Milk Supply: How to Actually Know If You Have Enough

Breastfeeding can be a truly beautiful experience, but it can also feel very overwhelming at times. One of the biggest challenges I see in clinic isn't necessarily milk supply itself, it's confidence in milk supply.

Almost every mum, at some point, wonders:

• How do I know if I have enough milk?
• How much is too much?
• What is oversupply?
• What is undersupply?
• What if I don't have enough?

Let's break it down properly.

How do you know if you have enough milk?

The most reliable signs aren't how your breasts feel or how much you can pump. Instead, look at your baby.

• Steady weight gain
• Plenty of wet nappies, usually 5+ heavy wets per day after the early weeks
• Regular bowel motions (this varies with age)
• Baby looks content and relaxed after feeds
• You can hear or see swallowing during feeds

Soft breasts, shorter feeds, or a baby wanting to feed frequently do not automatically mean low supply. Feeding patterns change as babies become more efficient at the breast, and that's a sign of progress, not a problem.

What is oversupply?

Oversupply is when milk production exceeds what your baby needs. Signs can include:

• Very full, uncomfortable breasts
• Frequent leaking
• Baby coughing, spluttering or pulling off
• Green, frothy stools
• Gassiness or fussiness at the breast

Oversupply can sometimes look like reflux or a feeding difficulty on the surface, but it's a supply balance issue, not a milk quality issue, and it's managed very differently once you know that's what's happening.

What is undersupply?

True low supply is less common than many mums think. Signs may include:

• Poor weight gain
• Fewer wet nappies
• Baby appearing unsettled after most feeds
• Minimal swallowing heard during feeds

If supply is genuinely low, there's almost always a reason: latch, milk transfer, oral function, feeding frequency, maternal health, or hormonal factors. And importantly, there are usually strategies to work on together to help increase it.

The most important thing to remember

Milk supply runs on a demand and supply system. The more effectively milk is removed, the more your body is signalled to make. Supply is dynamic. It changes. It responds. It adjusts. And there's a lot that can be done both before and after birth to make sure you've maximised your body's opportunity to make milk.

Low supply can be one of the hardest challenges in breastfeeding. But with the right support, an understanding of why supply is low, and the knowledge that every drop of breastmilk genuinely benefits your baby, you can still have a positive breastfeeding experience. It doesn't have to be all or nothing. There's a balance, and finding the one that works for you and your family is entirely possible.

If you've had low supply with a previous baby, consider a Prep for Breastfeeding session before this baby arrives, so we can fully debrief, brainstorm potential causes, and set realistic expectations for you and your baby this time round.

If you're worried about your supply, please reach out. Sometimes all that's needed is understanding what's actually normal.

Confidence in your supply shouldn't come from guesswork

So much of the anxiety around supply comes down to not knowing which signs actually matter and which ones don't. Once you know what to look for in your baby rather than your breasts, most of that worry has somewhere real to land.

Inside the Best Start Breastfeeding Membership, you'll learn exactly how milk production works, how to read your baby's cues instead of second-guessing your body, and how to tell the difference between a normal fluctuation and something worth getting properly assessed. You'll also have weekly group calls to bring your specific supply concerns to, and a community of mums working through the exact same questions.

You get 12 months of access for one payment of $299, or $70/month if you'd rather spread it out.

[Join the Best Start Breastfeeding Membership →]

If you're worried about your supply, or you've had a difficult experience with a previous baby and want to prepare properly this time, please reach out. We'll help you understand what's actually going on and build a plan around it.

Eve Coote Best Start Lactation — "Evidence-based breastfeeding support for you and your baby."