The American Academy of Pediatrics New Mother's Guide to Breastfeeding by American Academy of Pediatrics

Author:American Academy of Pediatrics [Meek, Joan Younger]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-307-48111-5
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Published: 2002-04-11T04:00:00+00:00

CHECKING HER DIAPER

Some of the best signs that your baby is breastfeeding successfully can be found in her diaper. As your milk supply becomes more abundant, your breastfeeding baby will wet more diapers per day. By five to seven days after birth, she should be wetting her diaper at least six to eight times in a twenty-four-hour period. You may have to look closely to tell whether a highly absorbent disposable diaper is wet. Comparing the weight of a fresh diaper to the one you are removing can help you decide if the baby has urinated in the diaper. Coinciding with the increase in your milk volume (generally after the second to fifth day), you should also check that the urine is colorless or pale yellow—not dark yellow or red- or pink-speckled. (The latter are signs of highly concentrated urine, which may be normal in the first few days after delivery but later could indicate that your baby is not getting enough milk.) Once your milk volume increases, your infant should also pass about three or four bowel movements each day. These stools will consist of loose, yellow curds—no longer the tarry-black stool of the first few days—and much of the normal watery stool may be absorbed into a diaper, leaving what appears to be a stain. Some infants pass a yellow stool after each feeding at this point, and this is considered perfectly normal during the early weeks. After about a month the number of bowel movements will start to decrease. Babies older than one month will sometimes go for days or even a week or more without passing a stool. This, too, is normal, as long as she still feeds eagerly, is gaining weight well, has a soft tummy, and has a soft, usually large stool when she does have one. Anytime you have concerns about your baby's stool or urination patterns, consult your pediatric health-care provider.

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