False alarms that may cause some moms to worry that their milk supply is low:

False alarms that may cause some moms to worry that their milk supply is low:

1. Baby nurses often... Many babies have a strong need to suck or be in frequent contact with their mothers. If baby is nursing effectively, frequent nursing means that the baby is getting enough--not that there's a lack of milk.

2. Baby seems hungry an hour after or so after being fed... Human milk digests more quickly than formula and places less strain on a baby's immature digestive system, so the breastfed baby needs to be fed more frequently than the formula-fed baby.

3. The baby suddenly increases the frequency and/or length of his nursings... Babies who are very sleepy newborns often "wake up" at about 2-3 weeks of age and begin nursing more frequently. Babies also go through occasional growth spurts more often than usual to bring in more milk to meet their needs.

4. Fussy Babies... Many babies have a fussy period each day, often at about the same time of the day. Some babies are fussy much of the time. Fussiness can be caused by many things other than hunger, but often there is no discernible reason. Many moms are concerned that their babies are fussy because they aren't getting enough milk, but it's the quiet, calm, easygoing baby who is more likely to go longer between feedings, take in less milk and gain weight slowly.

5. The baby was weighed before and after a feeding... Then the mom is told her baby didn't get enough to eat. As mentioned previously, studies have shown that test weighing is not a reliable indicator of whether a baby has breastfed well, because **most** baby scales are not sensitive enough to record such a small change in weight accurately.

6. Baby takes a bottle after nursing... Many babies will suck on a bottle even when they are full, because they like to suck. This is not necessarily a sign that the baby did not get enough at the breast.

7. The Mother cannot express much milk... Milk expression is a learned skill and the amount of milk expressed will increase with practice and the mother's ability to let down her milk to the pump. Pumping effectiveness may also vary depending on the type of pump used, etc. The amount of milk expressed may be totally unrelated to her milk supply.