My baby is three-weeks-old, healthy and regained her birth weight by her first week checkup. My concern is that she nurses very little. Her feedings are generally three hours apart during the day and she takes only one breast, nursing for just five minutes. At night, she frequently sleeps up to four hours and still only feeds for five minutes. Any attempts to keep her nursing longer or to feed more often are met with strong resistance. She won't be weighed again until she is two-months-old. Is she nursing enough?
One of the most reliable indicators of adequate milk intake in breastfed babies is consistently good output. A baby under five or six weeks of age should be wetting at least six to eight diapers and having at least two bowel movements each day. Many well-fed babies stool following each feed in those early weeks. (After five or six weeks of age, you can expect your baby to wet at least five to six diapers daily and have regular, substantial bowel movements.)
But output alone does not tell the story. Good output in a healthy and happy baby, coupled with a normal growth pattern, including weight, length and head circumference, as checked regularly by your baby's health care provider, is particularly reassuring. Average weekly weight gain for a baby under six months of age is at least four to eight ounces per week.
If your baby is falling short in any of these areas, it is important to immediately look into what could be causing the problem. In the early weeks, the most likely cause of insufficient output and resultant slow weight gain, is improper positioning and attachment. This can be very tricky to evaluate on your own. I would highly recommend working with an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. You can contact the ILCA office to find an IBCLC in your area (ilca@erols.com).
It is important to know that even if your baby is not scheduled for a regular checkup, most health care providers will provide complimentary weight checks when you are at all concerned about your baby. In the first six weeks, if your baby has insufficient ouput for even one day, I would highly recommend taking them in for a weight check, just to be on the safe side.
Wishing you the best!
