How much should a 3 week old baby eat per feeding

Formula Feeding FAQs: How Much and How Often (for Parents)

Whether you plan to formula feed your baby from the start, want to supplement your breast milk with formula, or are switching from breast milk to formula, you probably have questions.

Here are answers to some common questions about formula feeding.

How Often Should I Feed My Baby Formula?

Newborns and young babies should be fed whenever they seem hungry. This is called on-demand feeding.

After the first few days of life, most healthy formula-fed newborns feed about every 2–3 hours. As they get bigger and their tummies can hold more milk, they usually eat about every 3–4 hours. As babies get older, they’ll settle into a more predictable feeding routine and go longer stretches at night without needing a bottle.

Talk to your doctor if you have concerns about feeding your baby, especially if your baby is very small, is not gaining weight, or was born early (prematurely).

How Can I Tell When My Baby Is Hungry?

Signs that babies are hungry include:

moving their heads from side to side
opening their mouths
sticking out their tongues
placing their hands, fingers, and fists to their mouths
puckering their lips as if to suck
nuzzling again their mothers' breasts
showing the rooting reflex (when a baby moves its mouth in the direction of something that's stroking or touching its cheek)

Babies should be fed before they get upset and cry. Crying is a late sign of hunger. But every time your baby cries is not because of hunger. Sometimes babies just need to be cuddled or changed. Or they could be sick, tired, too hot or too cold, in pain, or have colic.

How Much Formula Should I Feed My Baby?

In the first few weeks, give 2- to 3-ounce (60- to 90-milliliter) bottles to your newborn. Give more or less depending on your baby’s hunger cues.

Here's a general look at how much your baby may be eating at different ages:

On average, a newborn drinks about 1.5–3 ounces (45–90 milliliters) every 2–3 hours. This amount increases as your baby grows and can take more at each feeding.
At about 2 months, your baby may drink about 4–5 ounces (120–150 milliliters) every 3–4 hours.
At 4 months, your baby may drink about 4–6 ounces (120-180 milliliters) at each feeding, depending on how often they eat.
By 6 months, your baby may drink 6–8 ounces (180–230 milliliters) about 4–5 times a day.

Watch for signs that your baby is hungry or full. Respond to these cues and let your baby stop when full. A baby who is full may suck with less enthusiasm, stop, or turn away from the bottle.

Why Does My Baby Seem Hungrier Than Usual?

As babies grow, they begin to eat more at each feeding and can go longer between feedings. Still, there may be times when your little one seems hungrier than usual.

Your baby may be going through a period of rapid growth (called a growth spurt). These can happen at any time, but in the early months are common at around:

7–14 days old
between 3–6 weeks
4 months
6 months

During these times and whenever your baby seems especially hungry, follow their hunger cues and continue to feed on demand, increasing the amount of formula you give as needed.

Is My Baby Eating Enough?

At times, you may wonder whether your baby is getting enough nutrients for healthy growth and development. Babies who get enough to eat seem satisfied after eating and are regularly peeing and pooping.

At your baby’s checkups, the doctor will review your baby’s growth chart, track your little one’s development, and answer any questions. Talk to your doctor if you have any concerns about your baby’s feeding and nutrition.

Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD

Date reviewed: November 2021

How Often and How Much Should Your Baby Eat?

By: Sanjeev Jain, MD, FAAP

One of the most common questions new parents have is how often their baby should eat. The best answer is surprisingly simple: in general, babies should be fed whenever they seem hungry.

How do I know when my baby is hungry?

For babies born prematurely or with certain medical conditions, scheduled feedings advised by your pediatrician are best. But for most healthy, full-term infants, parents can look to their baby rather than the clock for hunger cues. This is called feeding on demand, or responsive feeding.

Hunger cues

A hungry baby often will cry. But it's best to watch for hunger cues before the baby starts crying, which is a late sign of hunger and can make it hard for them to settle down and eat.

Some other typical hunger cues in babies:

Licking lips
Sticking tongue out
Rooting (moving jaw and mouth or head in search of breast)
Putting his/her hand to mouth repeatedly
Opening her mouth
Fussiness
Sucking on everything around

It is important to realize, however, that every time your baby cries or sucks it is not necessarily because he or she is hungry. Babies suck not only for hunger, but also for comfort; it can be hard at first for parents to tell the difference. Sometimes, your baby just needs to be cuddled or changed.

General guidelines for baby feeding

It is important to remember all babies are different―some like to snack more often, and others drink more at one time and go longer between feedings. However, most babies will drink more and go longer between feedings as they get bigger and their tummies can hold more milk:

Most newborns eat every 2 to 3 hours, or 8 to 12 times every 24 hours. Babies might only take in half ounce per feeding for the first day or two of life, but after that will usually drink 1 to 2 ounces at each feeding. This amount increases to 2 to 3 ounces by 2 weeks of age.
At about 2 months of age, babies usually take 4 to 5 ounces per feeding every 3 to 4 hours.
At 4 months, babies usually take 4 to 6 ounces per feeding.
At 6 months, babies may be taking up to 8 ounces every 4 to 5 hours.

Most babies will increase the amount of formula they drink by an average of 1 ounce each month before leveling off at about 7 to 8 ounces per feeding. Solid foods should be started at about 6 months old.

Concerns about overfeeding or underfeeding your baby

Too full?

Babies are usually pretty good at eating the right amount, but they can sometimes take in more than they need. Infants who are bottle feeding may be more likely to overfeed, because drinking from a bottle may take less effort than breastfeeding.

Overfed babies can have stomach pains, gas, spit up or vomit and be at higher risk for obesity later in life. It's better to offer less, since you can always give more if your baby wants it. This also gives babies time to realize when they're full.

If you are concerned your baby wants to eat all the time―even when he or she is full―talk with your pediatrician. Pacifiers may be used after feeding to help sooth healthy-weight babies who like to suck for comfort, rather than nutrition. For babies who are breastfed, it's best to wait to offer pacifiers until around 3 to 4 weeks of age, when breastfeeding is well-established.

Trouble gaining weight?

Most babies will double their birth weight by 5 months of age and triple their birth weight by their first birthday. If your baby is having trouble gaining weight, don't wait too long between feeding―even if it means waking your baby. Be sure to talk with your pediatrician about how often and how much to feed your baby.

How do I know if my baby is getting enough to eat?

Daily diapers

A newborn's diaper is a good indicator of whether he or she is getting enough to eat. In the first few days after birth, a baby should have 2 to 3 wet diapers each day. After the first 4 to 5 days, a baby should have at least 5 to 6 wet diapers a day. Stool frequency is more variable and depends whether your baby is breastfed or formula fed.

Growth charts

During regular health check-ups, your pediatrician will check your baby's weight and plot it on a growth chart. Your baby's progress on the growth chart is one way to tell whether or not they are getting enough food. Babies who stay in healthy growth percentile ranges are probably getting a healthy amount of food during feedings.

Remember

Talk with your pediatrician if you have any questions or concerns about your baby getting the right amount to eat.

More information:

Making Sure Your Baby is Getting Enough Milk
Amount and Schedule of Formula Feedings
Is Your Baby Hungry or Full? Responsive Feeding Explained (Video)
Remedies for Spitty Babies
Ask the Pediatrician: With the baby formula shortage, what should I do if I can't find any?
Ask the Pediatrician: How should we feed our baby if we're running low on money?
Airplane Choo Choo: A Feeding Guide for Children (National Dairy Council)

About Dr. Jain:

Sanjeev Jain, MD, FAAP, is a Clinical Associate Professor of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. Within the American Academy of Pediatrics, he is a member of the Section on International Child Health and the Wisconsin State Chapter.

The information contained on this Web site should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician. There may be variations in treatment that your pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances.

▷ How much should a newborn eat: breastfeeding and formula feeding

With the advent of a baby in your life, parents have many important tasks, among which the first one is: “ how much should a newborn eat?”

Although breastfeeding is a natural process, most mothers are concerned that their baby does not have to suffer because of a lack of food, or, conversely, that the baby does not overeat.

Read in our material how to maintain this balance and feed the little one in such a way that it benefits him.

How much a newborn should eat and how often should he be fed

The most difficult time in terms of how much a newborn should eat is the first seven days after birth. During this period, mother and her baby are just beginning to recognize each other.

Let's start with the fact that the most correct and healthy food for a little man is milk. However, it does not appear in the mother's body immediately.

Toward the end of pregnancy and in the first few hours after you give birth, colostrum forms in your breasts. It differs from milk in composition, which includes antitoxins and immunoglobulins. All these antibodies are aimed at strengthening the immune system of the little man and protecting him from all kinds of infections.

It will take a few days, and instead of colostrum, your body will produce the so-called transitional milk: visually it will be lighter than colostrum, but still quite fatty.

Then mature milk is formed, which will be the main food of your angel during the first months of his life.

Of course, mothers want to know how much milk a newborn should eat in order to be satisfied and grow up healthy.

First of all, do not worry about the fact that the little one will be hungry. Do not forget that your baby has a very small stomach, so at one meal he can take about 10 ml. Thus, if you apply your sun to your chest at his request, on the first day after his birth, the little man will be able to eat about 100 ml.

About 3-4 days after giving birth, the mother should feel the milk coming in. By this time, her child's stomach will grow a little, which means that the portion of food consumed will grow with it.

Don't rely solely on someone else's experience: there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to breastfeeding.

The alarm should be sounded only if by the 5th day after birth the baby's weight decreases by more than 8%. And this despite the fact that you followed the daily routine, did not forget about bathing, walking and purchased little men for newborns, sliders and other comfortable clothes for the baby.

Click here to learn more about what can trigger weight loss. If you do not find the answer to your question there, we recommend that you contact your pediatrician.

To make it easier for you to check how your child eats, we have prepared a table of how much a newborn should eat:

Age of the little one

Portion of breast milk

per feeding, ml

Consumption rates per day,

ml or % of infant weight

1-2 days

10-15

100-150

3-4 days

20-60

200-300

7 days

50-80

350-400

14 days

60-90

500 or ≈ 20%

1 month

100-120

600-700

2 months

120-150

800-900

3 months

150-180

≈ 1/6 of body weight

4 months

190-210

≈ 1/6

5 months - half a year

210-240

≈ 1/7

six months to a year

210-240

≈ 1/8 - 1/9

Based on this table, you will always know how much food your newborn should eat.

Do not forget that complementary foods are introduced to babies older than six months. Milk is no longer the only food in your child's life. Therefore, its quantity is gradually reduced, giving way to other, more varied foods. Try to make this food as natural and healthy as possible.

Another important point concerns how often you need to feed the little one.

Briefly:

Breastfeeding is best when your little man wants;
Try to gradually develop a daily routine with even intervals between feedings;
The optimal interval between meals is 2-3 hours. However, it is important here to listen to the needs of your baby.

To make life even more comfortable for your angel, make sure that he has comfortable clothes for newborns made of natural fabrics. It will be much easier to establish the feeding process in it, taking into account the natural biorhythms of the little man.

Why does a newborn hiccup and what to do about it?

In the process of eating, all parents sooner or later wondered why the newborn hiccups.

This usually happens as a result of overeating or when your child swallows a lot of air.

What to do when a newborn hiccups:

As a rule, hiccups come immediately after feeding. To help your baby burp, you need to hold him in your arms in a column for about 15 minutes after he has finished eating.
Tummy massage will also help to solve the problem of bloating.
Try to avoid overeating: not every restless behavior of a little man indicates that he is hungry.
Make sure that the little one does not suffer from stress, which can lead to even an abundance of bright events during the day.

Why does a newborn spit up?

Regurgitation in newborns is considered normal by pediatricians.

However, this does not rule out the fact that most parents are worried about why the newborn is spitting up.

This is usually associated with swallowing large amounts of air.

To help your baby, try:

Feed your baby more often, but avoid overfeeding.
Learn the correct feeding techniques: the baby should grasp the nipple along with the areola. In the process of swallowing milk, there should be no chomping sounds, indicating that the child has swallowed air
If you are a bottle-feeder, choose one that will come out evenly, in drops, rather than spurting.

Newborn formula feeding: how much should I eat?

We discussed with you how to properly feed a toddler who consumes mother's milk.

Let's talk about how much a newborn who is bottle-fed eats. You can find out more about feeding your baby by month here.

First, it is important to choose a quality formula that will fully provide your baby with all the necessary nutrients. To do this, it is advisable to consult with your pediatrician.

Secondly, eating formula is much easier than sucking milk. In the case of a bottle, the baby makes much less effort. That is why a strict dosage is needed here so that the baby does not eat more than necessary in a hurry.

To make it easier for you to understand, we have prepared a table in which we painted how much formula a newborn should eat:

Infant age	Amount of mixture consumed, calculated from the body weight of the baby
From 10 days to 1.5 months of life	1/5
1. 5 to 4 months	1/6
4 to 6 months	1/7
from six months to 9 months	1/8
9 months to a year	1/9

Try to distribute this amount so that there are 6-7 feedings per day.

TM Demi wants to quickly establish the process of feeding the little one, which will ensure its balanced healthy development.

how much milk a child needs for 1 feeding, the rate of formula and breast milk

The birth of a baby is a very joyful event. However, along with the joy of parents, many more questions arise. After all, it is so important that the baby grows up healthy and actively develops. One of the first such questions is usually: "How much does a newborn eat per feeding?" It would seem that feeding is such a natural process that it should not cause difficulties. However, most mothers are concerned that the baby does not have enough milk or, on the contrary, he overeats. How to strike a balance? Let's talk about it in this article.

Breastfeeding is good for both the baby and the mother:

it helps the baby to get the substances necessary for growth, development and immunity and just satisfy hunger;
promotes active contraction of the woman's uterus (under the influence of sucking movements) and a faster recovery process after childbirth.

About colostrum

Newborns eat little, their sucking reflex is just developing and is beginning to be put into practice. In addition, a woman's milk is not produced immediately. In the mammary glands at the end of pregnancy and in the first hours after childbirth, colostrum is formed. This is not exactly milk, it even outwardly differs from mature milk, and in its chemical composition it is similar to blood. This is a very valuable product. It is high in fat and contains immunoglobulins and antitoxins, which strengthen the immune system and protect the baby's body from infections. After a few days, colostrum is replaced by transitional milk. It is lighter, but also quite oily.

Read also: Complementary foods for artificial feeding

Consumption rates

This is important!

A mother should not worry that her baby was hungry, even if she applied it 10 times to the breast, but it seems that he did not eat almost a drop. The size of the stomach of a newborn is very small, so only about 10 ml is eaten per feeding. Thus, for the whole day the baby can drink up to 100 ml.

On average, milk arrives 3-4 days after birth and its quantity gradually increases. The stomach of the baby also grows. This means that the amount of milk consumed also increases. So, for the first day, a newborn can drink 10 ml per feeding, for the second day - 20 ml, and for the third - 30 ml. But remember that each organism is individual and there are no strict limits here. However, if by the 4-5th day of life the child's body weight does not increase, but only decreases (by more than 8%), then this requires the attention of a specialist.

There is a folk way to determine the rate of consumption of breast milk. You need to multiply the number of days that have passed since the day of birth by 10. But this method is inaccurate and has no scientific confirmation.

So how much should a newborn eat per feeding? The table shows the daily and one-time volume of milk by months for children under 1 year old.

3-4 days

9005 900 month 1 month 1 month 1 month 1 month 1 month 1.0247 100–110

2 months

9000 9000

9000 9000 9000

9000.

000.000.000 9000

050

1/6 body weight

180–210

1/6 body weight

9000 9000 9000 9000.000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000

Child's age	The volume of milk for one feeding (ml)	Milk rate per day (ml)
20–60 9000
1 week	50–80	400
2 weeks	60–905	20 % weight
600
120–1505	800
4 months
5–6 months 9005 905	1/7 body weight
7–12 months	210–240	1/8–1/9 of body weight

Do not forget that children with children located breastfeeding, complementary foods are introduced at about 6 months. This means that the amount of milk consumed is reduced, giving way to more adult foods.

How to calculate the amount eaten

In terms of measuring the amount eaten, formula feeding seems to be just perfect. Here is a bottle with a scale, here is water, here is a measuring spoon. However, in terms of its benefits, formula milk will never be compared with breast milk. And besides, making measurements is not as difficult as it seems at first glance. Babies just need to be weighed before and after feeding on a baby scale. To ensure the accuracy of the result, you need to weigh several times a day. If nothing threatens the health of the baby, he does not look thin and pale, develops according to age, and the mother has enough milk, then monthly weighing in the clinic is usually enough.

Feeding schedule

For breastfed babies, there is a rule - to put the baby to the breast on demand. Previously, it was believed that it was necessary to maintain an interval of 3 hours, but now pediatricians agree that the breaks between feedings can be 1.5–2 hours. This does not mean at all that the baby will overeat.

Video: Does a child get enough food in the first months of life?
Author: pediatrician, Ph.D. Komarovsky E.O.

The duration of one feeding is usually 15-30 minutes. Although there are deviations from the norm. For example, a woman has a lot of milk, and the child is full in 5-10 minutes. Or, on the contrary, there is not enough milk, and the baby can suck out the remains for a long time. Some babies just enjoy suckling and use their mother's breast as a pacifier.

What is important to consider

At first, mother and baby are just getting used to the changes that are taking place, so the feeding regimen may not be ideal. However, you should adhere to the following rules.

In the first couple of weeks, a woman needs a lot of dedication, because the interests of the child in the matter of satisfying hunger come to the fore. You can’t refuse food to a baby, even if it costs a sleepless night.
If there is any doubt that the child is undernourished or overeating, it is best to start monitoring the frequency of feedings. So, you need to mark the time at which the baby was really hungry, mark the intervals between feedings. This information may also be useful at the appointment with the pediatrician.
It is impossible to establish a clear feeding regime, as with artificial feeding, especially in the first weeks after birth. Maintaining intervals of more than 2–3 hours during the day and 3–4 hours at night is highly discouraged.
Do not try to force feed your baby. He is still too young to realize the need for food, and is guided solely by his feeling of hunger. If the baby persistently refuses the breast, you need to try to offer him to eat a little later. If the interval is too large, it is better to contact a specialist for advice.
It is important that your baby latch on correctly. His mouth should capture not only the nipple, but also the areola. Thus, the milk will properly enter the mouth, and the woman will reduce the risk of cracked nipples.
Soothers and bottles are not recommended for breastfed babies. Such products can reduce the intensity of sucking movements.
It is better to give the baby only one breast at a time. In the mammary gland, fore milk is formed, with which the baby quenches his thirst, and hind milk, with which he "eats up", since it is more nutritious in composition.
Hold the baby upright for about 10 minutes after each feeding. This helps to free the tummy from air and excess milk.

As a rule, with a normal feeding regimen and a sufficient amount of milk from the mother, by the month the weight of the child increases by 500–600 g.

Features of artificial feeding Now consider the situation when the mother does not have the opportunity to breastfeed the baby. In this case, it is necessary to choose a quality milk formula that will cover the nutritional needs. The pediatrician should help in this matter. The doctor will always take into account the peculiarities of the child's health and will be able to advise a regular or medicinal product. Do not forget that when breastfeeding, the baby makes more effort.

He drinks milk gradually and feels full. When feeding with a formula, a strict dosage is needed, since usually saturation does not come immediately, and the baby may require a supplement that he does not really need (the feeling of hunger should disappear after a few minutes).

Consumption rates

Almost all known mixtures require 8 or 7 meals a day with an interval of 3 hours. Night feedings are also included. When the baby grows up a little, it will be possible to skip them and sleep 5-6 hours until morning. With regard to formula milk, the principle of feeding on demand is not suitable. Therefore, it is necessary to observe both the dosage indicated by the manufacturer and the regimen.

It will not be difficult to calculate how much the baby eats for feeding.

10 days - 1.5 months

6–8 months

8 months - 1 year - 1 year - 1 year - 1 year