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Breastfeeding log: on paper or in the app
Sometimes it helps to write down, for a while, when and how your baby fed. Here you will find a free printable chart and the same log in Heia.
Why keep a breastfeeding log?
A breastfeeding log is a simple list: the time, the side, how long or how much, perhaps the nappy and a short note. That is all it needs. Many parents keep a log like this only for a limited time, for example when the midwife, the health visitor or a breastfeeding supporter would like to look at the first weeks together with you.
Others write things down because, at night, nobody remembers which side came last. Some never keep one at all. A breastfeeding log is a tool, not a duty. If it gives you calm, use it. If it puts you under pressure, you are allowed to put it away.
This page deliberately gives no guide values for how often or how long to feed. Every baby feeds differently. Your midwife, health visitor, breastfeeding supporter or GP surgery are the right people for questions about that, ideally with the log in your hand.
Printable breastfeeding chart (free template)
The chart is a plain A4 sheet in black and grey, easy to read with tired eyes. It is free, needs no sign-up, and you are welcome to print it and pass it on.
Download the breastfeeding log as a PDF (A4)
On the sheet you will find:
- a field for your baby's name and the date,
- a table with 16 rows for one day,
- the columns Time, Side (left, right or both), Duration or amount, Nappy (wet or dirty) and Notes.
The "Duration or amount" column is kept open on purpose. For a breastfeed you write the minutes, for a bottle or expressed milk the amount. So one sheet fits very different days.
Tips for the paper log
- Put the sheet and a pen where you usually feed. Then there is nothing to look for at night.
- Write only what you really need right now. Empty columns are fine.
The same log in a feeding log app
Paper is quick to hand, but it lies in one place, and writing at three in the morning is hard work. In Heia you keep the same breastfeeding log on your phone, with one hand, and at night the app turns warm and dark and stays silent (see night mode).
Which side did I feed on last? A timer for left and right
The nursing timer measures the left and right side separately. You tap the side your baby is on and switch with one tap. Heia remembers the side you used last and shows it next time, so there is nothing to keep in your head. If you log a feed afterwards, that works without the timer too, with the time and the side.
Bottles and pumping
For a bottle you enter the amount in millilitres and choose the content: breast milk, formula, a combination of both, or water. If you express milk, you note the amount per side and, if you like, the duration. Nappies are logged as wet, dirty or both. You can add a short note to every entry.
Together with your partner
If you take turns, you both see the same picture, each on your own phone. Whoever gave the bottle logs it themselves, and the other person sees it straight away. How this works is explained on the page Baby tracker app for two parents.
For your midwife and feeding support
If someone asks about your log, there is nothing to copy out in Heia. Appointment preparation summarises what you have logged, you add your questions, and the result is a compact PDF for the midwife, the lactation consultant or the paediatrician. Your first appointment preparation is free, and more come with Heia Plus. How to prepare for an appointment calmly is described in the guide Preparing for checkups.
In the reports you can also see the feeds of the last 7 or 14 days as a calm chart, exactly as you logged them, and with Heia Plus a month or longer.
What it costs
The paper chart is free. In the app all 16 entry types are free, including breastfeeding, bottle, pumping and nappies, as are shared tracking for two and your first appointment preparation. Heia works without an account and without internet, and every entry is saved on your device first. Heia Plus is an optional yearly or monthly subscription for statistics across a month and longer, patterns, the day and night plan, further appointment preparations, the CSV export of all entries, more children and more people in the household, and it removes the ads. There is more about the app on the home page.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to keep a breastfeeding log?
No. A breastfeeding log is an aid for times when it helps you or your midwife. Many families keep one for a few days or weeks, some not at all.
How do I remember which side I fed on last?
Write it down or let an app remember it for you. On paper you circle L, R or both; in Heia the nursing timer shows the last side the next time you open it.
Can I mix paper and the app?
Of course. Some parents write on paper at night and add the entries in the app during the day. In Heia you can create any entry afterwards with the right time.
Does the app need an account?
No. You only need a free account if you want to track together on several phones or move your data between devices.