By the way he is breastfed and I am using postal scales and subtracting the weight of the empty diaper….do they put out just as much as they take in or only a portion of it ? I have weighed him b4 and after feeding but am just curious if the diaper weight is a good measure thanks!!
I mean a wet diaper of course after a feeding session……
the number of wet diapers is a good indication of if babies are getting enough to eat. No weighing the diaper will not give you the answer you are searching for but having baby pee in a cup would lol but that might be really difficult.
Well take into conseideration that some of it goes into his body as nutrition, so it’s not all going to come out. I don’t know if it’s a good method though. Is he cranky? like he’s still hungry? Cause if he’s usually content then it’s probably ok, and he’s getting enough.
Do the opposite — weigh the baby before a feed and after the feed (no diapers on either). Whatever the difference is, he should weigh a bit more afterward, and this would be the amount he ate. My son had latching problems and this is how the lactation nurse was able to see if he was getting enough milk. Think oz here not lbs. I don’t know if postal scales are sensitive enough but if they are then it should work.
Edited to add: this will only tell you what your son ate for that particular feed, and since they take different amounts every time, it doesn’t really give you an overall picture. Counting his wet diapers in a 24-hour period will give you a better idea if he’s getting enough milk.
I wouldn’t weigh the diapers…as long as he/she is having an average of 6-8 wet diapers a day that is very good.
no, this is not a good way to measure your baby’s intake. Is there a medical reason for wanting to know how much he is taking in? I am just asking because if there is not, the best way to make sure that your baby is taking in enough is your baby’s temperment. Does he appear to be satisfied? does he have regular bowel movements? Measuringa wet diaper won’t let you know how much he is taking because breast milk includes foremilk ( the mostly water portion) and hindmilk the creamier fatty milk). So , just as importantly as the wets are the bowel movements that your baby has. Breastfeeding is different from bottlefeeding in that with bottlefeeding , after you give the baby a bottle, you can look and see waht the baby took in and confirm that the baby is taking in a certain amount of food. With breastfeeding , it calls on a more intuitive side of you to trust your body and your baby to let you know what he needs. ounces don’t mean much to the breastfed baby is basicly the bottom line. Breastfed babies excrete what they do not need…the excess. So, in the beginning there is a boewl movement per feed ( is the norm) and as they get older ( like my son) there are times when it can be a 3-4 days without a bowel movement . Happy nursing and I hope this helps! Trust yourself mommy…
I’ve heard that can be used to measure a baby’s intake to make sure they are taking in enough breastmilk, but as far as the exact amount I dont know for sure. They did that with my daughter’s diaper at the Dr’s office during one of her newborn check-ups (weighed her diaper) and said good, but didnt fill me in on why it was good. Everytime I changed her she had done a pee pee (between 8 to 10 times a day in her first few months) but sometimes it was heavier than others. As long as she’s continuing to go pee pee, you know she’s getting milk, and as long as she’s happy after a nursing than you know you’ve done your job. Babies, especially if they are breastfed, can gain very different amounts as it is BASED ON APPETITE. My daughter was gaining a bit slowly at first and this caused all sorts of concerns for my first pediatrician who told me to give bottles of formula, so I changed to a more supportive pediatrician who realised breastfed babies dont always follow the curve established by formula fed babies. Not before I was thoroughly freaked out of course, thinking I was starving my daughter. Go with your gut instinct as well, if you think your baby is getting enough than I am sure they are!
It’s really overall weight gain that is important, not did they gain 2oz a day (or whatever it is). Weighing your baby once a week to see how they are doing, and looking at the overall monthly increase, is how I think you should approach it. If your baby isnt gaining ‘enough’, try nursing more frequently and making sure baby isnt too sleepy when he’s eating as is frequently an issue.
Hope that helps
This is a very VERY good question. I have been trying to figure out how much my baby ‘s eating since the first few weeks. They tell you that 6-8 diapers is good, and my baby would have like 10 or something. But how wet should each diaper be? I guess we breastfeeding mommies should just relax, and know that everything ‘s okay as long as baby’s gainning enough, and has enough wet diapers. But when baby’s cranky or doesn’t sleep enough, you always have to wonder if they’re hungry, even if they ‘re gainning enough. I mean what if they want to gain more?
Anyway, sorry I keep going on and on, I just know what you’re going through. This is my suggestion if you want a rough idea of how much he’s eating.
Rent a baby scale from Medela. There should be places in your area that rent or sale baby scales, and they’re more accurate than postal scales I think. Ask a lactation consultant where you can find one. Weigh baby before feed. Even with clothes on, and diaper it’s okay. As long as you weigh them after they eat wearing exaclty the same things. You’re not checking how much he really weighs, just checking the difference of before and after. The difference should be roughly what he ate.
I would say though, if he’s gainning enough, try to relax a little. How much he consumes doesn’t really matter as long, as he gets what he needs. Some babies need more, and others need less.
Oh, and the diaper isn’t really a good measure, because not all of the amount comes out in the diaper.