Let's talk numbers! When all is going well with an exclusively breastfeeding baby, the mantra is generally "feed on demand" and baby will grow and thrive. This is definitely what many families aspire to (and I strongly support!), but sometimes, for a variety of reasons, families need a little more guidance. That's where my numbers come in!
For example -
Feed 8-12x/24 hrs
After day 5, watch for 5-6 wet diapers and 3-4 dirty,
quarter sized or larger and seedy yellow
After day 5, baby should be gaining about an ounce a day
Back to birth weight by two weeks
In the early days, weight x 2.5 can offer an estimate of needed oz per day, for example - 8 lb baby x 2.5 = 20 oz
A full milk supply from one month to six months is 25-32 oz/24 hrs
"Baby gained 46 g from this weighted feed.
That's about an oz and a half"
These measures can provide assurance for families that they are heading in the right direction! Of course, the goal is to eventually drop all of these and simply watch/enjoy a thriving baby ;)
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