Newborn baby feeding amount ounces

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?

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 Should My Baby Drink?

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

Amount and Schedule of Baby Formula Feedings

In the first week after birth, babies should be eating no more than about 1 to 2 ounces (30 to 60 ml) per feed.
During the first month, babies gradually eat more until they take 3 to 4 ounces (90 to 120 ml) per feed, amounting to 32 ounces per day. Formula-fed babies typically feed on a more regular schedule, such as every 3 or 4 hours. Breastfed babies usually take smaller, more frequent feedings than formula-fed infants.

If your baby sleeps longer than 4 to 5 hours during the first few weeks after birth and starts missing feedings, wake them up and offer a bottle.

By the end of the first month: Your baby will be up to at least 3 to 4 ounces (120 mL) per feeding, with a fairly predictable schedule of feedings about every 3 to 4 hours.
By 6 months: Your baby will consume 6 to 8 ounces (180–240 mL) at each of 4 or 5 feedings in 24 hours.

Formula feeding based on body weight

On average, your baby should take in about 2½ ounces (75 mL) of infant formula a day for every pound (453 g) of body weight. But they probably will regulate their intake from day to day to meet their own specific needs, so let them tell you when they've had enough. If they become fidgety or easily distracted during a feeding, they're probably finished. If they drain the bottle and continues smacking their lips, they might still be hungry.

There are high and low limits, however. If your baby consistently seems to want more or less than this, discuss it with your pediatrician. Your baby should usually drink no more than an average of about 32 ounces (960 mL) of formula in 24 hours. Some babies have higher needs for sucking and may just want to suck on a pacifier after feeding.

On-demand feeding

Initially it is best to feed your formula-fed newborn a bottle on demand, or whenever they cry with hunger. As time passes, your baby will begin to develop a fairly regular timetable of their own. As you become familiar with their signals and needs, you'll be able to schedule their feedings around their routine.

Eating & sleeping patterns

Between 2 and 4 months of age (or when the baby weighs more than 12 lb. [5.4 kg]), most formula-fed babies no longer need a middle-of-the-night feedings. They're consuming more during the day, and their sleeping patterns have become more regular (although this varies considerably from baby to baby). Their stomach capacity has increased, too, which means they may go longer between daytime feedings—occasionally up to 4 or 5 hours at a time.

If your baby still seems to feed very frequently or consume larger amounts, try distracting them with play or with a pacifier. Sometimes patterns of obesity begin during infancy, so it is important not to overfeed your baby.

Getting to know your baby's feeding needs

The most important thing to remember, whether you breastfeed or bottlefeed, is that your baby's feeding needs are unique. No book―or website―can tell you precisely how much or how often they need to be fed or exactly how you should handle them during feedings. You will discover these things for yourself as you and your baby get to know each other.

More information

How Often and How Much Should Your Baby Eat?
Making Sure Your Baby is Getting Enough Milk
Is Your Baby Hungry or Full? Responsive Feeding Explained (Video)
Remedies for Spitty Babies

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 many ounces should a newborn eat?

Overview

Let's be honest, newborns don't do much. Eat, sleep and poop, and then sleep, eat and poop again. But don't be fooled by your little one's free schedule.

In fact, your baby does important work in the first few weeks of life. All this sleep and food helps them grow at an amazing rate.

But you might be wondering how much your newborn really needs to eat. Here is a feeding guide for new parents. nine0005

How much should newborn babies eat on their birthday?

You may be worried about getting your child to eat as soon as possible. But on the first day of life, your baby may be just as tired as you are after giving birth.

It is not uncommon for babies to be very sleepy in the first 24 hours of life. That first 24-hour period after birth can be a learning curve for a baby to literally learn how to eat and be mindful enough to eat. Don't worry too much if your child doesn't show interest in eating every two hours on a schedule. nine0005

One study found that, on average, breastfed babies ate about eight meals and wore three wet or dirty diapers in the first 24 hours of life. This is less than they will eat and put away later.

You may be shocked to see how little your newborn actually eats during breastfeeding on the first day of life. This is normal, so don't worry. Keep in mind that until you have milk (around the third day after giving birth), your baby will only drink colostrum. nine0005

Colostrum is like a concentrated superfood, full of calories and nutrients, so even small amounts are sufficient for the first couple of days. Think quality, not quantity.

The average healthy newborn only drinks about 1/2 ounce of colostrum during the first 24 hours of life. Of course, all children are different.

When should I start feeding a newborn baby?

Newborns are especially active an hour or two after birth, so it is important to start breastfeeding as early as possible. If you skip this very active stage, your baby may become more sleepy later, making it difficult to practice latch on for the first first feed. nine0005

If your baby does not show signs of wanting to breastfeed, you should continue to breastfeed your baby every two to three hours. This can take a lot of practice, so it's important to be patient while your baby figures out the best way to breastfeed.

Write down the feeding times and the number of wet and dirty diapers your baby has during your hospital stay. Your nurse and doctor will be able to help you determine if your baby needs extra support to breastfeed or supplement. nine0005

Feed by Weight

As a rough estimate, your child should eat 2.5 ounces for every pound of their weight. Thus, if your child weighs 10 pounds, he should eat a total of 25 ounces per day.

How many ounces do formula-fed babies need each day?

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) explains that after the first few days, your formula-fed newborn will drink 2 to 3 ounces (60 to 90 milliliters) of formula at each feeding.

They need to eat about every three to four hours. This is compared to a breastfed baby who typically eats every two to three hours.

By the time your baby is 1 month old, he should be eating about 4 ounces every four hours.

How much should breastfed babies eat?

If you are exclusively breastfeeding, you will not measure your baby's ounces for feeding. Instead, you will simply feed your baby on demand or when he wants to eat. nine0005

A newborn will typically eat every two to three hours during the first months of life, but this may vary. The feeding schedule starts from the moment your baby starts suckling.

For example, in the first few weeks, if your baby starts eating at 2:40 and breastfeeds for 4 minutes, he may be ready to eat again at 2:40. Hello breast milk bar!

Sometimes your baby may breastfeed more or less. Your baby may want to breastfeed more if he is sick. Nursing is a comfort mechanism and an immune booster. They may want to eat more if they are experiencing a growth spurt and need extra calories. nine0005

Both the AAP and the World Health Organization recommend breastfeeding on demand. So don't worry, you can't overfeed an exclusively breastfed baby.

Your baby will signal to you when he is full by pushing off or stopping by himself until he is ready again. And if you're an exclusive pumper, follow self-care routines to keep your milk supply going and watch your baby's signals about how much to feed. nine0005

Next Steps

It is best to feed your baby when he is hungry rather than following a strict schedule. Work with your doctor to make sure your child is growing and developing properly.

Q:

How do you know if you are feeding your baby properly?

Patient Anonymous

A:

Your baby will show signs of being full, showing less interest in milk and withdrawing. Do not force your child to eat more than he is interested if he continues to grow well. One of the signs that you are feeding too much is that your baby is spitting up a lot at every feed. If this happens even without overfeeding, be sure to ask your pediatrician about it. During your pediatrician visit, discuss how well your child is growing in weight and height. Steady growth along the growth curve is always a good sign that your child is eating a healthy amount of food. nine0005

Nancy Choi, MD Answers represent the opinions of our medical experts. All content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice.

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. nine0005

Content: Hide

Features of breastfeeding
On colostrum
Consumption norms
How to calculate the amount of fed
What is important to take into account

As a rule, the most difficult in the matter of feeding is the first week after childbirth. At this time, mother and child are only learning to understand each other. But there is no doubt that breast milk is the best food for a baby. This product is perfect by nature and has everything you need at every stage. nine0005

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 simply 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. nine0005

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 delivery and the amount 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. nine0005

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.

Child's age	The volume of milk for one feeding (ml)	Milk rate per day (ml)
3-4 days	-60 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000
1 week	50–80	400
2 weeks	9000- 4 1/7 body weight
7–12 months	210–240	1/8–1/9 body weight

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. nine0005

How to calculate how much you eat

When it comes to measuring how much you eat, bottle-feeding seems 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. nine0005

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. nine0005

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 ongoing changes, so the feeding regimen may not be ideal. However, you should adhere to the following rules. nine0005

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 baby 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. nine0036
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. nine0036
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 best to give your 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. nine0036
Hold the baby upright for about 10 minutes after each feed. 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. 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). nine0005

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.