breast dont feel full. Is this ok or is this bad

[esancen]

my baby is 10 days old and my breast dont feel full at all. Not even when my milk came in I never got engorged i barely felt any mik had came in. Does this mean i will never have enough milk. right now i feed him about 1.5 ounces evry three hours. I found that out at the breastfeedinhg clinic. but will i produce enough later on when he is going to need more. I'm so scared that i will not make more later on.

[annettemarie]

Moving out to the main forum.

[simplified]

Breast feeding is supply and demand based. Keep baby on the nipple as often as baby wants, then your supply will increase as baby demands.

How do you know how many ounces he's getting? I don't know if I'd get too wrapped up in that number or the clock (for how long he's been nursing). Look at your baby. At his eyes and skin. Check for wet diapers. Then you'll know he's getting enough.

[Quaniliaz]

Is your baby gaining well? Having the right number of wet/poopy diapers? I have no idea how much a bf baby gets normally, as I haven't ever measured, but I'd rely on the other indicators to determine if your baby is getting enough milk. Fullness isn't a good indicator of what's going on. Demand = supply, so as your baby needs more milk, he will nurse more often, which is great because your body will respond by making more milk after a day or two.

[jessica_s]

How often is he nursing? What will tell you if he's getting enough to eat is dirty diaper count and overall weight gain. Fullness is your breasts is a pretty unreliable gage and I wouldn't make any assumptions on it! Some folks just never get engorged. I would expect that he would be nursing quite often though. Which is why I asked about how often he's nursing.
The baby is the demand, and you are the supply. SO most of the time, he will request the milk that he needs your body to make and your body will make it. There are things that come up as roadblocks for some folks but that's the way nature has intended your body to work.

[Parker'smommy]

I NEVER felt full, and NEVER leaked OR got engorged and I nursed my 10 lb at birth baby boy for 3 years and then went on to have the same experience with my 9.4 lb at birth baby girl!!! And man....I could feed a nation with these breasts. I had what was dubbed by many LCs and LLL leaders as a "perfect supply".

Of course, output and weight gain are good indicators if your supply is plentiful. If he has plenty of wet diapers and is gaining...you're good!!


Count yourself lucky that you don't have to deal with leaky breasts and the pain I've heard is engorgement. I do!!!

[RaeDyCo]

NAK

I also never felt my milk come in with DS1 or DS2. Never was engorged (except on random occasions - longer sleep) either. And I have serious oversupply!

[OdinsMommy0409]

I never had the engorgement or feeling of full breast when my milk came in. I've only had engorgement related to mastitis. As for how much you're feeding, that amount sounds right for a young newborn. The one time my DS took a bottle, he was around 2 weeks, and he took less than 2 ounces. He's always been a snacker (severe reflux so snacking was best) and low-normal weight gainer.

[esancen]

I went to a breastfeeding clinic and she weighed him before he ate and then after and thats how i got 1.5 ounces. well i went back today and he has not gained much weight. he gained 3 ounces sense he was born and he is 12 days old he should have gained 10 ounces by now. so that answers my question. i have low supply and it turns out that the baby might have thrush i hope not. i'm going to the doctor tomarrow.

[PatioGardener]

Originally Posted by esancen

I went to a breastfeeding clinic and she weighed him before he ate and then after and thats how i got 1.5 ounces. well i went back today and he has not gained much weight. he gained 3 ounces sense he was born and he is 12 days old he should have gained 10 ounces by now. so that answers my question. i have low supply and it turns out that the baby might have thrush i hope not. i'm going to the doctor tomarrow.

Actually, you and baby may be doing well! 1.5 oz/feed is a great amount for a 12 day old.

Almost all babies lose weight after they are born. They are usually back to their birth weight by day 14. How far below birth weight is your little one?

Your supply is not set yet - nursing as often as possible will tell you body that baby will need more milk!

Good luck!

[syd'smom]

Your baby's tummy is just slightly bigger than a marble. If you had an iv during labour, that can artificially increase your babe's birthweight as well. Instead of focusing on numbers, do like the other wise mamas here have suggested, and watch diapers and overall health.

Did you abx during labor or recently? That can cause thrush. Get some probiotics for yourself.

Good luck mama - trust yourself, your body and your baby. *hugs*