The best way to know if your milk is adequate for your baby is to count the number of times the baby is passing urine ( this should be six times or more in 24 hours ) And to periodically check the baby’s weight at the time of the routine visit to the baby’s doctor.
At times, the mother has adequate milk, but she is very anxious and stressed out for various reasons. At such times, because of the stress, the Let down reflex i.e. the mechanism by which milk comes out from the breast, is adversely affected. There is milk in the breast but it doesn’t come out. As this happens, the baby starts crying. This crying make the mother more and more anxious and a vicious cycle sets in. Eventually the mother starts feeling that her milk is not adequate for the baby even though she has enough milk. That is why it is very important to stay relaxed while feeding the baby. Before starting breastfeeding, sit quietly for a couple of minutes, breathe out deeply and then start feeding the baby. You will immediately find a positive change. As the mother is relaxed, the let down reflex works normally, and the baby starts receiving milk from the breast when it sucks. As this happens, the baby is also relaxed and stops crying. In these situations there is absolutely no need to start supplemental milk if the baby is gaining weight adequately. The mother just needs to learn to relax and enjoy the process of breastfeeding.