Here are the signs that, if present, indicate that everything is going well:
- once you return home from the birth, the baby wakes up for meals at least 8 times in 24 hours and clearly lets you know that he or she is hungry;
- the baby normally excretes little concentrated urine in the first few days, particularly before the mother's milk supply arrives. Urine, however, will be clear, abundant, 6 or more times a day after day 5;
- the stools, which were dark in the very first few days, have taken on a yellowish colour and are soft;
- it regains its birth weight within the first 2 weeks of life;
- the baby is satisfied and relaxed after feeds;
- the breasts or nipples do not hurt.
Consider that the expected weight gain in a newborn baby for the first few weeks is around 15 to 20 g per day, so about 120 g per week.
Milk comes by suckling: if the baby is properly attached to the breast, as often and as long as it wants, you will produce enough milk for its needs because the baby's sucking sends signals to a gland in the brain (the pituitary gland) that sends signals to the breast that make it produce more milk. We could say that the breast is like a 'milk factory' that increases the rate of production the more milk is let out. Therefore, skipping a feeding, thinking of accumulating milk for the next one is counterproductive and hinders breastfeeding.
When breastfeeding is interrupted, similarly, milk production will gradually decrease after some time when the milk is not taken in by the baby and/or drained. To avoid discomfort or breast problems, whenever you have an unpleasant feeling of fullness, squeeze just enough to relieve the tension.