Whether you're a new mom or a seasoned parenting pro, breastfeeding often comes with its fair share of questions. Here are answers to some common inquiries that mothers - new and veteran - may have.

How can I tell if my baby is getting enough to eat?

Babies grow at different rates, and at times you may wonder whether your baby is getting enough nutrients to develop properly. On average, a newborn in the first month consumes about 1.5 to 2 ounces (44.3 to 59.1 milliliters) every 2 hours.

To help determine whether your baby is eating enough, follow the schedule of regular postnatal checkups (well-child visits to the doctor after the birth) so that your baby can be weighed and measured.

Doctors usually want to weigh infants and evaluate breastfeeding 48 to 72 hours after a mother and newborn leave the hospital, so you'll have a chance to talk to your baby's doctor about any concerns you may have about whether your baby is getting enough.

Your breastfed newborn probably is getting enough if he or she:

• seems alert and content
• is steadily gaining weight
• feeds between eight to 12 times per day

The following are possible signs of underfeeding:

• your baby's skin remains wrinkled well into the first month of life
• your baby's face doesn't seem to fill out
• your baby doesn't appear to be satisfied, even after a complete feeding

If you're concerned or notice any signs that your infant isn't getting enough nutrients, call your baby's doctor.

What should my breastfed newborn's diapers look like?

Your baby's diapers are excellent indicators of whether your breastfed baby is getting what he or she needs. Because colostrum (the first milk your newborn gets) is concentrated, your baby may have only one or two wet diapers in the first 24 to 48 hours.

Newborns' stools (or poop) are thick and tarry at first and become more greenish-yellow as your milk comes in, which is usually about 3 or 4 days after birth. The more your baby nurses, the more dirty (or "soiled") diapers he or she will have; but it may be just one a day in the first days after birth.

After 2 to 4 days, here are some signs you should look for:

• six or more wet diapers per day, with clear or very pale urine. If you see orange crystals in a wet diaper, contact your baby's doctor - these can be a sign of inadequate fluid intake or dehydration.
• two or more yellow, seedy bowel movements per day, usually one after each feeding through 4 weeks of age. After about a month, though, breastfed babies usually have fewer bowel movements and many may not have one every day.

How often should I breastfeed my baby?

Your newborn should be nursing eight to 12 times per day early on, usually during about the first month. If you feel like you're feeding your little one more often than someone you know whose baby is formula fed, you are. Why? Because breast milk digests easier than formula, which means it moves through your baby's digestive system faster and, therefore, makes your baby hungry more often.

Frequent feedings also will help stimulate your milk production during the first few weeks. By 2 to 3 months of age, a breastfed baby will probably want to nurse six to eight times a day.

Once your milk supply is established, breastfeeding should be "on demand" (when your baby is hungry), which is generally every 1 to 4 hours. As newborns get older, they'll need to nurse less frequently - some may feed every hour and a half, whereas others may go 2 or 3 hours between feedings. But your infant may feed every hour for a stretch, then sleep a good 4 to 5 hours (if you're lucky!). And there may be times when you'll even need to wake your baby to nurse.

Are feeding intervals counted from the time my baby starts or stops nursing?

You count the length between feedings from the time when your baby begins to nurse - rather than when he or she ends - to when your little one nurses again. In other words, when your child's doctor asks how often your baby is feeding, you can say "about every 2 hours" if your first feeding started at 6 a.m. and the next feeding was at around 8 a.m., then 10 a.m., and so on.

This means that, especially at first, you may feel like you're nursing around the clock, which is completely normal. Soon enough, you'll both be on a more routine, predictable schedule.

How long will it take to nurse my baby?

That depends on both you and your baby and many other factors, such as whether:

• your milk supply has come in completely at first
• your let-down (or milk ejection reflex) is immediate or takes a few minutes into the feeding to start
• your milk flow is slow or fast
• you're positioning your baby correctly on your breast
• your baby tends to get right down to business or dawdles a bit
• your baby is sleepy or easily distracted (which can be the case in older babies, especially)

How long babies nurse also depends on their age. As babies get older, they become more efficient, so they may take anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes on each side, as compared to when they were newborns and fed for up to 20 minutes on each side.

Make sure your baby is latched on correctly from the beginning to ensure the most productive feeding possible. It's important that your baby nurses with a wide-open mouth and takes as much as possible of your areola in his or her mouth (not just the tip of the nipple).

But be sure to call your child's doctor if you're concerned about the length of your baby's feedings - whether they seem too short or too long.

How often should I alternate breasts?

To keep up your milk supply in both breasts - and prevent painful engorgement in one - it's important to alternate breasts and try to give each one the same amount of nursing time throughout the day. Again, that amount of time differs for every baby and every woman - some babies may be satisfied after 5 minutes on each breast, others may need 10 or even 15 minutes on each side.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends switching breasts during each feeding and alternating which breast you offer first for each feeding. Can't remember on which breast your baby last nursed? Some women find it helpful to attach a subtle reminder - a safety pin or small ribbon - to their bra straps indicating which breast they last nursed on so they'll know to start with that breast at the next feeding.

However, some lactation specialists are now recommending just nursing on one breast per feeding and switching breasts from one feed to the next. This allows the baby to get more of the hind-milk, which is fattier. (Containing protein, vitamins, and water, foremilk comes at a feeding's beginning. Hind-milk comes later and has higher fat levels, which aids in an infant's weight gain.)

Some recent information also suggests that timed feedings can sometimes create difficulties early on. Why? Because if you take your baby off the first breast after 10 minutes, he or she may not latch onto the other breast as well and, subsequently, won't get what he or she needs.

But your baby may seem to prefer both breasts with each feeding and may be doing well. Or, your little one may like to nurse on just one breast with each feeding. Whichever way you choose, it's important for you to do whatever works and is the most comfortable for you and your baby.

How often should I burp my baby during feedings?

Let your baby breastfeed at one breast then switch him or her to the other side. Try burping your baby before switching breasts. Often, the movement alone can be enough to cause a baby to burp, but if this doesn't happen, you can try again when your baby's finished with the second breast.

However, because some lactation consultants are now recommending just nursing on one breast during each feeding (see the question above), if your baby is doing well early on, let your little one continue to nurse as long as is comfortable on one breast. Then try burping your baby during a natural break or at the end of the feeding.

As your milk comes in and your baby has established good latch-on, then you can try burping as frequently as you think helps your baby. Some infants need more or less burping and it can vary from feeding to feeding depending on what the mother has been eating.

I think my baby might sometimes just want to breastfeed for comfort. Is this OK?

If your baby seems to be getting enough milk, but continues to suck for an hour or more, he or she might be nursing for comfort rather than for nourishment. So, how do you know? Once your baby has fed vigorously, he or she may stay on your breast but show these signs of non-nutritive sucking (or pacifying):

• seems satisfied
• stops sucking and swallowing
• plays with your nipple

Early on, it's OK to let your baby nurse for comfort, but it can become problematic as your little one gets older because he or she may need to nurse to take a nap or go to bed at night. So, at some point in the second or third month, you should probably wean your baby off of sucking for comfort and make breastfeeding sessions about nourishment not pacifying.

Instead of nursing, you may want to offer your baby his or her thumb or hand to suck on. You also could consider giving your little one a pacifier. However, because early use of a pacifier makes it less likely that a mother and baby will continue nursing, you should only do this after breastfeeding is well established (usually after 1 month).

After that point, a bottle and pacifier may be introduced - with the realization that even then it may cause your baby to have "nipple confusion," though the likelihood of this happening is much less after 4 to 6 weeks. The other concern about using a pacifier is that your child may still be hungry and actually needs to feed.

My baby suddenly seems to be much hungrier than usual. Is this normal?

As babies gain weight, they should begin to eat more at each feeding and go longer between feedings. Still, there may be times when your little one seems hungrier than usual.

Your baby may be going through a period of rapid growth (called a growth spurt). These can happen at any time, but in the early months growth spurts typically occur at around:

• 7 to 10 days old
• between 3 and 6 weeks
• 4 months
• 6 months

During these times and whenever your baby seems especially hungry, follow his or her hunger cues and continue to feed on demand, increasing the frequency of feedings as needed.

Reviewed by: Barbara P. Homeier, MD
Date reviewed: August 2005