You can't see millilitres going in at the breast, but you can see what comes out and how your baby grows. From about day 5, a baby who is getting enough usually has at least 6 heavy wet nappies a day with pale wee, regular soft yellow poos in the early weeks, and is back to birth weight by about 2 weeks. During feeds you'll notice long, rhythmic sucks and swallows; between feeds your baby is alert when awake and content at least some of the time.
No single sign tells the whole story. This guide shows what to look for at each age, which worries usually aren't a sign of too little milk, and which signs need help the same day or straight away. If you want to know how supply works or how to increase it, see milk supply.
What are the signs a breastfed baby is getting enough milk?
The NHS signs your baby is getting enough milk and the Australian Breastfeeding Association's guide look at the same picture:
- Feeding pattern: a few rapid sucks, then long, rhythmic sucks and swallows with occasional pauses.
- Cheeks: rounded, not hollow, while sucking.
- Swallowing: you can hear or see it once your milk is in.
- After feeds: your baby comes off the breast by themselves and seems content after most feeds. The CDC describes a well-fed baby as content and drowsy after feeding.
- Between feeds: good skin colour and muscle tone (not floppy), alert when awake, and some periods of calm.
- Nappies: plenty of wet ones with clear or pale wee, and regular poos in the early weeks.
- Growth: gaining weight, length and head size over time, and growing out of clothes.
How many wet and dirty nappies should a breastfed baby have?
This table brings together the NHS, the Australian Breastfeeding Association and the AAP guide to telling if your breastfed baby is getting enough. Babies vary, so look at the trend over a few days.
| Age | Wet nappies in 24 h | Poo |
|---|---|---|
| Days 1–2 | 2 or 3 | Black, tarry meconium |
| Days 3–4 | Increasing each day | At least 2, turning green to yellow |
| Day 5 to 6 weeks | At least 6 heavy (AAP, NHS); at least 5 disposable or 6 cloth (Australian advice) | Soft or runny yellow, at least 2 to 3 a day |
| After 6–8 weeks | Still plenty of heavy wet nappies | Can drop to once every 7 to 10 days if soft |
The sources differ slightly on the count. The Australian Breastfeeding Association's figure allows for disposables holding more — it describes a heavy wet nappy as holding about 60 g of wee. The NHS suggests pouring 2 to 4 tablespoons of water into a clean, dry nappy so you know what a properly wet one feels like.
In the early weeks, fewer poos than the table, or dark poos still present by day 7, can mean your baby isn't getting enough. After about 6 to 8 weeks, a breastfed baby who poos less often but has soft poo and plenty of wet nappies is usually fine.
How much weight should a breastfed baby gain?
Weight is the strongest single sign, but it needs looking at over weeks, not days. The Australian Breastfeeding Association's weight gains page says breastfed babies typically:
| Age | What's typical |
|---|---|
| First week | Lose up to 10% of birth weight |
| By about 2 weeks | Back to birth weight |
| First 3 months | Gain quickly; weekly gains vary |
| From around 3 to 4 months | Gains usually slow down |
| By about 4 months | Around double birth weight |
The AAP's warning signs of breastfeeding problems include a baby still below birth weight at 2 weeks, or one who hasn't gained at least 5 to 7 ounces (about 140 to 200 g) a week since milk came in.
WHO growth charts, used in Australian baby health record books, are based on healthy breastfed babies. The Australian Breastfeeding Association points out that the 50th centile is an average, not a target. What matters is your baby following their own curve. The Australian Breastfeeding Association adds that weighing before and after feeds is only useful if done at every feed over 24 hours, so counting nappies is often easier day to day.
Which signs don't mean low milk?
Many common worries aren't signs of too little milk on their own. The Australian Breastfeeding Association's page on low supply and its guide to getting enough milk list:
- Frequent feeding. Young babies often feed 8 to 14 times or more in 24 hours.
- Cluster feeding. Very frequent feeds close together, often in the late afternoon or evening — see cluster feeding.
- Fussing or coming on and off the breast. This may be a slow let-down, not a supply problem.
- Soft breasts. After a few weeks, breasts often feel softer and less full. This is normal.
- Not feeling let-down. Many mothers never do.
- Shorter feeds as your baby gets older and more efficient.
- Small pumped amounts. The amount you express isn't the same as what your baby gets; babies are usually better at removing milk than a pump.
- Night waking and crying. These are common in breastfed babies who are getting plenty.
Some of these can also look like oversupply — lots of wet and dirty nappies with green, frothy or explosive poos. If your baby is well and nappies and growth are on track, these patterns are usually just normal baby behaviour.
What if my baby is fed expressed breast milk?
If you're expressing and bottle feeding, you can see the amount. The Australian Breastfeeding Association gives a rough guide of 600 to 1000 mL of breast milk in 24 hours for babies aged 1 to 6 months. Treat this as a wide range rather than a target, and keep using nappies, weight and your baby's cues. Paced bottle feeding helps your baby take what they need rather than what's in the bottle.
When should you worry about your baby's milk intake?
These are among the emergency signs in the NHS guide to whether your baby is seriously ill. See signs of dehydration for more.
Contact your GP, midwife, child-health nurse or a health advice line (Pregnancy, Birth and Baby on 1800 882 436 in Australia, NHS 111 in the UK, your pediatrician's after-hours line in the US) today if:
- your baby has fewer wet nappies than the table above, or dark or strong-smelling wee
- your baby is refusing feeds or feeding much less than usual
- your baby is 2 days old, has lost 10% of birth weight, and is sleepy or not feeding well — the Australian Breastfeeding Association says this needs extra support
- your baby seems hungry after most feeds, or you can't hear or see swallowing once your milk is in — the AAP advises an urgent weight check
- your breasts haven't started to feel fuller by day 5
- poo is still dark by day 7, or there are fewer poos than expected in the early weeks.
Arrange a feeding review soon — with your child-health nurse, a lactation consultant or a breastfeeding helpline (the Australian Breastfeeding Association on 1800 686 268 in Australia, the National Breastfeeding Helpline on 0300 100 0212 in the UK) — if your baby is below birth weight at 2 weeks, gains are consistently slow, or feeds are almost always under about 10 minutes or over about 50 minutes in the first months. A skilled supporter can watch a feed, check the latch and help you plan next steps. If you need to increase your milk, milk supply explains how.
What's useful to note
For a few days, tally wet nappies, dirty nappies (with colour) and feeds in each 24 hours, and note any weights with dates. That pattern is more useful to a nurse or lactation consultant than how many minutes each feed lasted.
