How Do You Know Your Breastfed Baby is Full? A Guide for Breastfeeding Mothers

Breastfeeding is a natural process, but it can be challenging to know whether your baby is getting enough milk. Some babies will signal they are full soon after they start nursing, while others will take a while to eat and need to serve for longer spans. It can be frustrating trying to figure out when your baby has had enough: but by paying attention to their cues and following a few general guidelines, you can understand them.

Your breastfed baby is constantly growing and changing. So it’s necessary to know how much and how often to breastfeed to make sure your little one is getting enough milk. Here are a few tips on how to tell if your breastfed baby is full:

1- Your baby, stop sucking.

Babies will instinctively suck on anything that they can find. This is their way of getting food, and sucking is comforting to them. However, babies will stop sucking on things when they have had enough food. If you see your baby sucking on their hands, feet, or toys, then they are probably getting the nutrition that they need.

2- Your baby closes their mouth.

If your baby is closing their mouth when they are being fed, it is a sign that they have had enough to eat. Babies will do this as a way of communicating with their parents. It is important to pay attention to your baby’s signals, as they will let you know when they are full.

3- Your baby closes its lips tightly.

When babies close their lips tightly, it means they have had enough to eat. This is a natural way for them to stop eating and signal to caregivers that they are full. Babies will also turn their heads away from food and push it away with their hands when they have had enough.

4- Your baby stops fussing and crying.

Babies cry for many reasons: they are tired, they need a diaper change, they’re hot or cold, they’re overstimulated or bored. But one of the most common reasons babies cry is because they are hungry.

Babies will usually start to calm down and stop fussing when they have been fed enough. It’s not an exact science, and each baby is different, but if you’re breastfeeding your baby and they start to calm down after a few minutes, you can be pretty sure they have completely fed.

5- Your baby falls asleep.

Nothing is more gratifying than seeing your baby falls asleep while nursing. And according to a study, it might be a sign that your baby is getting enough food. The study, published in the journal Pediatrics, found that babies who fall asleep after being fed are more likely to be getting enough food than those who do not.

6- Your baby burps.

When your baby burps, it is a sign that they have had enough to eat. Burping is the body’s form of getting rid of excess air swallowed during feeding. If your baby doesn’t burp after most feedings, they may be taking in too much air. This can cause discomfort, spitting up and gas.

7- Your baby has a bowel movement.

It is a common misconception that a baby’s bowel movement is a sign they are not getting enough food. It could not be different from the reality. A baby’s bowel movement is a sign they are getting enough food and are healthy. 

Babies will have between one and five bowel movements per day. The type of bowel movement can vary, but it should always be soft and easy to pass. If your baby is having fewer than one bowel movement per day, or if their bowel movements are hard and difficult to pass, then they may not be getting enough food.