How much should a newborn suck? The mechanism of suction and action of a leech. How often to wash your nipples
A question that worries many mothers. Pediatricians with growth charts, grandmothers with their memories, friends with very different experiences - everyone is interested in the baby’s weight and behavior, and now the mother begins to worry whether her baby has enough milk? What will lactation consultants say about this?
How to determine?
According to the standards of the World Health Organization, infants should gain at least 125 g per week for the first six months of life. There is no need to weigh your child more than once a week. Too frequent weighings irritate both mother and baby; due to weighing, the baby may suckle less, and the mother’s milk production becomes worse. It is enough to do this once a week, at approximately the same time, and you need to weigh the baby naked or in a just put on dry diaper. Well, in order for the mother to be able to navigate the situation on a daily basis, a “wet diaper test” is carried out: the number of times the baby pees is calculated. If the number of urinations per day is 8 or more, then the baby has enough milk, although, most likely, it makes sense to offer the breast more often. If the baby urinates 12 or more times, then there is a very good weight gain and there is no need to worry about the amount of milk. We are, of course, talking about a situation where the baby is more than a week old and he receives exclusively his mother’s breast without additional feeding or additional feeding.
And yet, most mothers, not yet knowing the baby’s growth, begin to worry about the lack of milk. A study conducted by Russian doctors in Astrakhan showed that mothers considered the most common reason for starting to use formula (50% of all cases) to be a lack of milk. But an in-depth analysis showed that this “diagnosis” was justified in only 2.4% of cases.
What are usually taken as signs of low milk supply?
Mom stops feeling hot flashes.
Most mothers feel a rapid and strong filling of the breast with milk only in the first two to three weeks after childbirth, when the new hormonal status of the body has not yet become established. At this time, milk arrives sharply and immediately in large quantities, and after lactation is established, the body adapts to the child’s needs and milk begins to arrive little by little, but constantly. This is precisely why women stop feeling fullness in their breasts, and not due to any changes in the amount of milk produced!
Mom can only express so much.
The breast is not a bottle; it does not show how much the baby has sucked. Some women try to express milk to understand how much there is. But the amount that can be expressed means nothing. Breast pumps don't always work well, and you need to be able to express effectively by hand. And most importantly, no breast pump and no hands can extract milk as well as a baby who is properly attached to the breast sucks it out!
The baby often asks for the breast and sucks for a long time.
There is no one-size-fits-all rule for how often or how long a baby should feed. The baby asks his mother to give him the breast whenever something bothers him! Hunger is not the only cause for concern. The baby may remember the stress of childbirth, suffer from colic or have a headache when the weather changes. And since the mother’s breast is the calmest and most comfortable place in the world, in all cases the baby will begin to give signs that he wants to suck: he turns his head, opens his mouth, smacks his lips... And he sucks exactly as much as he needs to calm down. When the discomfort is slight, a couple of minutes may be enough, during which the baby will suck 5-10 ml. And other times the baby may be at the breast for a very long time; Many babies love to sleep under the breast while sucking, and this is natural for a baby! If it constantly “hangs” on the chest, this also speaks not so much about the amount of milk, but about the quality of the latch. If the baby is not breastfed correctly, it takes much longer for the baby to receive the required portion of milk, although there may be enough of it in the breast. If the baby suckles for a long time and often (for example, about an hour of feeding with breaks for about an hour), you need to have the situation assessed by an experienced lactation consultant: this behavior often indicates improper attachment and leads to a decrease in the milk that the baby is able to get from the breast, even if there is quite enough of it there.
The baby screams and cries after feeding.
Sometimes the baby may suck for a long time and not get enough, especially if the attachment is incorrect. But there are many other reasons for this behavior: it could be colic, teething, or a desire to stay with mom longer. Based on such behavior alone, one cannot conclude that there is a lack of milk!
The baby arches at the chest.
If the baby is less than a month old, then this behavior is most often explained by a completely opposite reason: newborns often behave this way due to a strong flow of milk, which they cannot cope with. If the baby is older than a month, arching usually means that the milk flow is weakening. In the first weeks of life, children in such cases fall asleep at the breast, but when they get older, and especially if they have experience sucking a pacifier or bottle, the baby begins to express his dissatisfaction by arching or making scandals. The amount of milk has not changed, the baby has changed!
Let's act!
Let's say you have strong evidence to support your belief that there is a milk shortage. What to do?
Don’t rush to supplement with formula!
Lactation is a hormone-dependent process. The hormone prolactin, which is responsible for milk production, is produced in response to breast stimulation. This means that the amount of milk can change both less and more depending on the baby’s sucking.
In order for the baby to have enough milk, by and large it is enough to follow four principles (they are arranged in order of importance):
1 Apply your baby to the breast correctly. This is important not only for the child, but also for the mother: if applied incorrectly, the baby can damage the breast and cracks will appear. The baby does not receive enough milk, although he can suck a lot and for a long time. The correct attachment is influenced by the use of a pacifier and a bottle, since the principle of sucking the nipple and the breast is different. To suck the breast, the child needs to open his mouth wide and actively work with the lower jaw, and to suck the pacifier, it is enough to open his mouth slightly and make suction movements with his cheeks. If your baby needs to be given medicine or supplementary feeding, it is better to do it from a cup, spoon, or pipette.
To ensure that the baby is well attached to the breast, press the baby's tummy tightly against you so that the nipple is approximately at the level of the nose. Support the breast with your hand so that the thumb is on top, and the index and other fingers are on the bottom, parallel to the baby’s lower lip (the index finger should be no closer than 5 centimeters from the nipple). Wait until the baby opens his mouth wide and point the nipple upward, towards the sky. The nipple and areola should be deep in the mouth, more from below than from above. The lower and upper lips are turned outward when sucking. A baby who is well attached sucks out a lot of milk during feeding.
2 Feed on demand. In this case, the baby will receive as much milk as he needs. The same baby can suckle with different frequencies at different times of his life, because children grow unevenly and their life circumstances are different. Your baby may unexpectedly require more frequent feedings over the course of a few days, causing your milk supply to increase. Children are great at regulating their needs if you let them control the situation.
By the way, the mother can offer the breast on her own initiative, without waiting for the baby’s “demand”. For example, the baby has fallen asleep and has not breastfed for 3-4 hours, and the breast is already overflowing with milk. Or the mother needs to go somewhere, but before going out she wants to feed the child. Or there is stagnation of milk, and the mother needs the baby’s help to dissolve the lump. And if the “wet diaper test” shows results from 8 to 12 times a day, the mother should sometimes offer the breast herself so that the baby gets more milk.
3 Feed at night. The hormone prolactin is a “night” hormone: breast stimulation from 3 to 8 am causes its maximum production. At night, the baby eats and “regulates” the amount of milk from the mother. Usually, a healthy baby wakes up two or three times between 3 and 8 am to latch on to the breast. A mother who does not breastfeed at night soon notices that in the evening there is not enough milk. Co-sleeping with your baby or sleeping in a crib close to the parent's will help cope with the lack of milk.
4 Relax well. Milk secretion is associated with the hormone oxytocin. When mom is constantly worried, the oxytocin response is suppressed by stress hormones. There may be a lot of milk, but it is poorly released from the breast. Therefore, it is important to be able to relax during feeding, get enough sleep and not be nervous!
Additional Methods
There are many “folk” ways to maintain milk production. They will not be effective without following the basic principles. But they can be used as auxiliary ones.
Pumping can be used to gradually replace formula supplementation with breast milk. In this case, the mother pumps her breasts several times a day (in addition to feeding if she is with the baby, or instead of feeding if they are separated), stimulating the breasts to produce additional milk and giving the expressed milk to the baby instead of formula. It’s good if, if supplementary feeding is necessary, it is given to the baby through the supplementary feeding system at the breast (this is a container into which supplementary feeding is poured and from where two thin capillaries come out, one of which is inserted into the baby’s mouth for a constant supply of nutrition while sucking the breast). Even if the breast is empty, when using such a system, the baby will receive nutrition through sucking, this allows you to feed the baby and stimulates the breast to increase the production of its own milk!
SKIN-TO-SKIN CONTACT, that is, frequent carrying in your arms or in a sling and placing the baby on your stomach, stimulates both lactation and the good development of the baby.
LACTOGENIC DRUGS have different effects on different mothers. Western doctors consider the use of fenugreek herbs and seeds (known as shamballa and fenugreek) to be effective - you can buy it in spice departments; By the way, fenugreek is included in many mixtures sold under the name “curry”; its content in such a mixture sometimes reaches 20%. In Russian practice, tea from lingonberry leaves has proven effective (drink as usual, 1-2 glasses per day), milk with walnuts or pine nuts (a tablespoon of crushed nuts is poured into a glass of hot milk, infused and drunk several sips throughout the day) and homeopathic milk. Other remedies are not effective for everyone, and sometimes cause an allergic reaction in the baby.
Irina Ryukhova, member of the Association of Breastfeeding Consultants
Every new mother is full of worries and worries while caring for her beloved baby. But the main point is always the nutrition of the newborn. The mother constantly worries whether her baby is fed and whether he has enough milk for normal growth and development. After all, the baby’s well-being and state of health directly depend on this. Pediatricians have developed growth and growth standards for infants. By comparing your baby's indicators, you can see whether the child's nutrition is sufficient.
How many grams should a newborn eat?
There is no single norm for the amount of milk, because each newborn feeds individually. This largely depends on the baby’s appetite, his mood and well-being. So, for example, in the maternity hospital, when the mother produces not milk, but fatty and nutritious colostrum, when first applied to the breast, the child eats a very small amount, literally a few drops. This is explained by the fact that the baby is still quite weak, and his sucking reflex is not fully developed. In addition, the volume of his stomach after birth is 7 ml. However, gradually the newborn will grow and gain strength, and he will need more milk to be full. By the third day, the volume of the newborn’s stomach increases to 30-40 ml, the same amount of milk will be needed for one feeding. By seven days after birth, the baby is satisfied with 50-70 ml of milk. By two weeks of life, 60-90 ml is enough for the baby. 90 - 110 ml of breast milk per feeding - this is how much a newborn should suck at the age of 1 month.
The total volume of milk sucked by the newborn per day is also taken into account. On the next day after birth, the baby is generally saturated with 80-90 ml. On the third day, when the baby has become a little more experienced, the volume of milk is 150-190 ml. A newborn needs about 300 ml on the fourth day from birth. By the sixth day, the baby sucks up to 400 ml. By the end of the second week of life, half a liter of breast milk is enough for the baby. A one-month-old baby will need about 600 ml of milk per day.
How many times should a newborn eat per day?
Modern pediatrics advocates feeding babies on demand. But in general, in the first month of life, the baby eats up to 12 times a day. At first, the interval between feedings is not long, but by the end of the first month the baby will ask for the breast after about one to two hours.
How long should a newborn eat?
The baby can spend as much time at the breast as he wants. However, you should not support either too short or too long feeding. The optimal time period is when the baby feeds for 15-40 minutes.
How much formula should a newborn eat?
In determining the volume of a child’s nutrition during artificial feeding, the situation is much simpler. Firstly, the packaging of the mixture always contains instructions for use indicating the required amount of the mixture for a specific age. In general, the daily intake of artificial supplements is 1/5 of the child’s weight, that is, on average, a baby needs up to a month 500-700 ml of mixture. Most often, in the first month of life, it is recommended to accustom the baby to 6-8 meals a day, gradually reducing it to 5-6 meals a day. Formula is more nutritious than breast milk, so the baby is fed it every three hours.
How much water should a newborn drink?
According to current WHO recommendations, breast milk completely covers the baby’s need for water before complementary feeding is introduced. It is worth giving the baby water only in certain cases (with diarrhea and vomiting, in hot weather, with fever). In the first month of life, the baby should be given about 35 ml of water per day.
Vanessa Marin
Psychotherapist, sexologist.
1. Find a comfortable position
On average, men reach orgasm in three to five minutes, so there's no need to worry too much about comfort. But it's still worth finding a position that you both like.
As a rule, it is easier for a woman to stand on her knees (with a pillow or blanket under her if everything happens on the floor). The partner can stand or sit on the edge of the bed so that they can lean back.
An additional advantage of this position is a good view for a man. To make the spectacle even more piquant, move to the mirror. Of course, both of you can look into it.
Most of the men I talked to said they didn't like long foreplay. Some even reported feeling awkward or ticklish.
Of course, you can warm up a man before, but do it quickly. Try caressing it with your tongue or fingers through your panties, or touching the penis, asking what your partner would like.
If a man is not on alert as soon as you take off your clothes, take advantage of the situation. Take his entire penis into your mouth and caress with your tongue until the penis grows larger (this may be the only time you will be able to do this maneuver, so enjoy it!). After an erection occurs, slowly lick the penis from the base to the head.
3. Master the basic technique
After the prelude - the main part? No, first you need to make the penis wet. To do this, move your mouth up and down the penis several times, pressing your tongue tightly against it. Try to collect and use as much saliva as possible, and don't worry if it drips casually - that's for the best. But watch your teeth: they should not take part in the process!
Now that the preparation is complete, start using your hand along with your mouth.
Most people's mouths aren't big enough to accommodate an average-sized penis, so your hand is your best assistant.
The best option: use your hand to stimulate the body of the penis, and your mouth to stimulate the head. Keep in mind that the shaft is not as sensitive as other private male areas, so don't be afraid to squeeze it firmly. The head, on the contrary, is very sensitive, so a warm, wet mouth is just right for it.
And now the technique. Squeeze your penis tightly in your hand, bring your lips to the head and imagine that these two parts of your body are connected. Then start moving up and down the penis for a few minutes. This is a standard technique that you can return to throughout the blowjob.
The scrotum is often and undeservedly forgotten. Don't make this mistake. Once you get into a rhythm with the basic technique, move on to the next step.
Take the testicles in your free hand. Remember: they are sensitive, so you need to find the optimal amount of pressure. A light one will tickle a man, and a rough squeeze will cause pain. Caress the scrotum with your fingers while continuing to give a blowjob. Using your thumb and index finger, gently pinch the skin between the testicles and try to move your fingers down from the base of the penis.
Then caress the area with your mouth while continuing to stimulate the penis with your hand. Lick the testicles, take them into your mouth, run your tongue between them, from the back of the scrotum to the front.
5. Don't forget about the prostate
The ranking is most often topped, of course, by the anus and prostate. For many heterosexual men, their stimulation is strictly taboo. And in vain! But still, before you invade the holy of holies, get explicit permission from your partner.
If a guy does not agree to anal sex, try stimulating his perineum. It responds best to pressure - you can use your knuckles for this.
If your partner is ready for anal play, the first thing you need is silicone lubricant. Lubricate your index finger with it and carefully feel the anus. A light pressure is enough to get inside. If your partner starts to push their hips towards your hand, slowly push your finger deeper. You only need to penetrate a few centimeters deep and then gently move your finger back and forth.
When you master this technique, try to achieve the golden blowjob standard: one finger in the anus, the rest of the fingers of this hand caress the scrotum, the other hand and mouth caress the penis. Instant orgasm guaranteed.
6. Explore other methods
Once you understand the basic technique, start experimenting. Different men like different things - find out what attracts yours.
Here are some examples:
- Caress the base of the penis with your tongue while continuing to stimulate the shaft and head with your hand.
- Pay special attention to the frenulum - this area is the most sensitive for many men. Caress it with your pointed tongue up and down and from side to side, or try sucking it.
- Continue to stimulate the penis with your hand and caress the head only with your lips.
- Add circular movements with your hand to the basic technique.
- Gently pat your penis against your tongue. This way you can give your jaw a little break.
- For a longer break, use your lips, face and chest (you can just rub them on the penis).
- An alternative is to alternate between manual and oral stimulation.
Don't try to use all the techniques at once. First, make a couple and what your partner liked, or watch his reaction.
7. Finish wisely
The eternal debate: to swallow or not to swallow? What can I say here? If you really can't stand sperm, keep tissues next to your bed to get rid of it discreetly. Another option is to let the semen flow out onto the penis the moment you remove it from your mouth.
But think again carefully. How will you feel if your partner runs to brush his teeth immediately after cunnilingus?
Of course, genital fluids are not grandma's compote, but we are talking about a quick sip of a couple of teaspoons. And in general, tastes change...
The main tip to take away from this article is that it is enthusiasm that makes blowjobs incredible. There is nothing better for a partner than knowing that you are enjoying his cock.
A great way to show enthusiasm is to initiate a blow job. Surprise your man when he first wakes up or enters the house. Tell him that you want to please him while watching a great TV series or having dinner at a restaurant.
Maintain this mood throughout the entire process. Moan. Look him in the eye and smile. Take your penis out of your mouth and caress your body with it. Tell me how good you feel.
You will become a blowjob guru when you truly love it. And this, in fact, is very simple: it’s so cool to completely control someone’s pleasure.
Forward and hind breast milk - how to feed your baby correctly
It would seem that the milk that is produced in the breasts of a nursing woman is the same in composition, and the main thing in breastfeeding is that the baby simply has enough nutrition. But the volume of breast milk is not the main thing.
- Foremilk and hindmilk: how to feed your baby correctly
In fact, milk is produced in the breast as a single substance, but due to its physicochemical properties, it is divided into 2 fractions: anterior and posterior. What does this mean and how to distinguish one from the other? Let’s look at it below.
It must be said right away that the baby must have enough of both, otherwise the nutrition will not be complete. With properly established breastfeeding, the newborn receives both fractions in full. And this is how it should be - this is the norm.
The baby eats the foremilk (or rather, drinks it) in the first few minutes of feeding. During the separation process, the first fraction (more liquid) appears in the ducts closer to the outlet. Its volume varies depending on breaks in feeding and does not depend on the woman’s diet. The child absorbs the first few milliliters of the anterior fraction in about 5 minutes and is already able to cope with this “first course.” It is more watery, and the child, by absorbing it, quenches thirst and replenishes the need for minerals, vitamins and proteins.
Foremilk looks a little different than hindmilk. If you strain it and leave it in a glass, you will find that it:
- very light;
- white with a blue tint;
- almost transparent.
Foremilk is present in the mammary ducts in a free state. It contains:
- water-soluble minerals, antibodies and vitamins that perform an immunoregulatory function;
- proteins involved in the construction of all cells of the body;
- lactose, necessary for the normal functioning of the nervous system, and this means the correct development of the baby and healthy sleep.
This list of substances is also characteristic of hind milk. The only difference is the fat content.
The foremilk will be the first milk the baby reaches. How can you tell how much foremilk he has eaten? To do this, there is no need to offer the second breast if the baby has only eaten a little from the first. You need to wait and offer the same breast again - if the baby has not yet reached the hind milk, he will quickly get hungry and willingly begin to suck from the first breast - a portion of richer hind milk will just “arrive” there.
When breastfeeding, it is necessary that hind milk also enters the baby's stomach. Its composition differs from the anterior one in the amount of lipids - fats. Their content is 2-3 times higher compared to foremilk. It is difficult to say when the process of absorption of hind milk begins: after all, there is no certain watershed in the breast that would clearly set the boundary between the two fractions of “milk products”.
The hind milk comes out into the ducts immediately after they are emptied from the fore milk. The process looks like this. Foremilk is located in the ducts, and the fatty part is located in the alveoli. Large, heavy lipid molecules combine and settle on the walls.
A breastfed baby first sucks out the foremilk, and then the smooth muscle cells in the mammary gland “go to work”: they squeeze out drops of fatty milk closer to the outlet, helping the baby get the most satisfying portion. But it cannot be called the best, since milk is a single whole. The first part allows you to replenish the baby’s body with the necessary substances and water, the second – with energy and fats.
How much milk is supplied at each feeding? It's hard to say for sure because milk volume varies from mother to mother. It depends on the characteristics of her hormonal system and the needs of the newborn.
Hind milk looks thicker, it is rich white, contains fats and growth factors. A sufficient amount of hind milk provides the baby with a feeling of fullness, timely weight gain, and healthy, sound sleep. You can recognize a lack of hind milk by the absence of these signs of well-being.
In a half-empty breast, the milk is always fatty. Therefore, when you feed your baby at night and you have the feeling that there is not enough milk, do not worry. The amount that exists covers the baby’s energy costs.
Foremilk and hindmilk: how to feed a baby correctly?
No one can tell you exactly how much foremilk and hindmilk your baby needs. But based on his condition, it will be clear whether both portions enter his body or whether he is limited only to the easily accessible foremilk.
In order for milk production to continue, it is necessary to put the newborn to the breast more often. Sometimes appetite appears while eating, so it makes sense to provide the baby with the opportunity to suck every time he wants to eat at least a little. To do this, some mothers hold the baby in a sling while doing household chores, or pick him up on demand.
There is no need to frequently change breasts, offering one or the other at one feeding: the baby may begin to be lazy, since he has to “work” to get hind milk, but he gets the front milk almost effortlessly and is easy to get to.
If you rarely feed your child, then it will be almost impossible to force him to eat properly: during a long break, the composition of the milk will change again: the back milk will disappear deeply again, and the baby will again receive the front milk. To feed your baby with both fore and hind milk, it is not enough to hold him at one breast for a few minutes, and then give him the second the next time.
It may happen that the baby does not want to suckle for a long time, as a result of which he constantly receives only foremilk. You can find out exactly how much milk he received in one feeding, but it’s better to just monitor his condition. If he is calm and gaining weight well, everything is fine. If he is often capricious, wants to eat, and cries, then you will need to “teach” him to eat both portions.
What to do if the baby is lazy and does not suckle for a long time? If you are absolutely sure that he is not sucking out hind milk, doctors recommend trying the following.
Feed your baby every 3 hours, even if he is not asking to eat yet. Do not give him both breasts during one feeding - let him receive milk from only one breast for 2 hours. Do not supplement it with formula - children who ate such “supplements” soon completely gave up trying to “get” hind milk. This requires work, and after formula, children have no desire to make efforts to achieve satiety. Why, if food can be obtained without much difficulty?
You can do this: wait until the baby is pumped, then hold him vertically for a few minutes so that the air comes out, and attach him to the breast again.
Does the baby prefer foremilk only? Don’t give him bottles or pacifiers – all this needs to be put away. Let him have the opportunity to suck only his mother's breast. You will have to be patient to teach your baby to “work.”
But there are situations when it is necessary to do this (but strictly on the doctor’s recommendation and not constantly) - in particular, with partial lactase deficiency - the infant produces insufficient quantities of the lactase enzyme, which is involved in the breakdown of lactose (milk sugar) molecules.
A child eats more foremilk than necessary - as a result, he experiences:
- regurgitation;
- bloating;
- foamy stool.
There will be poor sleep almost all the time, frequent whims. The baby is crying and worried. Excess foremilk causes fermentation in the newborn's intestines. Therefore, if more such milk comes in than needed, it has to be expressed.
Congenital lactase deficiency is possible, when the baby is basically lactose intolerant. The milk comes, but the baby cannot be fed with it. We'll have to switch to artificial lactose-free mixtures.
How and why to express hind milk?
Hind milk is expressed after feeding only in extreme cases. You can do it manually like this: place your thumb on top of the areola, and the rest below, and, supporting the breast with the other hand, carefully squeeze out the milk. Do not touch the nipple as it can easily be damaged.
It is very difficult to express hind milk with a breast pump. Therefore, if your goal of pumping is to prevent lactostasis with narrow thoracic ducts, the manual method will work better.
We already know how to understand that the baby is receiving hindmilk. Of course, there are times when breastfeeding does not improve immediately.
During the first three months, mother and baby adapt to each other: the mother begins to produce milk in the amount needed by the baby, and the newborn learns to eat the entire portion offered. At first, an imbalance may be observed: this is a normal phenomenon, there is no need to immediately panic, supplement the baby with formula or even switch to artificial feeding. Time will pass and you will learn to understand how much your child has eaten and whether both portions are enough for him.
To make the habituation process go faster, pick up your baby more often, feed him, including at night, and provide him with tactile contact. A little patience - and everything will come back to normal!
A newborn baby can normally weigh from 2.5 kg to 4 kg. It seems that one and a half kilograms is not much, but not for a newborn baby. Outwardly, children with such a large difference in weight look very different, and their capabilities are also different. But any young mother is concerned about the question of how much should newborns eat?
Immediately after birth, children usually lose weight: meconium is released, which has accumulated in the intestines throughout intrauterine life. But the baby still sucks out little milk. Normally, weight loss should not exceed 10% of the child’s original weight. That is, for a small child it is 250 grams, and for a large child - 400 grams.
After two or three days, the weight gradually begins to return. to regain weight faster? On the first day, the mother does not have milk yet, but this does not mean that the baby does not need to be fed. Your baby should suckle colostrum to stimulate milk production and improve bowel function. How many milliliters should a newborn eat if we are talking only about colostrum?
Colostrum is a special liquid consisting of antibodies and proteins. It contains significantly less water and carbohydrates than mature milk. The volume of colostrum is very modest: it is released from 50 to 100 ml per day.
If the baby often suckles at the breast, has normal urination, and meconium comes out, then no matter how much the newborn eats, this is enough for him.
Gradually, colostrum is replaced by so-called transition milk. It is thinner than mature milk and is released in fairly large quantities. Transitional and then mature milk comes at its own time for everyone: for some this happens at the end of the second day, and for others only on the fourth day after birth.
After lactation is established, the baby should normally eat approximately 10 ml for each day of life. That is, 30 ml on the third day, 50 ml on the fifth, 70 ml on the seventh (calculated for one feeding).
By the age of one month, the baby eats approximately 100 ml per feeding. But all these norms are good for artificial babies, who are fed by the hour and in strictly allotted volumes of the mixture. No one can say how much breastfed newborns should eat. Such a norm simply does not exist. Nowadays it is recommended to breastfeed on demand, and this need for a baby can arise every half hour. Of course, a baby who eats so often will not suck out the same volumes at one time as a child who has not eaten for three hours.
If they have low birth weight? Typically, such children have a very small stomach volume, and therefore there is simply no opportunity to eat a lot at once. But milk is absorbed quite quickly, they are often put to the breast and gain more in a month than fat babies at birth.
So how many milliliters should a newborn eat at each feeding if he is breastfed?
As much as he wants. This is not a biological machine, a newborn is a living person, and his appetite depends on his state of health and even his mood. The sufficiency of feeding is determined by the number of urinations per day. There must be at least twelve of them. If your child urinates 12 or more times a day, he is eating enough, you can be sure of this.