How Often and How Much Should I Feed My Baby?

Newborn

Day 1:  Your baby’s tummy is extremely small at this time.  Your baby’s stomach can fit enough breast milk to fill a thimble or the size of a marble (less than an 1 oz.).  So, naturally, your baby will not want to eat for long, but will want to eat often.  So, don’t force the extra milk down your baby, your baby’s stomach will not get larger by doing this, but only force the milk to come right back up.  This is when your colostrum should be filling your baby.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that healthy, full-term newborns should breastfeed every 2-3 hours or 8 – 12 times every 24-hours.

You may wonder why you have to feed your baby so often.  Again, your baby’s tummy is very small, and second, your baby is quite efficient at digesting the milk.  It only takes about 90 minutes to digest and your baby’s tummy is empty again.

Day 3:  Your baby’s tummy is growing quickly.  Today, you baby’s stomach is about the size of a large marble.  You’re baby may start taking about 1 oz. per feeding.  You will continue to feed your baby every 2-3 hours or 8 – 12 times every 24-hours.  This is not the time to start forcing your baby onto a schedule.

If your baby does not finish a bottle, then save it for later.  If your baby finishes the bottle, but is still be wiggling or seems to be unsettled.  Just fix another bottle and feed your baby until he seems satisfied.  Save the remaining bottle for the next feeding.

Day 7:  Just baby’s stomach is about the size of a ping pong ball and might be eating about 1.5 – 2 ounces of milk each feeding.  You should still be feeding every 2-3 hours or 8 – 12 times every 24-hours.

Day 10:  Your baby’s tummy is about the size of a large chicken egg and can probably drink 2 ounces, maybe a little more, each feeding.  And you will still continue to feed your baby every 2-3 hours or 8 – 12 times every 24-hours.

Don’t ever doubt your own judgment.  Have confidence in yourself and what you think your baby wants.  Your baby will eat when she is hungry and stop eating when she is full.  So just take a deep breath, calm down and listen to the cues from your baby.

Infant (First Month)

Again, the most important thing to remember is that there is no magic number that someone can tell you how much your baby should be feeding.  Be aware of what your baby’s needs – you are the best judge of how much and how often your baby should be feeding.

At 10 days, many babies are taking about 2 ounces per feeding about every 2-3 hours or 8 – 12 times every 24-hours.  With each day however, you may find that your baby is becoming a little more aware and may want to eat a little more during some of her feedings, and decrease the number of times a day that she will eat.

Between 2-4 weeks, you may find that your baby is interested in eating every 4-5 hours or 6-8 times every 24 hours.  The amount per bottle may range between 2-4 ounces depending on your baby, so be aware of your baby’s needs and not so much on the number on the bottle.  But, it is during this time that you will probably see a steady increase in the amount that your baby is taking each day.

By the end of the first month, your baby should be receiving an average of 24 ounces per day.

Infant (Month 1-3)

By the end of your baby’s first month, he may be averaging 24 ounces of milk in a 24 hour period.

Within months 1-3 your baby may be sleeping longer through the night and feeding longer during the day time feedings. Surprisingly, your baby may not be feeding more that 24-25 ounces per day within these first few months. Few babies may require more than this, however, most babies don’t feed more than 30 ounces per day within the first few months.

Remember, this is for babies who are being fed exclusively breastmilk. For babies that are receiving supplemental bottles of formula, then these babies may be receiving much more than the 24-30 ounces breast milk within 24 hours.

If your baby is drinking much less or more than these averages and your baby’s weight seems to be changing dramatically, or you are just plain worried, then call your doctor for further advice or just a little TLC.

Infant (Month 4-6)

Well, at 4 months your pediatrician may have you beginning to introduce solids into your baby’s diet. Cereal is usually the first to be introduced. Initially, your baby will not be getting too much cereal into their mouth to actually digest. This is primarily a time to get your baby used to the feelings, tastes and mechanics that come with learning to eat solid foods, therefore, you may find that your baby will still be drinking the same amount of milk each day.

However, as your baby becomes more proficient at eating solids, she will be getting more calories from this and will need fewer calories from your milk. Many babies between the age of 4-6 months still average about 24 ounces a day. But, again, listen to your baby’s cues. There are no strict guidelines for how much milk your baby should have each day, but if your baby goes significantly over 32 ounces or less than 20 ounces often, then you may want to contact your doctor for suggestions.

Your pediatrician should give you details about how to begin feeding your baby. Many moms will feed their baby breast milk as usual, however, substitute two of the milk feedings by mixing a little cereal with your breast milk, and then follow up the cereal feeding with additional breast milk until your baby is satisfied. Over a period of weeks, you will introduce fruits and vegetables and your baby may want less and less milk.

Trust your own judgment, and enjoy this interesting and fun time in your baby’s life.

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