How to keep a Breastfeeding Log
You may find it easier to keep track of your breastfeeding with a breastfeeding log. This is a simple spreadsheet that contains pertinent information about when you are breastfeeding. It will help you make sure that you are breastfeeding enough.
You can use a spreadsheet program such as excel to do the sheet or make a table on a word processor. You can also just write it out on the word processor program or simply write it by hand.
The breastfeeding log should list various things. First you want to list the date and time of each feeding. Put these in as they happen. With very young infants, it is recommended to feed babies on demand and not wait for a predetermined time. When kids are very young, they will sometimes recommend feeding a baby at least every few hours in order to make sure they are getting enough nourishment. This is around the clock.
One item to be sure to include in the breastfeeding log is which side that you nurse on. Some people will nurse on both sides whereas others might just do one side per feeding. If you do both sides, you should alternate which side that you start with. If you do not breastfeed evenly, then one of your breasts can actually become larger than the other, and obviously that is not something you want.
You may want to write down how long the baby breastfeeds for during the feeding. This can give you an idea of how much milk the baby got. You can also write about whether it was a large, medium or small nursing.
Some people have concerns about their baby’s weight gain and nursing. In this case, they will sometimes want you to get a more accurate measure of how much milk your baby has consumed. Just because he or she breastfed for a long time, does not mean that he or she got a lot more milk. The best way to get an accurate measure of this at home is to use a baby scale to weigh the baby right before and right after he or she eats. You should write down the exact amount he or she ate. If you like, you can also do this according to breast.
Keeping a breastfeeding log will help you remember when you last fed your baby and other pertinent details. It can be very useful for new mothers.