Using a Breastfeeding Log to Keep Track of FeedingsA breastfeeding log is really just a breastfeeding journal recording your baby’s nursing times – how long she nursed at each breast, which side she left off on, and at which intervals during the day (and night).Many pediatricians want you to keep this type of recording for at least the first couple of weeks of your baby’s life, so they can stack it up against her weight gain, growth and other health factors. It’s another tool to help them continue to monitor your baby’s progress outside of the womb. 
And beside the medical benefits, a breastfeeding log is an excellent way of keeping track of what the heck you’re doing when you’re running on sleep fumes and can’t remember when... you last fed the baby!For me, it was easy to remember the first couple of feedings that first day home from the hospital – but by the middle of that evening, I was already so disoriented and emotionally overwhelmed that I was beginning to forget which breast my daughter last nursed on. And as you might have read There are lots of books, resources and tools to help you keep track of your nursing schedule, but it’s also really simple to create your own breastfeeding log.
• Buy a notebook that can be used just for this purpose – the size doesn’t matter, but depending on how detailed you want to get and how long you plan on keeping the log, a simple (and cheap) spiral-bound 8 ½ by 11 inch notebook is just right. • At the top of each page, write the date. • Draw a line down the middle of each page to create two columns; on the left, right “Left” (indicating your left breast), and – you guessed it – “Right” on the right (for your right breast). • When your baby is ready to start nursing, take a quick look at the clock or your watch and record the start time on the appropriate side (left or right). • Draw a star next to that time as well, so that you know to begin on the opposite breast for the next nursing session. • When it’s time to switch sides, try to quickly jot down the end time for that breast, and write the same time on the other side – but if your baby isn’t okay with you interrupting her for even that short of a moment, just try to take note of the time in your head, or ask someone else to record the time for you, if possible. • When it’s time for the next nursing session, just reference the last entry so you know which side to begin with, skip a line or two to keep it readable, and lather, rinse, repeat! • It helps to keep a pen or pencil tucked into the spiral so that you’re always ready to write.
Now, at your next pediatrician’s appointment, simply tuck the notebook into your diaper bag or purse, and you have a handy record of all of her recent nursing sessions – and if you’re looking to establish a breastfeeding schedule for your baby, you already have a great head start for understanding how and when your baby likes to nurse, and for examining how you might structure those nursing sessions!
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