Does the child need breast milk? This question often arises among young mothers. Mostly such anxiety is unreasonable, but it really happens that the baby does not eat up. How to dispel doubts? Very simple. It is necessary to carefully observe the baby on breastfeeding. By highlighting a number of signs, it will be possible to determine with certainty that there is really little milk.

Certain signs will help a mother understand that her baby is not getting enough breast milk. Most sure sign lack of milk during breastfeeding - anxiety of the child and lack of weight.

If the baby is nervous during breastfeeding, naughty immediately after feeding, you need to suspect that maybe the baby does not have enough breast milk.

Signs of a lack of breast milk:

1. Chronic underweight. It is possible to determine the exact weight gain at the control weighing.
2. Nervousness of the baby at the breast and after feeding.
3. Wet diaper test. You can understand that a child who is breastfed is malnourished by counting the number of urination. It is worth consulting with the attending doctor, who will determine their compliance with the age of the crumbs.
4. Pallor skin, lethargy. All of these are signs of dehydration. When it comes to breastfeeding, it may indicate that the mother is not getting enough milk. However, having noticed these signs, it is necessary to urgently consult a doctor, because dehydration is quite dangerous state, and it may well be a symptom of other health problems.

false symptoms

If natural feeding is carried out in the "on demand" mode, then some signs may be misinterpreted by the young mother.

It does not mean at all that there is no milk in the breast if:

• Milk flow stopped during or between feedings.
• The feeling of fullness in the chest disappeared.
• Mom stopped feeling hot flashes.
• Unable to express milk between feedings.

If, with all these signs, the baby behaves calmly at the breast, continues to suck, gains weight normally, does not act up - this is not a reason to be upset, on the contrary, everything is just fine. All these symptoms indicate mature lactation. Milk is produced in the required amount during sucking.

The child is naughty at the breast and after feeding. The reason for this is often colic, constipation, air that has entered the stomach during feeding.

Do not draw premature conclusions. You need to hold the baby in an upright position, let it burp and offer the breast a little later.

These signs will not help the mother to determine with absolute certainty that the child does not have enough breast milk.

How to be

When a young mother suspects a milk shortage problem on her own, she may have a question about supplementing her baby with formula.

Most often, you should not rush to run to the pharmacy. Of course, we are not talking about cases where the child is weakened or chronically underweight. For such children, the doctor is obliged to select the appropriate diet and strictly control weight gain and the condition of the baby as a whole.

You can eliminate the problem of milk shortage and reach the required volume by following a number of recommendations:

1. Do not give a pacifier to a breastfed baby. Until lactation is established, it is better not to give a dummy to the baby. There is no special need for it in “feeding on demand”. On the contrary, the constant sucking of a pacifier by a newborn can affect the reduction in the amount of breast milk in the mother.
2. If the mother has little milk, it is worth increasing the number of attachments of the baby to the breast. Breastfeeding "on demand" is usually the best prevention of milk shortage and a sure way to correct the problem.
3. Skin-to-skin contact. The feeling of maternal warmth has a beneficial effect on nervous system baby. In addition, this principle of feeding contributes to the production of oxytocin (hormone " breastfeeding") Mom.
4. Do not supplement the baby with a mixture, and even more so with cow (goat) milk, unless the doctor has prescribed it.
5. Do not skip night and early morning feedings. It is this time of day that is the peak of oxytocin production and “lays down the program” of lactation for the next day.

What Mom Needs to Know

During breastfeeding, so-called lactation crises occur from time to time. This is due to the fact that the needs of the baby increase due to growth spurts. At the same time, mother's breasts do not always have time to respond in a timely manner and adjust to new volumes. Usually lactation crises last a maximum of a week, after which everything is restored by itself and, accordingly, the signs of a lack of milk disappear.

The production of oxytocin is facilitated by the frequent application of the child to the breast. The key to successfully overcoming the lactation crisis is the observance of the above recommendations.

Successful breastfeeding requires, above all, the desire of mother and child, as well as perseverance and firm confidence. Then everything should work out!

How not to make a mistake

Doubts and fears of a young mother can be understood, especially if grandmothers constantly affirmatively notice that she has little milk, it is not nutritious enough, and the like. However, this is not the basis for the transition to mixed and even more so artificial feeding. There is nothing more useful for a child than mother's milk. With some effort, it is quite possible to restore and normalize lactation. If in doubt, it is worth getting the advice of a competent specialist. An experienced pediatrician can easily help a young mother find out if her baby has enough milk. It is very good if mom and doctor are for one thing - for natural feeding.

Do not worry! Normal lactation in the mother, first of all, is hindered by her fears and doubts about the quantity and quality of her milk. No other food can be more suitable and beneficial for a baby than mother's milk.

You should not grab a bottle of formula whenever the baby is naughty after feeding or refuses to breastfeed if the baby is gaining weight normally. Before deciding on a mixed or artificial feeding, you should know for sure if there is a real problem.

With the advent of a child, any mother has many questions. One of them sounds especially often: “Does the baby have enough breast milk?”

A baby cannot tell you that he is hungry. He can only cry. But crying is not only a sign of hunger. Babies cry when they are cold or hot, when they feel diaper discomfort or stomach pains, when they just want to be closer to their mother.

The main indicator of whether there is enough breast milk is the baby's weight gain. Doctors believe that a healthy baby should gain at least 125 grams of weight every week during the first three months of life. If the baby is gaining weight according to the norms, then he has enough milk. But do not forget that these figures are advisory in nature. Your baby may gain less, but still be completely healthy and calm. Each person has a different body constitution, a child is no exception.

Most main feature the fact that your baby is getting enough breast milk is his good mood. A healthy and happy little man is a little capricious, grows quickly and develops well. His skin is clean and smooth. And when the baby wants to eat, he loudly and actively demands breasts.

But what to do if you notice that the baby is naughty, turns away from the chest and constantly demands to eat? How do you know if a baby is getting enough breast milk?

The baby must swallow and smack

Your baby can spend an hour or two at the breast and still be hungry. And can get enough in 15-20 minutes. If you do not hear the sound characteristic of swallowing, then this may mean that the child does not eat. He can just calm down at the chest, feeling that his mother is nearby. It can even sleep, but at the same time make sucking movements. Children are warm, calm and comfortable next to their mother. It is quite natural that the baby calms down better and faster on the chest than even on the hands. Watch if your baby's chin tenses up while eating. The longer the moment of tension lasts, the more milk he will swallow at a time.

Should I give my baby both breasts at one feeding?

It all depends on the amount of milk. If there is a lot of it, then one breast is enough for the child. But do not rush to give him a second breast, as soon as he began to fidget and get nervous.

The female breast is designed so that the milk in it is produced by the anterior and posterior lobes of the mammary gland. The milk of the anterior lobes is thinner, sweeter and contains fewer nutrients. We can say that this milk is more of a drink, not food. If the baby gets only foremilk, then he is saturated quickly, but the feeling of hunger will return to him quickly.

The milk of the hind lobes is thick, almost like cream. All the most useful is in it, but it is also more difficult to eat it. The child needs to make a lot of effort to get it. Some babies, especially weak ones, fall asleep at the breast from fatigue before they get to the hind milk. And his mother seems to have run out of milk in this breast, and she is already offering another.

What to do in this case? During feeding, let the baby rest a little and offer the same breast again. If he almost immediately starts to get nervous, bend over and show his discontent in every possible way, then it's time to offer another one.

What can a child's chair tell about

A breastfed baby goes to the toilet more often than a formula-fed baby. For some children, this may happen once or twice a day, for others - after each feeding. However, this is not so important.

Much more can tell you the type of chair. If it is creamy, homogeneous, has a characteristic yellow the baby has enough breast milk. But too thick stool dark color may indicate insufficient or malnutrition. That is, here we can say that the child does not have enough breast milk.

Too is not always diarrhea. In this case, it is possible that the baby receives mainly foremilk, and because of this, he remains hungry. A change in color, smell and consistency, the appearance of mucus or blood in the stool is a signal to contact a pediatrician.

It is also worth paying attention to the urination of the child. A baby who has enough breast milk pees at least once every three hours. Urine should be clear and practically odorless. If it darkens, then the child is dehydrated.

However, do not force the baby to drink water. Breastfed babies do not need water. You can offer your child bottled water. Will drink - excellent. No, it's not a problem either. That means he's getting enough breast milk.

If the baby is slowly gaining weight, then you should not give him a lot of water. The fact is that ordinary water can increase weight, but will not bring important micronutrients to the child's body.

Weighing after meals

If you want to know exactly how many grams your baby eats per feeding, you can try the weighing method.

Before feeding, undress your baby and place on the scale. This will be the weight before feeding. After eating, weigh the baby again without clothes and a diaper. The difference you will see on the scale will be the amount of milk your baby drank.

For a reliable result, this procedure must be carried out during the day at each feeding. But remember that this method is not very efficient. Weighing indicators may vary depending on how long ago and how much the child ate in the previous feeding. As a rule, such weighing only annoys the mother of the baby, which can negatively affect milk production.

Blood test

One of the signs that a baby is not getting enough milk is a rising level of bilirubin in the blood. This is the so-called physiological jaundice of newborns. This is a harmless disease, it only applies to children under 28 days old.

If there is enough breast milk, antibodies are actively produced in the body of the crumbs, which contribute to a decrease in the level of bilirubin. That is why neonatologists advise not to supplement breastfeeding with formula milk, but to try to establish breastfeeding as correctly as possible.

Indirect signs of a lack of breast milk

• There is no feeling of a full chest. In some women, milk comes very actively, and the breast quickly becomes hot and heavy. For others, milk comes gradually, and the feeling of fullness in the chest cannot be determined. But on this basis, it is impossible to make sure whether the child has enough milk or not.
• After feeding, the mother does not feel empty. If the child eats little, you will not feel relief after feeding. The chest will remain full and firm. But this does not mean that the baby was hungry. Maybe you just have too much milk. After a few weeks of feeding, the level of milk production will decrease to the required level.
• After feeding, it is impossible to express anything. Mom concludes: there is no milk in the breast. Which is not always true. You won't be able to pump as well as your baby will. No hands, no breast pump. You may have enough milk in your breasts, you just can't get to it.
• The child began to ask for food more often. This may be a leap in his development. As a rule, this stage lasts about two days. And kids are so anxious. This may be due to the growth of teeth or a change in the weather.

Regardless of the reason for the lack of breast milk, do not rush to introduce powdered milk formula into the baby's diet. Be sure to contact a lactation specialist or pediatrician. Understanding the exact reason will save you from possible mistakes.

First, make sure the baby is properly attached to the breast. Be sure to stay calm. If you are nervous, then the amount of milk will only decrease. Keep eating well and eating right. Drink plenty of warm liquids and feed your baby on demand, not by the clock. Try to walk for as long as possible fresh air.

Feel free to ask for help: caring for a newborn baby is hard work, so a woman needs to take a break from time to time in order to physically and emotionally recover.

Now you have complete information on how to find out that your baby is getting enough milk. And what if it's not. Let your baby grow up healthy and strong, to the delight of mom and dad!

One of FAQ after the birth of a child is How can you tell if a baby is getting enough breast milk?

However, this is not the only thing that worries a young mother - after all, although on the one hand breastfeeding is a natural process, it also requires certain knowledge and skills.

So that you do not worry in vain and can always be sure that your child is full, and your milk is complete and satisfies all the needs of the baby - let's talk about the most common doubts of a nursing mother.

Why every day thousands of mothers doubt that the child has enough milk?

These doubts often settle in us thanks to our relatives and close people, and it seems that they only want to make us feel better, but in practice, breastfeeding stops right before it starts!

1. Doubt: I have low-fat milk!

You can determine it by the color, the taste, the smell, the behavior of the child....and all these ways will be wrong.

The fact is that the very concept of fat content in relation to breast milk is incorrect.

Breast milk is unique in composition and differs from mother to mother, from child to child, and even has a different composition depending on the time of day. That is why there are no analogues to breast milk! However, if you have such a question, read this article: How to increase the fat content of breast milk? >>> or watch a video on the fat content of breast milk:

• A way to get rid of doubt: look at the weight gain of the child! If it is more than 500 grams per month, or more than 120 grams per week - everything is fine!

If less - check if you follow all the rules of breastfeeding!

1. Doubt: The child often sucks at the breast, so he does not eat up!

Absolutely not a fact.

For a baby, breastfeeding is 3 in 1: food, comfort and communication with mom! Therefore, it is simply not possible to understand which of these tasks he is solving now, sucking to his chest! Let the baby suckle as much as needed (this applies to children up to 3 months).

In the first months, a child with long sucking can relieve birth stress.

• Way to get rid of doubt: look at the weight gain of the child! Count the number of times you urinate in 24 hours. If your child has peed more than 10 times, he has enough milk, and through prolonged sucking he solves other problems.

1. Doubt: Milk is tasteless, and therefore does not benefit the child!

Compare your mouth to that of a baby! Feel the difference?

In a baby, the concentration of receptors per 1 cm of the tongue is thousands of times higher than in an adult, so our perception of taste is different. In addition to this, you are already “spoiled” by sweets and flavor enhancers, and your child is not yet familiar with them.

• Way to get rid of doubt: Understand that you are different! And never compare a child to an adult. Look at the happy face of your crumbs when he suckles - and forget about this doubt.

1. Doubt: If the baby does not sleep for a long time, then there is not enough milk.

The baby does not have a day-night rhythm. He has only the rhythm of eating and sleeping.

Therefore, children often eat at night and enjoy sleeping while suckling. A big role in the fact that the baby often, literally every hour, sucks the breast, the size of the ventricle also plays. As one ad said, “a stomach like a kitten and less than a thimble.”

As they age, babies can suck larger volumes milk in less time, and therefore it seems that they suck less often.

• Way to get rid of doubt: Look at the weight gain in a week and count the number of urination in 24 hours.

1. Doubt: The amount of milk depends on the size of the breast.

Absolutely not true. Milk does not accumulate in the breast, and the breast is not a jar that fills up with milk. Milk is produced in response to a baby suckling at the breast. That is why it is important to feed often, correctly and at night! I have covered this in detail in this article: ordering on demand >>>

• A way to get rid of doubt: check the weight gain of the child in a week. If it is more than 120 grams, you have enough milk!

Lyudmila Sharova, perinatal psychologist, presenter of childbirth preparation courses.

Every minute guardianship, caring for a baby can sometimes bring unnecessary anxiety and excitement to the mother, and unreasonable changes in care, changes in nutrition, and even prescription of unnecessary medications to the child. This also applies to a very common situation when a woman seems that her baby is not getting enough milk.

Possessing some elementary knowledge and not succumbing to panic, such a “lack” is very easy to distinguish from the true lack of milk - hypogalactia, which any nursing mother can perfectly handle.

Artificial mixture is not always good!

To begin with, let's answer one simple question: what's wrong with the fact that a nursing mother, suspecting her lack of milk, will switch to additional artificial nutrition?

If the lack of milk really takes place, then this will only benefit the child.

But this phenomenon is not very common - according to statistics, it is observed in less than 3% of women.

Much more often, various indirect signs observed in the child and mother are taken for a lack of milk - the color of milk, the “loss” of weight in the baby, his tearfulness and anxiety, etc. In this case, a woman, trying to feed her child with artificial mixtures, exposes herself and her baby certain risks:

1. A child receiving artificial nutrition will be deprived of a significant part of the vitamins, nutrients and immune defense factors contained in mother's milk;
2. A woman, reducing or stopping breastfeeding, deprives herself of all the beneficial benefits of breastfeeding - for example, preventing the development of osteoporosis, reducing the incidence of cancer.

In this regard, it is very useful to know how a lack of milk really manifests itself and what can be mistaken for a lack of it.

Signs of a lack of breast milk

Insufficiency of milk (hypogalactia) is manifested in a child by four main signs: restlessness of the baby, rare urination, stool retention and insufficient weight gain. It should be noted that with true hypogalactia, these signs occur all together, which is usually not observed with an apparent lack of milk.

weight loss

Weight loss is the most common reason that can alert a young mother. Weight loss associated with milk deficiency is usually taken as the usual physiological weight loss that is observed in every (!) newborn.

This phenomenon is observed during the first 3-5 days and is associated with the loss of fluid through the lungs and skin, the loss of the remnant of the umbilical cord, and other phenomena. Usually by 7-10 days the weight of the child should be restored. The maximum weight loss due to physiological loss should not exceed 8% of body weight. For example, if a newborn weighed 4000 grams at birth, then the loss should not exceed 320 grams.

• After an initial weight loss in the first week, newborns normally gain an average of 125-150g per week during the first few weeks.
• Then, on average 450-900g per month for the first 6 months.
• In the period from 6 months to a year, 450g per month.

Typically, babies gain 2-3 cm in length per month during the first 6 months.

It should be noted that weight gain and height are partly dependent on the type of physique of the child.

There are children who receive enough milk but not enough calories(as evidenced by poor weight gain). At the same time, such a child does not have signs of dehydration, he has a sufficient amount of urination per day. At the same time, the child's stool is infrequent - less than once a day, while the norm is 2-3 times a day. The reason for this phenomenon is the lack of hind high-calorie milk.

Experts call the most informative way to check the amount of milk in a mother - control weighing. The essence of the method is the weighing of the baby immediately before and after feeding. The difference in weight is the amount of milk received by the child. But the experience of breastfeeding mothers calls into question the objectivity of this approach.

Practice shows that the most reliable picture is given by weighing the child in a period of a week.

Crying and restless child

Indeed, after childbirth, the child sometimes behaves restlessly and often asks to suck. This, however, is not always a sign of poor nutrition.

Modern science considers such behavior of the baby as a protective reaction to childbirth - getting into a strange, unfamiliar world after being in a cozy mother's womb. Experienced stress, fear, temperature fluctuations, unfamiliar sounds and smells make the baby seek protection from the mother in the only way provided by nature - breast sucking. By the way, in the body of a sucking baby, special substances are produced - endorphins, which have a calming effect and reduce postpartum stress.

Anxiety of the baby can be associated with malnutrition only if it occurs immediately after feeding or during feeding - then it is explained by a feeling of hunger.

The “hungry” cry of a child has its own characteristics. It starts with a draft - the child cries for a short time for 5-7 seconds, then falls silent. During the pause, the child opens his mouth wide. Further, crying resumes with an increase in crying time and becomes continuous. With a lack of milk from the mother, the child shows anxiety during feeding, at the end of sucking he wiggles his legs.

The number of urination and the child's stool

Decreased urine output and stool retention may indeed reflect malnutrition in the child.

In the first week, the baby's stool should turn from black to green; as soon as the mother has fatty hindmilk, the baby's stool will become more yellow.

In the first month, a baby who gets enough fatty hindmilk has at least 2-3 stools per day. In the first 3 days, urination is relatively rare - 4-5 times a day. But the number of times increases and in the second week is up to 12-25 times a day.

If you decide to check whether your baby is peeing enough, you will have to put aside diapers for one day and use ordinary cloth diapers.

Video - Does mom have enough milk

Situations of temporary lack of milk

The occurrence of such a situation is possible for every young mother, what are they caused by?

Child's growth spurt

The child has a periodic increase in appetite, which is associated with uneven rates of increase in his energy needs, the so-called growth spurts. Such "exacerbations" of appetite are observed at 3 and 6 weeks, and later - at 3, 7, 11 and 12 months of life.

Naturally, on such days the activity of the child increases, but this does not mean at all that this is due to a decrease in the production of mother's milk!

lactation crisis

lactation crisis is a temporary and completely reversible phenomenon

A lactogenic crisis is a temporary condition of insufficient milk production. Once again, it should be emphasized: the lactation crisis is a temporary and completely reversible phenomenon, therefore, when it occurs, one should not panic, but take all necessary measures to find the causes of the crisis and eliminate them. For an ordinary child with normal weight gain in this situation, there is nothing to worry about.

Most common causes lactogenic crises are:

• Rare feeding;
• putting the baby to the breast;
• Early and unreasonable introduction of supplementary feeding with artificial mixtures;
• An age jump in a child - the need for milk increases;
• The need to go to work;
• Stress, discord in the family;
• Chronic intoxication (smoking, drinking alcohol).

A lactation crisis usually occurs in the first 3 months after childbirth, but sometimes it is also observed in a later period - at 5-7 months. Its duration is from 3 to 8 days. Any nursing mother should be aware of the possibility of developing a crisis, and most importantly, of what needs to be done to prevent the development of a crisis.

What to do in the event of a lactation crisis

To stimulate additional milk production, you must:

• Elimination of all identified factors that support reduced lactation;
• More often put the baby to the chest, co-sleeping with the baby, night feeding (especially at 3-6 in the morning).
• The combination of a hot shower (water temperature is about 44 0C) with a circular massage of the mammary glands with movements from the periphery to the center; More about breast massage
• Caraway drink, dill seed infusion
• homeopathic pharmaceutical products- Mlekain, Laktosan, as well as the use of the preparation of royal jelly Apilak.

Read more about ways to stimulate lactation read

It should be noted that all of the above points will work only if the number of attachments of the baby to the breast is increased.

It is undesirable, but as a last resort, the child can be supplemented with a mixture, but not from a bottle, but from a spoon or from a syringe (without a needle!).

Once again, we note: the periodically observed decrease in the amount of milk in the mother - phenomenon is normal and with proper prevention and correction - absolutely reversible and safe for the child.

Prevention of lactation crisis

• Complete nutrition already during pregnancy (!), As well as during breastfeeding; Read about the dietary habits of a breastfeeding mother.
• The use of a nursing mother at least 2 liters of fluid per day. By the way, the idea that tea, beer, milk or oatmeal increase the amount of breast milk is nothing more than a myth: in fact, its volume directly depends on the amount of liquid consumed, and in this regard, tea, compote or plain water will have an equivalent effect. for lactation.
• Eating dill. The influence of dill on lactation is indirect: it gives the milk a pleasant taste, the child is more willing to suckle the breast, due to which the amount of milk increases. In contrast, cauliflower, celery, onion, garlic, and asparagus detract from the taste of milk and have the opposite effect on lactation in the long run.
• The correct mode of a nursing woman. This includes emotional peace, stress prevention, walks in the fresh air, good sleep for at least 8 hours a day, including daytime - 1-2 hours. You need to rest 15-20 minutes before feeding;
• Restriction of the use of any medicines, except when they are absolutely necessary; Read more about taking medications while breastfeeding.
• Complete cessation of smoking and drinking alcohol.

About others possible reasons lack of breast milk read

Video - lactation crisis

The issue of the absence of a feeding deficit is of interest to the vast majority of young mothers who practice breastfeeding. Breastfeeding does not allow a woman to visually determine the amount of milk consumed by a child.

This criterion can only be determined by careful observation of the child's condition. We are talking about indicators such as weight gain, general condition and volume of bowel movements. In order for the baby to develop in accordance with age norms, his body must receive the necessary amount of nutrients.

General provisions

If a young mother has chosen breastfeeding, medical experts recommend that she feed her baby on demand. This technique allows you to meet the needs of the child at any time. This is convenient, since the body of each baby is individual, and the needs depend on the individual energy consumption of the baby. The mammary glands are arranged in such a way that the amount of milk produced directly depends on the needs of the child.

The more often the baby is applied to the breast, the more intensively the production of mother's milk is carried out. According to observations World Organization health care, the amount of breast milk consumed is determined by the baby. That is why the practice of applying on demand is a natural mechanism for regulating the amount of food consumed.

The same criteria apply to . The prolonged act of breast sucking stimulates the production of breast milk. On average, the duration of one feeding is from 25 to 55 minutes. Some kids devote at least 1.5 to 2 hours to this activity.

If a young mother uses the technique of attachment to the breast on demand, then she does not risk facing the problem of feeding deficiency.

Signs of adequate nutrition

During the application of the baby to the mammary gland, it is necessary to observe its behavior and condition, and not the passage of time. The main criteria that reflect the usefulness of breastfeeding are:

• Duration of breastfeeding. A newborn baby should be at the mother's breast for as long as it sees fit. During this time, he will receive the required amount of mother's milk. A young mother should not take her baby off her breast on her own;
• application frequency. From the moment of birth, a newborn child is applied to the mother's breast from 8 to 12 times a day. Such a frequent need for attachment is due not only to the need for nutrients, but also to the desire of the baby to come into close contact with the mother;
• . This criterion is characterized by high information content, since on its basis it is possible to judge the sufficiency of nutrition of a newborn child. You can practice weighing your baby before and after feeding from the 4th day of his life. By this time, there is a physiological loss of body weight, due to the release of excess fluid from the body and the passage of meconium. A healthy full-term baby gains from 125 to 220 grams per week;

• The level of development of the swallowing reflex. In the process of feeding, it is important to pay attention to the behavior of the child. A healthy baby, as a rule, does not lie passively near the mother's breast. Subject to the application technique, the child performs sucking movements and swallows milk without difficulty. During the first minutes of feeding, the intensity of swallowing is greater;
• Appearance of the child. A newborn baby who receives enough milk always loudly declares his desire to take food. Such babies are active, have a cheerful appearance and do not act up for no particular reason;
• Frequency and volume of bowel movements of the newborn. Nutritional deficiencies can be recognized by observing the number and frequency of bowel movements of the child. For the first 3 days, the baby secretes primary feces, called meconium. After the start of the flow of mother's milk into the child's body, the frequency of defecation acts reaches 5 times a day. This indicator corresponds to the physiological norm. It is also worth paying attention to the amount of urine excreted. With sufficient nutrition, the baby relieves up to 12 times, which corresponds to 5-6 diapers.

Invalid signs of underfeeding

Often, young mothers, due to lack of experience, talk about a decrease in lactation and the development of a feeding deficit in their child. In order to eradicate such doubts, every woman should become familiar with the false criteria for insufficient breastfeeding.

These criteria include:

• Decreased frequency of bowel movements in infants. When a baby is 6 weeks old, their digestive system is in a state of physiological change. Such babies stop excreting bowel movements after each application to the mother's breast. This phenomenon does not go beyond the physiological norm. The run-up frequency of the act of defecation is from 1 to 6 times a day. During this time, you should monitor the condition of the baby. If the baby is not naughty, does not show signs of anxiety and malaise, then his body receives a sufficient amount of nutrients;
• Lack of feeling of lactational rush in the mammary glands. In the process of breastfeeding, women often notice the absence of soreness and a feeling of fullness in the mammary glands. This condition leads them to think about a decrease in lactation function. This situation does not reflect the functional state of the mammary glands, but only indicates the stabilization of the lactation process;
• Increasing the child's need for food. If the baby has become frequent with requests for attachment to the mother's breast, then this indicates the so-called growth spurt, which is a physiological process. During this period, the frequency and duration of feedings are increased.