down a bit more so you understand exactly what to look for. 

Sucking Bursts: When your baby begins feeding, you should see them suck at least 10 to 15 times in a row before taking a pause. A healthy sucking burst looks like this: suck, suck, suck, suck, suck, pause.

If your baby is doing more than 15 sucks in a row before pausing, that’s a good sign. However, if they’re pausing after fewer than 10 sucks, that could be a red flag.

Swallows During the Burst: Especially during the first letdown (when your milk flows most freely), you want to see a rhythm where your baby is swallowing every one to three sucks.

The ideal pattern looks something like this: suck, suck, swallow, suck, swallow, suck, suck, swallow. If you notice your baby only swallowing after four or more sucks, it might indicate they’re not transferring milk as effectively as they should, and that's a red flag. 

Pauses Between Bursts:  Your baby should be connecting sucking bursts with a short pause that lasts up to 5 seconds, and then they go right back to feeding on their own.

If they’re pausing for 5 to 10 seconds between bursts or if you have to constantly keep prodding them to continue to eat, especially at the beginning of a feed, that's a red flag.

 It’s normal for babies to be sleepy in the first day or two after birth, especially if you had an epidural, but by day three or four, and certainly by the end of the first week, they should be more alert during feeds.

How do I know if My Baby is Swallowing?

One of the most important skills you can develop as a new parent is learning to distinguish between sucking and swallowing.

Sometimes, it's easy to tell because you can hear them swallow, but other times it's not so obvious. The most consistent way to tell if your baby is swallowing is to learn what a swallow looks like by watching your baby’s jaw, particularly just below their ear.

Here’s what to look for:

✓ Sucking: When your baby sucks, their jaw will drop in a quick, short motion.

✓ Swallowing: When your baby swallows, the jaw will drop a little deeper and pause slightly longer.

If you need more practice identifying these patterns, I’ve shared short videos on my Instagram page where you can observe and practice deciphering the suck-swallow pattern in real-time.

If you’re feeding in a laid-back position, it might be harder to see your baby’s jaw movement, so it’s helpful to start upright. Get a good latch while you’re upright, and once you’re confident that the latch is secure and effective, then lean back into a more comfortable position.

This way, you get all the benefits of a laid-back feeding position while also clearly seeing what’s happening during the latch.

When to Seek Help

In those early days, you don’t have to rely solely on diaper counts to determine if your baby is getting enough milk. By closely watching your baby’s feeding behaviors, you can spot potential red flags and seek help from a lactation consultant before your pediatrician even raises concerns.

The more red flags you notice, the more important it is to seek help. We are here to support you and help you make sure your baby gets everything they need so you can feel confident in getting your feeding journey off to the right start. 

A Final Word

Those first few weeks are critical, but once you get the hang of reading your baby’s cues, feeding won’t feel as mysterious or overwhelming. Take care and keep trusting yourself—you’re doing an amazing job.

If you found this post helpful, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and check out my Instagram channel over at Nourished Young. If you have any questions, feel free to send me a DM or an email—I’m here to help make feeding an enjoyable experience for both you and your baby.