How can I tell whether my baby's getting enough breast milk?

If baby is healthy, gaining weight, and seems happy and contented after the majority of his breastfeeds, then you can feel reassured he's getting what he needs. You can also look at his nappies - a healthy baby wets several nappies a day, and his poos will usually be yellow and soft after the first few days.
Babies don't gain weight at the same rate each week, and some gain quite slowly at first, so just looking at weight gain from one week to the next is not really enough. Your baby should also take the breast as if he knows what to do, be eager to come to the breast, and stay there without continually slipping off and crying or falling asleep. These are all good signs.

If there's any question about your supply, then the three most important things for you to do are:

• Feed more often, holding your baby close to you so he gets the chance to 'tell' you when he would like to feed. Keeping your baby near you, skin to skin, means you can respond to his cues and feed him without a fuss.
• Let your baby stay on one side for as long as he seems to want to before switching to the other side.
•  Check the way your baby gets positioned and attached at the breast - ask someone who knows what to look for - a breastfeeding counsellor or lactation consultant - to make sure he's latching on correctly.

Effective feeding depends on good positioning and attachment so your baby can get a good mouthful of breast and suck and swallow comfortably without you getting sore.
A good milk supply depends on this - and on frequent feeding. Some babies do feed regularly and predictably, but most don't. It's perfectly normal for you to lose count of the times your baby comes to the breast, or to be unsure when one feed ends and the other begins! Babies often space their feeds out as they grow.

That's not to say that frequent 'marathon feeds' are normal. While an occasional long feed is fine, and not a sign that anything's wrong, a baby who usually feeds for hours on end without ever seeming full or happy may be poorly latched on and may not be feeding effectively to stimulate a good milk supply and to feel satisfied.