How much and how often do I feed?

·       Newborns do not have a structured schedule for feeds.

·       Typically feed 8-12 times over a 24hr period.

·       The most important thing to establish supply & bond with your newborn is to offer unrestricted access to the breast.

·       The frequency & duration of feeds will vary from infant to infant, from day to day & from feed to feed.

·       Feeds may be as short as 5 minutes or take anywhere up to an hour.

How do I know my baby is getting enough?

The two key things we can look at the gauge if our baby is getting enough is their bladder and bowel habits / output.

Urine output:

·       6 + heavy wet cloth nappies / 24hr or 5 + disposable.

·       Clear urine without a strong smell.

Bowel habits:

·       First bowel action is meconium (black/green in colour).

·       24-48hr: stools become progressively lighter.

·       Day 3-4: stools of a ‘typical breastfed infant’ are watery/loose & mustard yellow.

·       0 - 6 weeks: pass bowel movements many times a day.

·       6 weeks - 3 months: frequency will decrease. A few days between stools can be normal.

Constipation more frequently occurs in formula fed babies or when transitioning to solids; hard & dry in consistency.