Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health: The INFO Project

Breastmilk Value

• Is breastmilk alone enough to feed a baby?
• How can a woman know if she has enough milk and if her baby is getting enough milk?
• What if a woman does not produce enough milk for her baby?
• Are there certain foods a woman should or should not eat during breastfeeding?

Is breastmilk alone enough to feed a baby?

Human milk alone can fully satisfy the nutritional needs of a baby for the first six months of life. Infants do not need any other foods or liquids in addition to breastmilk, not even water, during their first six months. Human milk contains all the nutrients and immunities that a baby needs. It also is the easiest food for a baby to digest and promotes growth better than any substitute.

How can a woman know if she has enough milk and if her baby is getting enough milk?

A woman has enough milk and her baby is getting enough if the baby is gaining weight steadily. A baby should gain about 140 to 245 grams (about five to nine ounces) per week after the fourth day of life. To help keep track of growth, the mother should enroll the baby in a growth monitoring program in the community, if available, or at a local health facility. Another way a mother can determine if her baby is getting enough milk is to note her baby’s daily urination and bowel movements. By the second day after childbirth, the baby should begin to have at least three bowel movements each day. Once breastmilk comes in fully, usually by the fourth day after childbirth, the baby should begin to have at least six urinations each day.

What if a woman does not produce enough milk for her baby?

Nearly all women can produce enough milk for their babies. The more breastmilk a baby suckles, the more milk a woman will produce. Frequent feedings increase milk supply. To support milk production, breastfeeding mothers should avoid dehydration by drinking adequate amounts of water and other fluids. If a woman is not producing enough breastmilk, the problem may be that she is not nursing often and exclusively (that is, breastfeeding without providing any other foods, not even water). If she is not already doing so, a woman can offer her baby the second breast once the baby seems satisfied with feeding from the first breast. The mother can also try switching sides more times throughout each feeding session, or switching every time the baby falls asleep or loses interest.

Expressing milk by pump or hand either immediately after or between nursing sessions will remove more milk from the breasts, which speeds milk production and helps to increase a woman’s milk supply. This milk can be stored for use when the mother is away from her baby and cannot breastfeed. Expressed breastmilk can be stored up to 8 hours without refrigeration in a cool place and as long as 24 hours when refrigerated.

Are there certain foods a woman should or should not eat during breastfeeding?

A woman does not have to avoid any particular foods during breastfeeding. Eating a variety of fresh and healthy foods and drinking enough liquids help provide the nutrients a woman needs while breastfeeding. Well-nourished mothers have enough iron, calcium, vitamin A and vitamin B6 in their milk to meet their infant’s nutritional requirements during the first six months of life. To avoid malnutrition, breastfeeding women need an extra meal each day to support the increase in their nutritional needs and should take micronutrient supplements, if possible.