You might be thinking that your milk supply is low because your baby is literally latching on to you all day long. But wait. In MANY cases, a constantly hungry breastfeeding baby is, well, completely and exasperatingly NORMAL.
Yes. Normal. So don’t throw in the towel just yet! Breastfeeding is absolutely, 100% exhausting, draining, worrying, and painful (don’t believe the experts who say that it shouldn’t be), but it’s also freaking beautiful!
If you’re in severe pain (dealing with bleeding, cracking, etc) AND your baby is nursing constantly, you might have a latch issue. If your baby is not properly latched, he’s not extracting milk sufficiently.
According to Kelly Mom, there are only two ways to determine if you have a low milk supply:
By having your baby’s weight checked by the pediatrician and by tracking your baby’s wet and dirty diapers
Our third serious reason for incessant nursing is also the most uncommon. Some babies deal with something called MSPI (Milk and Soy Protein Intolerance).
You see, there’s this little baby phenomenon called cluster feeding. Cluster feeding is basically the bane of every breastfeeding mother’s existence. It’s pretty awful.