Is My Baby Getting Enough?

Things no one told me about before I became a parent: I will spend a lot of time analyzing and discussing my baby’s poop! One of the biggest concerns I hear from my prenatal clients is knowing if their baby has gotten enough. Here’s an easy way to tell if your baby is getting enough in the first week of life.

The best and easiest way to ensure your baby is getting enough milk is to monitor their diaper output. You should expect at least one wet and one poop diaper per day of life: two wet and two dirty diapers on day 2, three pees and three poop diapers on day 3, etc. Dirty diapers typically slow down around five days, but you should continue to see multiple poop diapers per day.

Your baby’s poop will go from black/dark green and tarry (meconium) to a mustard colored seedy poop by around day 5. The black, dark green/brown, tarry and sticky first poop is called meconium. One of the functions of colostrum is that it has a laxative effect to help get your baby pass meconium.

Baby’s urine should be a pale yellow color, and be plentiful after day 6, with your baby having at least 6-7 wet diapers in 24 hours.

While it may seem simple enough to remember whether you changed a diaper or not, it can be very helpful to record/write this information down. You don’t necessarily need an app, even a note on your phone can be sufficient.

If you notice that your baby isn’t making enough diapers, they may not be getting enough milk. If this happens, reach out to your pediatrician AND to an IBCLC.

Want to learn more about what to expect after your baby’s birth? Cuddle and Flow Prenatal Lactation Prep happens monthly, and 2024 dates are open for registration. This is a small group in-person class. Slide into my DMs or visit bit.ly/itsmorethanmilk24 for more information and to register. Your partner or support person is welcome to join us.