The First Two Weeks of Life

Day 1 with your Baby and Breastfeeding

Stay with your
Baby as much as
Possible
Skin
Skin to
to skin
skin contact
contact is
is
key
key
Be
Be available
available to
to observe
observe
your
your babies
babies feeding
feeding
cues
cues
Your
Your baby
baby will
will show
show an
an
interest in feeding about
3-4
3-4 times
times in
in the
the first
first 24
24
ours
ours
Do not offer a pacifier

Diapers on
Day 1

Breastfeedin
g

Normal
Normal to
to have
have 1
1
pee diaper and 1
stool
stool
Pee
Pee should
should be
be
clear
clear to
to light
light
yellow
yellow in
in color
color
Stools
Stools should
should be
be
dark
dark black
black and
and
sticky
sticky

Latching
Latching should
should
be comfortable
with
with a
a gentle
gentle tug
tug
of
of the
the nipple
nipple
Biting,
Biting, pinching,
pinching,
or
or squeezing
squeezing
feelings
feelings mean
mean
the latch is not
good
good

Day 2
Babies will be interested in about 8 feedings/day
Focus on the latch, your comfort, suckling rhythm,
and not falling asleep while feeding
Output on day 2 should be 2 wet diapers and 2 stools
Stools will become lighter and less sticky

Day 3
Continue 8 feedings/day
Monitor comfort level, babies activity at breast, and
output
Output should be 3 wet diapers and 2-3 stools
Stools will be lighter and possibly yellow with seed
appearance

Day 4- Week 2
Continue 8 feedings
Monitor comfort level, babies activity at breast,
and output
Output should be 4 heavy wet diapers, and stools
that are yellow in color

Babies will have

a Rhythm to
their Sucking
Mouth
Mouth opens
opens and
and
closes,
closes, opens
opens and
and
closes in a pattern
A
A bunch
bunch of
of sucking,
sucking, a
a
rest
rest of
of less
less than
than 1
1
minute, a bunch of
sucks,
sucks, a
a rest
rest and
and
repeat
repeat
This
This should
should not
not hurt
hurt

Timing
Your
Your baby
baby should
should
not
not fall
fall asleep
asleep
after
after a
a few
few
minutes of
feeding
feeding
Actively
Actively sucking
sucking
for 15-20
minutes
minutes
Pay
Pay attention
attention to
to
suckling
suckling rhythm
rhythm
and
and your
your comfort
comfort

Reasons to be Concerned at
this Point
If
breastfeedi
ng makes
your
nipples sore
Baby
Baby
wanting to
feed 10 or
more
times in
24 hours

Baby
sleeping
for longer
than 4
hour
stretches
and
getting
less than 8
feedings a
day

If your breasts feel

sore, painful, or
not relieved after
feeding
Output is
less than
described
(on chart
to left)

4 day
weight
check
shows
your baby
has lost
more than
7 oz

5 day
weight
check
shows that
your baby
has not
started to
gain
weight