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You can't see how much your baby drinks at the breast, so every fussy evening feels like proof you're not making enough. Around half of mothers who stop breastfeeding say worry about supply was the reason — yet the signs that really count are ones you can check at home. Tell us about your baby's last 24 hours and see what they say.
Step 1
How is your baby fed?
Step 2
Count every time baby fed, even short ones and night feeds.
Step 3
A heavy wet disposable feels like about 3 tablespoons of water poured in.
Step 4
What colour is it mostly?
Step 5
Step 6
Can you see or hear baby swallowing?
Step 7
Tick anything that has made you wonder about your supply.
Step 8
These change the answer, so please check each one.
Your baby's age
These are the minimums most guidance uses for a breastfed baby in the first weeks. More is fine.
| Baby's age | Wet diapers | Poops | Poop colour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | 1 or more | 1 or more | Black, sticky |
| Day 2 | 2 or more | 2 or more | Black to greenish |
| Days 3–4 | 3 or more | 3 or more | Greenish-brown, lightening |
| Day 5 to 6 weeks | 6 or more, heavy | 3 or more | Yellow and seedy |
| After 6 weeks | 6 or more, heavy | Can become less often | Yellow |
Most babies lose some weight in the first days and are back to birth weight by 10 to 14 days. After that, a typical gain in the first 4 months is about 155–240 g (5.5–8.5 oz) a week. Babies usually feed 8 to 12 or more times in 24 hours.
Based on: CDC — Newborn Breastfeeding Basics · La Leche League International — Is baby getting enough? · La Leche League Canada — Low milk production · Stanford Medicine — How you know you have enough milk · Huang et al. 2022, systematic review
The most reliable signs are weight and diapers. After the first week, look for 6 or more heavy wet diapers and 3 or more poops a day, and for your baby to be back to birth weight by 10 to 14 days and gaining after that. Hearing swallowing during feeds and a baby who seems content after most feeds are good signs too.
Not on its own. Newborns often feed every two hours or more, and many bunch feeds together in the evening. Frequent feeding is how babies build your supply. If weight and diapers are on track, frequent feeding is normal.
Usually not. The early fullness is partly extra fluid and settles as your supply adjusts to your baby, often around six to eight weeks. Soft breasts and less leaking are normal once that happens.
Not necessarily. A pump is often less effective than a baby at getting milk out, and how much you pump varies with the pump, the fit and how relaxed you are. Your baby's weight and diapers are a better guide than pumping output.
Contact your baby's doctor or a lactation consultant if your baby isn't back to birth weight by about two weeks, is still losing weight after day 5, has fewer wet or dirty diapers than expected, or seems too sleepy to feed. Help early makes the biggest difference.