How to tell if your newborn is getting enough breast milk

The following guidelines show how often your baby may feed, and how many wet and dirty nappies you can expect.

Concern about milk supply

Weight loss

All babies lose weight in the first few days after birth. After this, they begin gaining weight and by 2 weeks, they are generally back at their birth weight.

Newborn nappies

Your baby should be producing wet and dirty nappies. Your baby’s first dirty nappies are black and tarry. This is called meconium.

Over the next day or so, your baby’s poos become greenish in colour. By day 5 your baby will have yellow seedy poos.

Here's what you can expect from your baby's nappies per day:

Day 1

• 1 wet nappy - over 24 hours
• 1 stool - black

Day 2

• 2 wet nappies
• 2 stools - black

Day 3

• 3 wet nappies
• 3 stools - black or green

Day 4

• 4 wet nappies
• 3 to 4 stools - green or yellow

Day 5

• 5 wet nappies
• stools should turn yellow

6 days to 6 weeks

• 6 wet nappies - heavy wet with pale, yellow or clear urine
• 3 to 8 stools - yellow, seedy, runny to loose

6 weeks to 6 months

3 to 5 stools daily, but may skip days - yellow, soft and may thicken over time because of milk composition changes