- Is your baby making enough wet diapers? The general rule is after a day of life babies should have at least 4 wet diapers a day. This is an indication of their hydration. Call your pediatrician if your baby is not producing enough wet diapers.
- Is your baby losing weight every time they go to the pediatrician? When babies lose too much weight, they will be lethargic, low energy and have a hard time nursing to get full. Weight loss can be an indication of insufficient feedings.
- Is your baby so sleepy on the breast they aren’t swallowing when they are nursing? Sometimes babies can be latched to the nipple but just comfort suck (like on a pacifier) and not swallow any milk. Parents need to encourage their baby to stay awake while they are nursing so the baby can pull the milk out to get themselves full. Stimulate baby (rub head, arms, body) while he/she is at the breast to keep baby awake. Listen for swallows.
- Sleepy baby does not equal a full baby!! We need to evaluate the baby’s’ awake behavior. After a feeding is over, parents need to evaluate the baby’s awake body language (a full baby is drowsy, relaxed, satisfied, fists not clenched and awake). A hungry baby is tense, tight and unsettled.
- Do your breasts still feel full after nursing? This can mean that the baby is not draining all the milk in the breast. This can occur because the baby is asleep at the breast and not actively nursing or pulling milk out.
Are you experiencing any of these five breastfeeding red flags? A 15-min video consultation with The Baby Pro may be all you need to get on track with breastfeeding!