Stressing about your supply? Here’s how to tell whether your baby's getting enough breast milk

If you're a breastfeeding mom, it's normal to worry that your baby isn't getting enough milk, especially at first. It's impossible to see how much your nursing baby is drinking. And if you're pumping to fill bottles for your baby, how much should you pump and put in a bottle for each feeding?

Whether you're nursing your baby or pumping breast milk for bottles, you'll want to make sure your baby is getting the right amount of milk. Read on for recommendations and details.

How much breast milk should a newborn eat?

After their first sleepy 24 hours, most newborns nurse every two to three hours, or eight to 12 – or even more – times a day. You may need to coax them awake if they fall asleep mid-feeding or wake your baby to eat if it's been more than four hours since they last ate.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and other experts recommend that you feed your newborn baby whenever they show early signs of hunger, such as smacking their lips or rooting around for your nipple.

How long your baby nurses at each session is very individual. Some newborns will fill their little tummies in five minutes flat, while others may take an hour to finish feeding. In general, though, breastfeeding newborns nurse up to 20 minutes or longer on one or both breasts, while older babies may take five to 10 minutes on each breast. (Babies typically become more efficient – and your milk supply becomes more established – after a month or two.)

If you're bottle feeding, your baby may take about 10 to 20 minutes per feeding, depending on the amount of milk in the bottle. Let your baby decide when they're full.

Your baby may eat more frequently – and for longer periods – right before a growth spurt, often around age 2 to 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months. This is called cluster feeding, and it helps signal your body to produce more milk for your growing baby.

How much milk should I be pumping?

"To figure out how much you should be pumping, you should try to determine how much your baby will directly be eating from the breast," says Monica Murphy, RNC, an international board-certified lactation consultant and member of the BabyCenter Medical Advisory Board.

In the first couple of days, your newborn may take only half an ounce at each feeding. Then they'll increase to 1 or 2 ounces per feeding. They'll eat as often as eight to 12 times every 24 hours.

At about 2 weeks until 1 month old, your newborn will take 2 to 4 ounces per feeding, eating about eight times a day.

At about 2 months old, babies take about 4 to 6 ounces per feeding, five to six times a day.

Once your baby is 3 to 4 months old, they'll likely drink about 24 to 30 ounces of breast milk a day – usually in 4- to 6-ounce feedings every four hours or so. (Babies who are a little bigger might need a bit more milk.)

Here's a chart to get an idea of how much pumped breast milk your baby might drink daily, based on their age:

Here's a simple formula that you can use to figure out how much milk your baby is likely to need during the early months. Babies generally need 2.5 ounces of breast milk daily per pound of body weight for their first 3 or 4 months.

To calculate the total:

1. Multiply your baby's weight in pounds by 2.5. This is how much milk your baby will need for one day. (Make sure you include every ounce. For example, if your baby weighs 8 pounds 8 ounces, the total weight would be 8.5 pounds.)
2. Divide the amount of milk your baby needs in a day by the number of feedings. This is how much milk to put in each bottle.

For example:

• If your baby weighs 10 pounds, they'll need 25 ounces of breast milk per 24 hours (10 times 2.5).
• If they're eating 10 times per day, that would equal 2.5 ounces in each bottle (25 divided by 10). If they're eating eight times a day, each bottle would need to contain a little over 3 ounces (25 divided by 8).

Of course, the amount that babies drink at each feeding varies – and you don't need to be quite so precise. You can round up a bit (say to the next half ounce) rather than measure fractions of ounces!

You also want to follow your baby's cues on when they're hungry or full.

If you're feeding your baby breast milk and supplementing with formula, talk with your baby's healthcare provider about how to calculate the right amount of each.

You can use the information here to tell whether your baby is getting enough milk, but your baby's feeding schedule may be a little different. Your baby might go longer between feedings, for example, because babies don't digest formula as quickly as breast milk.

How much breast milk should an older baby eat?

Once your baby starts eating solid foods (usually at around 6 months old), they'll gradually need less breast milk. They'll still get the majority of their nutrition from breast milk or formula until they're 9 to 12 months old. That's because breast milk and formula contain easily digestible vitamins, iron, and protein to help your baby grow.

From 6 to 8 months old, your baby will probably have three to five nursing sessions a day, or three to five bottles with 6 to 8 ounces of breast milk in each.

From 8 to 12 months old, your baby will probably have three or four nursing sessions a day, or three or four bottles with 7 to 8 ounces of breast milk in each.

As your baby develops, they're likely to spend less time overall at your breast and go longer between feedings. You may also find that your older baby – who's becoming more aware of the world – is more distracted while nursing. Try nursing in a quiet, dimly lit room with minimum distractions if your baby isn't drinking enough during feedings.

"My youngest (currently 8 months) only wanted to eat five to six times per day for a bit around [3 months old]," says BabyCenter Community member Sarahazucena. "As she got older and we dropped naps/moved feeding times around, it has changed quite a bit. Sometimes she gets a lot in one session. Other times, she needs to nurse more like seven to nine times a day because she gets so distracted."

Your baby may also have an occasional nursing strike because they're teething, they have a stuffy nose or ear infection, your milk tastes different (because of hormonal changes or a medication, for example) – or sometimes for no apparent reason. These strikes usually last between two and five days, though they can continue longer.

Encourage your baby to nurse, and pump every few hours (or about as often as your baby usually nurses) to keep your milk supply up. If you're worried about your baby not gaining weight, talk with their healthcare provider.

Once your baby is 1 year old, they can drink whole cow's milk in a bottle or sippy cup. Keep in mind that while cow's milk is good for them, you don't want to overdo it, or they won't have much appetite for other healthy foods. (Too much cow's milk can also lead to iron-deficiency anemia.) Sixteen to 24 ounces a day (two to three cups) for a toddler should be just fine.

And of course, you can keep nursing past age 1 if you and your child want to. Even though your toddler will get most of their nutrition from solid food, breast milk still provides calories, immune protection, vitamins, and enzymes – as well as comfort and an opportunity for you to connect with your little one.

Signs your baby is getting enough breast milk

There are many ways to tell if your baby is getting enough breast milk.

If your breasts feel softer after nursing, that means your baby has emptied some of the milk that was making them firm. If your baby seems relaxed and satisfied for 1 to 3 hours between feedings, it's a good indication that their tummy is full.

"Just follow baby's hunger cues," says BabyCenter Community member Waltraudjoan. "My big rule of thumb is to make sure to give enough milk that there's a little left in the bottle at the end. Then you know you offered enough and baby made the decision as to when he/she is full."

Other clues your baby is eating enough:

Wet diapers

This is why your healthcare team has you track your newborn's diapers. Your baby should wet two to three diapers each day in the first few days after birth. They should have at least six wet diapers a day after the first four or five days, after your milk comes in. 

Your baby's urine should be colorless or pale yellow by 1 week old. (If their urine is pale or clear, they're getting enough liquid. If it's more concentrated, it may be a sign that they're not getting enough breast milk.)

Bowel movements

You'll track these for a while, too. Your baby should poop once or twice per day for the first two days (these will be blackish, tarry stools), and at least twice (which will be greenish to a yellowy mustard color) on days three and four. By 1 week old, your baby should poop three or four times a day. These should be loose and yellow.

There's a wide range of normal when it comes to baby poop. As your milk production increases, it's normal if your baby poops after every feeding. For more on what's normal in baby poop, check out these photos.

Weight

Most babies lose up to 7% of their birth weight and then regain it by the time they're about 2 weeks old. After gaining back the weight they initially lost after birth, your baby should keep gaining.

Expect your baby to gain about 6 to 8 ounces a week for the first four months, then about 4 to 6 ounces per week from 4 to 7 months. By 5 months, most babies will double their birth weight. By their first birthday, most triple their birth weight.

Your baby's healthcare provider will chart your baby's weight (as well as their length and head circumference) on a growth chart to make sure your baby is growing at a steady, appropriate rate over time.

Signs your baby isn't getting enough breast milk

Watch for these signs if you're concerned about how much breast milk your baby is getting:

• Your baby continues to lose weight. If your baby doesn't start gaining weight after five days, or if they start losing weight again any time after that, talk with their doctor.
• Your baby is wetting fewer than six diapers in a 24-hour period after the five days following their birth.
• Your baby has small, dark stools after their first five days.
• Your baby's urine is very dark, like the color of apple juice.
• Your baby is fussy or lethargic much of the time. They may fall asleep as soon as you put them to your breast, but then fuss when you take them off.
• Your baby feeds for less than 10 minutes or more than 50 minutes at a time.
• Your baby appears to have a dry mouth or eyes.
• Your baby just doesn't seem satisfied, even if feedings consistently take longer than an hour.
• Your breasts don't feel softer after nursing.
• You rarely hear your baby swallow while nursing. (Some babies are very quiet eaters, so if all other signs are positive, don't worry about this one.)

What happens if my baby doesn't get enough breast milk?

Although most moms are able to provide their babies with all the milk they need, sometimes babies don't get enough. And when the problem isn't addressed, a baby can suffer from dehydration and failure to thrive, which are uncommon but serious problems.

If you're concerned that your baby isn't getting enough milk, call your baby's healthcare provider. They can refer you to a lactation consultant, who will help you figure out what's going on. At an appointment with a lactation consultant, you'll typically feed your baby while the consultant observes you and gives you tips for breastfeeding success.

Murphy notes that a scale can be used to precisely measure the amount of breast milk that the baby transferred from the breast at the appointment. They may help with positioning and any latching problems, for example, and address milk production, if that's an issue. They can also help you with questions or problems you may be having with pumping breast milk.

Is it possible to feed my baby too much?

Yes, it's possible to give a baby too much breast milk or formula, especially if you're bottle feeding.

Drinking from a bottle often takes less effort than breastfeeding. If your bottle-fed baby wants just a little milk, they may get much more because of how fast the milk flows through the bottle's nipple.

If your baby gets too full, they may have stomach pains, and they may spit up or vomit.

To help your baby get just the right amount of milk, try a slower method called paced bottle feeding. Hold the bottle level with the floor to avoid a flow that's too fast. When your baby takes a natural break, tilt the bottle to stop the flow.

Feeding your baby from a bottle should take about the same amount of time as feeding at the breast, about 10 to 20 minutes. This is especially important during the first couple of months, until your baby learns to pace themself.