How much milk does my baby need is probably a thought running through every mother’s mind in the early days.
A common concern with breastfeeding mothers is whether baby is getting enough milk. This worry very often leads to a breastfeeding mother topping up feeds with formula milk. This in turn leads mom to produce less milk.
Remember that the best way to increase your milk supply is to let baby suckle as much as possible, especially during a growth spurt.
A lot of moms also worry about their baby being hungry in the first few days before their milk comes in. Immediately after birth you produce colostrum which is highly nutritious and your baby only needs a tiny amount and is perfect for your baby until your milks comes in approximately 2 – 3 days after birth.
The La Leche League recommends for breastfed babies to follow these guidelines:
- Feeds 6 Hours apart: one quarter of 887mls= 222ml
- Feeds 8hours apart: one third of 887mls= 296ml
- Feeds 12 hours apart: half of 887ml= 444ml
The average breastfed baby drinks between 89 and148 mls per feed, 750- 1035 mls per day.
For formula fed babies you can follow these guidelines:
- 0-3 months: 150ml x kg per day divided by the number of feeds a day
- 3-6 months: 120ml x kg per day divided by the number of feeds a day
If you want to exclusively breastfeed your baby but you are struggling rather contact the La Leche League or a breastfeeding consultant before you consider topping up with baby milk formula.