Breastfeeding Article:

A Question of Milk Supply

By Lorraine Cuadro

Lorraine Cuadro and her sons. Lorraine regularly writes articles for Mum Zone readers about various breastfeeding issues and aspects.

When you're breastfeeding it can be very hard to tell how much your baby is drinking. And as a new mum it's only natural to worry about if your baby is getting enough breast milk. So I thought it would be useful to look at some of the issues that lead many mums to assume they have a low milk supply and explain what may really be going on.

Reduction in Breast Size
A few weeks into breastfeeding and again after 5-6 months you may find that your breasts get smaller. When this happened to me my son was 6 months old. He was fussy and feeding less so I assumed that my milk was “drying up”. But a reduction in breast size is perfectly normal, and it's actually a sign that your body is making the right amount of milk for your baby.

Shorter Feeding Sessions
As your baby grows you may find that you are breastfeeding for 5-10 minutes at a time rather than 30-40 minutes at a time. This is because your baby has become more efficient at drinking and is removing the milk from your breast more quickly.

Under Average on Growth Rate Charts
The most widely used growth charts are actually based on the measurements of both formula fed and breast fed babies. Formula fed babies are usually bigger (not necessarily healthier) than breastfed babies. So if all is well with your baby, don't worry too much if he or she plotting under average growth rates.

No Milk to Express
The amount of milk you express is not an indication of how much milk you're making. Many women have a great breastfeeding relationship with their baby but find that they are unable to express anything more than a drop. Removing milk from your breasts is about more than the physical action. It's also hormonal and your baby can trigger all the right responses in you to make your milk flow easily.

Breasts are not leaking
I hear many women comment (after they weaned) that they knew they didn't have enough milk because their breasts never leaked. Leaking breasts can be an indication that you have had a let down (a hormonal response which makes your milk flow) or that the muscles in and around your nipples are not strong enough to hold the milk in. So if your breasts are not leaking it may simply be that your nipples are doing a great job of storing your breast milk until it's needed.

So how can you tell if your baby is getting enough breast milk?

• Apart from gaining weight your baby will wet 6-10 nappies in a 24 hour period.
• From birth to day 5 you will see their poo change from black-green and sticky to yellow-mustard and runny. And after this your baby may poo once a day or once a week, as long as it's not hard it's all perfectly normal.
• Your baby will have a nice skin colour and it's texture will be firm and elastic.
• Your baby will be alert, wakeful and yes even fussy and crying for some periods of the day. It's all perfectly normal behaviour for a baby.

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