Has my baby had enough? a contribution from Simone, childbirth educator and our guest author from Maternal Journey
Women will often say "wouldn’t it be great if there was a gauge on breasts, so like a bottle, women would be able to see how much milk their baby is getting."
The amazing thing about breasts, breast milk production and breastfeeding is that it is absolutely a unique experience for every woman.
Not only are all breasts biologically different (what they produce, store, how they let down, and how many holes each nipple has), but each baby is different too in how they feed.
Some babies are ‘foodies’ and some live on ‘fresh air and sunshine’, (you may know some adults like that!), so taking all these factors into consideration is really important when establishing whether in fact your baby is getting enough or not.
Some baby’s will take a really long time to feed, some will be quick, some will feed every 2 hours, some every four, whatever the scenario, it’s about what’s ‘normal’ for your baby.
Weight gain is something that gives us all an idea that baby’s are growing and thriving, however there are other factors to consider, like enough wet nappies, fat rolls appearing on the inner thighs, the belly looking rounded and in general ‘bright eyed and busy tailed’!
It’s a wonderful thing that we are all different - life would certainly be boring if we were all the same!
If you are ever concerned about your milk supply consult a Lactation consultant.
