Archive.php

Emne: enough milk

Is our baby getting enough milk?

It’s very common to have moments of doubt about whether your baby is getting enough milk; most parents feel this at times. The good news is that most babies get what they need simply by coming to the breast whenever they show signs of wanting to feed

Gem

How do we know if our baby under 1 month old is getting enough milk?

For babies younger than one month, nappies give the clearest indication of whether they are feeding well. Swipe to see all the signs your newborn is getting enough milk and what you can do if you are unsure.

Learning your baby’s signals helps you feel more confident

If your baby cries more, sleeps less deeply, or feeds differently than usual, it’s very easy to start worrying about milk intake. These worries are completely normal. In most cases, babies take exactly the milk they need.

Knowing the main signs of good milk intake can help you feel more secure. If it looks as though your baby needs more, there is guidance below on how to support milk production. And if you are still unsure, your health visitor or maternity ward can always guide you during the first week after birth.

Read about how to increase your milk supply

Are there enough wet nappies and bowel movements for your baby’s age?

In the first week, nappies are the most important sign of whether your baby is getting enough milk. Your baby should have wet nappies and poos that gradually change from dark to yellow:

  • In the first days, the baby’s poo is black or dark green and sticky
  • Then it become greenish and later yellow
  • By around day 7, poo should be soft, yellow, and mildly sour-smelling
  • Wee output also increases — from one wet nappy in the first 24 hours to at least six heavy wet nappies a day by the end of the first week.

If your baby’s nappies do not quite follow this pattern, try offering the breast more often.

Check Baby chart

Are there enough feeds?

Frequent feeding is another strong sign that your baby is getting enough. In the first 24 hours, babies vary — some feed only 4–5 times, while others want the breast more often. From day two onwards, babies should breastfeed at least eight times per day, and often more. This does not mean feeding on a strict schedule. Let your baby decide how often and how long to feed so they get exactly the milk they need. If there are fewer than eight feeds in 24 hours, watch the video below on frequent breastfeeding to see what you can do.

You can also contact your health visitor — or the maternity unit during the first week — if you are worried that your baby is not feeding often enough.

Recognising when your baby wants the breast

Feeding your baby whenever you notice early hunger cues helps ensure they get the milk they need. Early signs can be subtle at first. Watch for:

  • Moving arms and legs
  • Sticking out the tongue or making sucking movements
  • Bringing a hand to the mouth
  • Turning the head or searching for the breast

If your baby waits too long, these early signs can turn into fussiness or crying. Try to offer the breast at the early cues whenever possible.

Do we need to breastfeed at night?

Yes. Night feeds help ensure your baby gets enough milk. Because newborns’ stomachs are small and breast milk is digested quickly, most babies need to breastfeed at night while they are exclusively breastfed.

Many babies need around two night feeds on average. Night feeding also supports milk production, as it prevents long gaps between feeds.

Does the baby have a healthy skin colour?

Your baby’s skin colour can offer clues about how they are doing and whether they are getting enough milk. What is “normal” varies with family skin tone, but it should look pink, golden or naturally darker.

If your baby looks pale, hold them skin-to-skin. Your baby may be a little cold, and skin-to-skin contact can help warm them up. If their skin has a greyish tone, get medical advice right away.

Are there any signs of jaundice?

Mild jaundice is common in newborns. But if jaundice makes your baby very sleepy, they may not feed often enough. Watch for yellowing of the skin or the whites of the eyes during the first week. Frequent breastfeeding — at least eight times a day, and more if possible — is the best way to prevent jaundice. Breast compressions during feeds (see the video) can also help your baby take in more milk.

If your baby seems unusually sleepy, feeds infrequently, and also looks yellow, contact your maternity ward or health visitor for advice.

Is your baby awake, alert, and keen to feed?

Brief periods of wakefulness are a positive sign. However, newborns sleep a lot, which can make it difficult to judge whether your baby is ‘awake enough’.
Your baby may look around, make eye contact, bring a hand towards the mouth, make sucking movements, search for the breast, or become a little restless — all of these suggest they are ready to feed.

It is normal for babies to be drowsy when they come to the breast, as long as they feed at least eight times in 24 hours. If your baby sleeps for long stretches and shows little interest in feeding, follow the advice in the link below.

Read more about how to get more milk

How do we know if our baby over 1 month is getting enough milk?

When your baby is no longer a newborn, many of the same signs still help — but some change with age. Swipe to see hunger and fullness cues for an older breastfed baby.

You may still feel uncertain

Even once breastfeeding is well established, many parents still wonder whether their baby is getting enough milk. Knowing the signs can help. After about six weeks, the content of nappies becomes less reliable as the main indicator. And by around three months, babies often put fingers or toys in the mouth simply to explore, not necessarily because they are hungry. If you feel your baby may not be getting enough, use the link below to find support.

Read about how to increase your milk supply

Normal feeding can look very different for different babies

It is easy to be misled by what you think a ‘normal feed’ looks like. If your baby’s feeding pattern differs from what you expected, you may worry that they are not getting enough milk. Remember that babies vary widely in how often and how long they need to breastfeed. Some finish after 5–10 minutes, while others feed for much longer before they are satisfied. It can also be entirely normal for your baby to want to stay at the breast for most of the evening.

As long as you let your baby decide how often and how long they want to feed, your milk supply will adjust to their appetite. There is no single pattern that all babies follow.

Poo and wee patterns in older babies

Once your baby is more than six weeks old, their poo pattern can vary a lot. Many fully breastfed babies may go several days — sometimes even 10–12 — without a bowel movement. This is still normal as long as your baby is only having breast milk. If your baby seems uncomfortable or bothered by the long gap, you can always check in with your health visitor.

Your baby should still have at least six heavy wet nappies in 24 hours. If there are fewer, try offering the breast more often.

Is your baby awake, alert, and keen to feed?

Short periods when your baby is awake and interested in the breast are a good sign. Even though your baby is no longer a newborn, they will still sleep a lot, and it’s natural to wonder whether they are awake enough to feed.

As long as your baby has moments of being alert — looking around, making eye contact, maybe cooing — and shows interest in feeding at least 6–8 times a day, it suggests they are thriving and getting enough milk.

If your baby is hungry, you may notice restless sleep between feeds, frequent waking, and that they only settle once they are back at the breast.

Does the baby become impatient and let go of the breast?

Some babies become frustrated and let go of the breast if the milk flow feels slow. If this happens, try holding your baby skin-to-skin. Close contact helps calm your baby and often encourages more frequent sucking, which, in turn, boosts milk production. Even when there is plenty of milk, a very hungry baby may still become impatient and pull away. Skin-to-skin contact can also help in this situation by soothing your baby and helping them settle back into feeding.

You can also gently roll or massage your nipple to encourage the let-down reflex so the milk begins to flow more quickly. Many parents also find the laid-back breastfeeding position helpful.

Does your baby suddenly want to feed more often?

When you let your baby feed as often and as long as they want, your milk supply adjusts to match their needs. This is how milk production is regulated. At times, your baby may seem harder to satisfy and may ask for the breast more frequently. Try not to worry — this is exactly how babies increase milk production and make sure they get what they need.

If your baby seems especially hungry, it may simply mean they need a little extra milk for a while, and feeding more often will help.
What it does not mean is that your milk is inadequate. Breast milk always contains the nutrients your baby needs.

Understanding your baby’s growth pattern

Steady growth is another useful sign that your baby is getting enough milk. Your health visitor or GP will weigh and measure your baby at regular intervals and record the results on the growth chart, which you can also access.

Babies grow differently from one another, so avoid drawing your own conclusions or comparing your baby with others. Your health visitor and GP are best placed to assess whether weight gain is adequate. They base this on the growth chart together with what you tell them about how your baby is doing.

Good to do

  • Try to remember that it’s completely normal to wonder whether your baby is getting enough milk
  • Let your baby feed at the breast as often and as long as they want — this is how most babies get the milk they need
  • Learn to notice your baby’s early feeding cues; it can help you feel more confident that your baby gets milk when they need it
  • Keep breastfeeding at night if you can — it supports milk production, and most babies need night feeds for the first 6 months or longer
  • If you’re ever unsure about your baby’s weight gain, talk with your health visitor

Watch related videos

Breasts and hands of a woman hand extracting breast milk

Find related content

Who can you contact?

If you experience challenges with breastfeeding – big or small – do not hesitate to seek professional advice. Swipe to see whom you can contact and when.

Who can you contact at the maternity ward?

You can contact the maternity-ward staff both during pregnancy and after birth.

Before birth, your midwife is the person to speak with about the early time with your baby and your thoughts about feeding – whether breastfeeding or bottle-feeding. If you have had previous breastfeeding problems, you can create a plan together.

Most maternity wards also offer antenatal classes, and your midwife can inform you about these.

After giving birth, you can receive help with breastfeeding from staff on the delivery or maternity ward while you are admitted.

All parents can also contact a breastfeeding hotline at their maternity ward within the first week after birth if they need help or guidance.

You can contact your municipal health-visitor service

The health-visitor service is available to all pregnant and new parents in Denmark. After birth, you will be offered free home visits with support and guidance to help you get a good start with your baby. Depending on your municipality and your stage in the process, different services and contact options may be available.

Some municipalities offer prenatal visits from a health visitor, where you can discuss breastfeeding, bottle-feeding, and preparing for life as a new family. Check your municipality’s website to see whether this is available where you live.

If you have special needs, you can contact the service to ask whether prenatal visits are offered to you.

Your health visitor will contact you and offer the first home visit. You can always call your municipal health visitor service for advice or guidance.

You can contact your GP if needed

Always speak with your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding and need medical treatment. In most cases, there is a medication that is safe to use during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Contact the on-call doctor or call 112 in an emergency

For sudden illness or worsening symptoms that cannot wait until your GP is available, or for minor injuries, you can contact the on-call doctor – or call 1813 if you live in the Capital Region.

In emergencies, if something is life-threatening or dangerous, call 112.

Contact volunteer breastfeeding counsellors

You can also contact volunteer breastfeeding counsellors if you need advice or guidance. Denmark has two support organisations: Forældre & Fødsel and Ammenet. The volunteers are mothers who have breastfed themselves, and both organisations provide guidance based on the recommendations of the Danish Health Authority.

Get help from Forældre og Fødsel

Get help from Ammenet

Your baby’s latch

Your baby’s latch

Gem

What an effective latch looks and feels like, and how you can support your baby during breastfeeding. Part 2 is coming in 2026.

 

Activate English subtitles  in top right corner

Signs your baby is getting enough milk

Signs your baby is getting enough milk

Gem

Key signs to look for when checking that your baby is getting enough milk.

 

Activate English subtitles  in top right corner

The four key messages about breastfeeding

The four key messages about breastfeeding

Gem

Learn how these four key messages can help you get off to a good start with breastfeeding.

 

Activate English subtitles  in top right corner

Signs that your baby is full

Signs that your baby is full

Gem

How your baby shows that it has had enough during a feed.

 

Activate English subtitles  in top right corner

Cup-feeding your baby

Cup-feeding your baby

Gem

How to give your baby milk using a cup.

 

Activate English subtitles  in top right corner

A good breastfeeding position

A good breastfeeding position

Gem

Ideas for finding a comfortable and supportive position—one of the four key breastfeeding messages.

 

Activate English subtitles  in top right corner

Skin-to-skin contact

Skin-to-skin contact

Gem

Learn about the benefits of skin-to-skin contact and how to practice it. Skin-to-skin contact is one of the four key breastfeeding messages.

 

Activate English subtitles  in top right corner