How Much Should a Newborn Eat?
By Krystle Gard, Certified Postpartum Doula
Welcoming your newborn into the world can be both exciting and daunting - there is so much to know, yet babies can’t talk and there’s no one-size-fits-all manual that has all the answers. Alongside the joy and love, there can also be a lot of uncertainty in becoming a parent! As a professional postpartum doula with Bridgetown Baby, I love answering the many questions new parents ask. One of the main questions I hear is “how much should my newborn eat?”
How Often and How Much Should Your Baby Eat?
When feeding at the breast or chest, your baby’s post-feeding cues will be your signs that your baby is getting enough to eat: are they content? Are they spending some time awake and alert? Are they having enough wet and dirty diapers? Are they gaining weight as expected, week by week? When feeding by bottle, those same clues will apply - but you’ll also have a measurable volume that you can use as a guide.
If your baby is healthy and full-term,* T.O.E.S. is an acronym to help you remember - when your brain is fogged by sleepless nights - how much milk your baby will need to eat:
Tiny Belly
One to two ounces per feeding every two to three hours, depending on your baby’s age
Eight to fourteen feedings per 24 hr period
Seek Support
How Much Should My Baby Eat?
Image credit: University of Maryland
T: Tiny Belly
Your sweet little one has a very small belly.
This image is a helpful representation of the approximate size of your baby’s stomach and the amount of breast milk or formula your baby may need in each feed. They do not need a large amount with each feed, especially in those first few days.
O: One to Two Ounces
Since your baby’s belly is so small, they will be eating small amounts frequently. By one week you’ll start by offering one and a half to two ounces per feeding of breastmilk or formula, every two to three hours.* You can increase that amount as they seem to want more. Since the formula can’t be reused it’s better to start small and offer more later. Always follow their hunger cues. Every baby is different.
How Often Should I Feed My Baby?
E: Eight to Fourteen Feedings in each 24-hour period
There’s no such thing as three square meals for newborns - babies eat on a 24-hour cycle! Tracking how much they need at each feeding can help to provide reassurance that your baby is getting enough food - and can help you be aware of their growing bodies and needs!
Newborns will eat a minimum of eight times a day, and usually more frequently; Bridgetown Baby’s lead lactation consultant, Sarah Longwell, shares that the most commonly reported number of daily feedings for babies nursing on cue is 11.
As your baby grows, their belly will grow too, and they will be able to drink more breastmilk or infant formula at each feeding. By the time they near one month in age, their feedings will often range from 3 to 4 ounces of human milk, or up to 5 oz if drinking formula. Following their growth and developmental readiness over the first year, your baby will feed fewer times in each 24 hour period. You’ll eventually be able to support them in gradually stretching the length of time between feedings at night to support more consolidated sleep for everyone.
As mentioned above, offering a smaller volume bottle, and having a second bottle at the ready if needed will help you avoid wasting formula or breastmilk. Once a bottle is prepared or taken from the fridge for feeding, discard formula remaining after 1 hour. You cannot re-refrigerate the formula once it has been warmed or reaches room temperature, because bacteria can begin to grow. If feeding with breastmilk that has been thawed from frozen, it must be used within 24 hours of thawing completely; once your baby has started a bottle of breastmilk, whether it was fresh, frozen, or refrigerated, discard the remainder after 2 hours.
S: Seek Support
You will develop a Baby IQ for your baby: you are the one spending the most time with them - you will know their temperament, their cues, and if something isn’t as it should be. If you are ever concerned, confused, or have specific questions, seek out professional support. Your pediatrician’s office is a great resource. Lactation consultants support all aspects of the feeding relationship, including nursing and bottle or cup feeding with human milk and formula. We recommend making a list of resources and keeping it handy - when you need it most, you may find that you’re juggling a lot of balls!
Feeding Guide
Summing it all up:
Knowing how much and how often to feed your baby is not an exact science. In time, you’ll come to trust your Baby IQ, listening to your gut and watching your baby’s cues.
T.O.E.S. can be a helpful guide in the early days:
Start small and work your way up - babies have Tiny bellies.
When in doubt about what baby should eat, start with One to 2 oz for each feeding, and offer more if they are still showing signs of hunger.
You can expect Eight to fourteen feedings per day for the first several weeks
We are here to Support you with any concerns or questions.
Knowledge is power, as they say - and knowledge can bring ease, so instead of worrying about whether your baby is getting enough to eat and what your baby should be eating, you can enjoy those sweet baby snuggles and bonding time with your little one.
*If you have a premature or immunocompromised baby, there may be very specific amounts of either formula or milk required, and your pediatrician will be your go-to person for guidance on that.
