how to measure the quantity of milk for baby during breastfeeding?
How do you know what a breastfed baby is really drinking?
Beyond this indicative quantity of milk that a baby should drink daily, it is often the actual quantity drunk by the baby that questions, even worries, parents. And for good reason: when you give the bottle, it is extremely easy to know how much milk your baby is drinking. The artificial milk is measured with a pod and any remains are observed.
A quantity that is difficult to quantify
For breastfed babies, it is impossible to know precisely. Especially since unlike the bottle, the amount of milk drunk at the breast varies during the day: “In the morning, the baby needs to be quenched much more after the night. The quantities of milk that he absorbs are therefore greater. Then, as the day progresses, the milk is enriched with tryptophans and certain proteins that will meet its needs. At the end of the day, the milk is more concentrated. There is less so less volume than in the morning, but it is richer” .
Trust each other
As complex as breastfeeding is, the lactation consultant wants to be reassuring: “ What matters is that the baby has the right amount of milk for the day. When the baby is fed artificial milk, it is easy to know: all the parents have to do is follow what ‘fits in’. When the baby is breastfed, we will rather observe… what comes out,” she continues.
