An issue that troubles many new families are concerns that a baby is nursing effectively and getting enough milk.

Many people are told that "latch is good" but there are telltale signs beyond a baby placing their mouth on the breast. Breastfeeding should not hurt! And, if latch hurts, it’s likely to be less effective in moving the milk - this can affect your milk supply, the baby’s intake and more.

Here are a few of our favorite resources that will help you determine if your baby is nursing effectively.

This excellent video from Global Health Media describes how to count diapers to know if baby is drinking enough (first 2 minutes of the video), and also shows how to tell if a baby is drinking or “nibbling” (after the diaper counting)
This printable handout describes how to count diapers and more - helpful to print and have with you just after birth!
Breast compressions help push the nipple deeper in the baby’s mouth and also help baby’s get more milk (which also helps supply!). For a newborn, breast compressions can be so helpful for them while they are fully incorporating nursing skills - over time you shouldn’t have to use them anymore.
The website Droplet has AMAZING resources (in English and Spanish) on latch, making milk, hand expression, pumping and more! Their ABCs page (Attachment, Breastmilk production, and Calories) has great videos for your first introduction to latch and milk production, (and the rest of the site has wonderful info as well).
And, the International Breastfeeding Centre (Dr. Jack Newman's site) has many informative videos that show effective vs. non-effective latching. Compare the videos to your baby's latch to help assess how things are going!

Deeper Latch ——>