How Much Milk Should a Newborn Drink? The Midwife's Answer
Introduction
Questions about how much milk a newborn should drink are very common even during pregnancy.
Since there is a lot of information circulating on this topic that is not always correct, I decided to create this article for you.
To complete your knowledge of the world of breastfeeding , I recommend the vertical video course “Al Profumo di Latte” , curated by Doctor Maria Chiara Alvisi, midwife of the DrSilva Academy .
If you are looking for advice on how to prevent colic in your little one or how to follow him in his motor development path, I invite you to visit me on the profile @drsilva.com_official .
How many ml per day for each breastfeeding: the first days after giving birth
Let's imagine answering the question " How much milk should a newborn drink? " and considering the case of a breastfed baby.
In the very first days of life, colostrum , the serous fluid initially produced by the mother's breast, is able to satisfy the baby's nutritional needs.
In addition to being characterized by an enormous amount of nutrients, it is produced in quantities that meet the needs of a stomach of very small dimensions to say the least.
To give a concrete example, remember that, on the first day after giving birth, the baby's stomach is the same size as a cherry.
During this time, the puppy takes in approximately 5 ml of colostrum at a single feeding.
After three days, his stomach, in size, can be compared to a walnut.
With the arrival of the milk flow, in response to nipple stimulation - a correct latch is essential - the breast will be able to produce an amount of milk appropriate to the size of the baby's stomach.
Newborn Grams Table First Days: Does It Exist or Not?
When talking about how much milk a breastfed newborn should drink , one also wonders whether or not there is a table with reference ml, to be used starting from the first days after birth.
The answer is no!
The puppy is perfectly capable of self-regulating and the production of milk from the breast responds completely to its needs.
It is also essential to take into account the fact that no two feedings are the same and that babies - who have different weights and specific growth curves - do not stay attached to the breast by the clock.
That's why, in case of breastfeeding, it makes no sense to ask how much milk a one or two month old baby should drink.
What the mother must do is avoid focusing on timing - the old adage of 10 minutes per breast has been largely surpassed - and monitor her baby's satiety signals .
Here are the main ones:
Newborn baby falling asleep;
baby who, although no longer sucking vigorously, is calm;
newborn with relaxed muscle tone (not tense and with closed fists);
newborn who spontaneously detaches from the breast.
No one forbids weighing your little one, initially once a week and, as time goes by, once a month, but it is always best not to focus exclusively on the numbers.