How Much Milk Should A Newborn Have? | Feeding Facts

Those first weeks raise many questions. Babies grow fast, yet their bellies start tiny. The right amount of milk changes quickly, and your baby’s cues are the best guide. Below you’ll find clear ranges, tidy tables, and tips for both breast and formula feeding so you can feed with confidence.

How Much Milk Does A Newborn Need Per Day And Per Feed

Milk volume ramps up fast in the first month. In the first days, most bottle-fed newborns take 1–2 ounces (30–60 ml) per feed every 2–3 hours. By the end of the first month many take 3–4 ounces (90–120 ml) every 3–4 hours. Breastfed babies often feed more often and in smaller portions, landing at 8–12 feeds in 24 hours with stretches of cluster feeding here and there. If a newborn sleeps longer than 4–5 hours in the first weeks, wake for a feed.

Use the table below as a quick starting point, then watch diapers, weight checks, and how settled your baby seems after feeds. Numbers vary, and that’s normal.

Your baby’s rhythm matters more than the clock.

Newborn Feeding Snapshot By Age

Age	Per Feed (oz / ml)	Typical Feeds / 24 h
First 1–3 days	1–2 oz / 30–60 ml	8–12
Days 4–7	1.5–2.5 oz / 45–75 ml	8–12
Weeks 2–3	2–3 oz / 60–90 ml	8–10
Weeks 3–4	3–4 oz / 90–120 ml	7–8

Formula amounts often follow the “2½ ounces per pound per day” rule of thumb, capped at roughly 32 ounces in 24 hours. That daily total is a ceiling, not a goal. Some babies will need a bit less, a few a bit more on growth-spurt days. Breastfed babies usually spread a similar total across more frequent feeds.

Want a deeper dive on bottle amounts and timing? See the CDC’s page on how much and how often to feed infant formula, and AAP guidance on amount and schedule of formula feedings. Those pages show early volumes, pacing, and safe intervals.

Feeding Frequency And Baby Cues

Newborns don’t run on a strict clock, and that’s okay. Early on, many want to eat every 2–3 hours by day, sometimes closer than that in the evening. Breastfed newborns often bunch feeds together for a few hours, then take a longer stretch. Formula-fed newborns drift toward a steady 3–4 hour rhythm sooner.

Hunger cues beat the time on a watch: stirring, hand-to-mouth, lip smacking, rooting, then crying if late to the party. Offer a feed when you see early cues. A settled baby who unlatches, turns away, or relaxes their fists is usually done. If the bottle is empty and your baby stays fussy and rooting, offer a small top-up.

Night Feeds And Wake-To-Feed Calls

During the first weeks, long stretches without milk can be tough on growth and on milk supply for nursing parents. If your newborn gives you more than 4–5 hours overnight in that window, set an alarm and offer a feed.

Breastfeeding: What Intake Looks Like

You can’t see ounces at the breast, so parents track patterns. Most nursing newborns land at 8–12 feeds across the day and night. Early feeds are short and frequent while milk transitions. Over the first weeks, babies drink more per feed and start spacing sessions. Many settle into 2–4 hour gaps, with occasional cluster runs.

How To Tell Your Baby Is Getting Enough

Look at the whole picture: steady weight gain after the first few days, six or more wet diapers after day five, yellow seedy stools by the end of week one, and a content window of one to three hours between feeds. A sleepy, hard-to-wake baby or fewer wet diapers needs a same-day call to your care team.

Pumping Or Bottle-Feeding Expressed Milk

In the first weeks, many breastfed babies take 1.5–3 ounces (45–90 ml) in a paced bottle feeding. That often grows to 3–4 ounces (90–120 ml) by the end of the first month. Keep nipples slow-flow, tip the bottle only partway, and pause often so your baby can lead the pace.

Formula Feeding: Portion Guides That Work

Start with 1–2 ounces (30–60 ml) every 2–3 hours for the first days. Move up in small steps as your baby drains bottles and still shows hunger. Many reach 3–4 ounces (90–120 ml) every 3–4 hours by the end of the first month. Space feeds evenly, yet respond when growth spurts hit and appetite jumps.

Daily totals scale with weight. Multiply baby’s weight in pounds by 2.5 to get a ballpark daily ounce target. Stop at roughly 32 ounces per day unless your clinician advises otherwise. If your baby is spitting up often, gassy, or arching, smaller and more frequent bottles can help.

Sample Day: Newborn Feeds Across 24 Hours

Every baby writes their own script, yet a sample day helps set expectations.

Balanced Intake By Weight And Age

Baby Weight	Daily Total (oz / ml)	Usual Bottle Size
6 lb / 2.7 kg	15 oz / 450 ml–up to 24 oz / 720 ml	1–2 oz early, 2–3 oz by week 3
8 lb / 3.6 kg	20 oz / 600 ml–up to 32 oz / 960 ml	2–3 oz early, 3–4 oz by week 4
10 lb / 4.5 kg	25 oz / 750 ml–up to 32 oz / 960 ml	3–4 oz, spaced every 3–4 hours

These ranges fold in the 2½ oz per pound per day guide with a practical cap. Babies self-regulate well. If a baby turns away from the bottle or the breast and looks content, end the feed. If they drain bottles back-to-back or seem unsatisfied after most feeds, check in with your clinician to fine-tune volume and rule out reflux or latch issues.

Weight Gain, Diapers, And When To Call

Newborns often lose up to one tenth of birth weight in the first days, then regain it by two weeks. After that, steady gains and bright output tell you feeds are on track. Expect one to two meconium stools on days one and two, then greenish to yellow stools on days three and four, and at least three to four yellow, seedy stools per day by the end of week one. After day five, look for six or more wet diapers daily with pale yellow urine.

Call the office the same day if your baby has fewer than the diaper counts above, is hard to wake for feeds, vomits forcefully, seems limp, or has fewer than eight feeds in 24 hours in the first weeks. Trust your gut and ask for help early.

When Your Baby Wants More Than The Chart

Some babies are bigger, hungrier, or working through a growth spurt. If diapers and weight gain look great and your baby is content after feeds, a small bump in volume during growth weeks is fine. If intake jumps sharply for days, your baby spits up often, or diapers drop off, loop in your care team.

Key Feeding Takeaways

• First days: 1–2 oz (30–60 ml) per feed every 2–3 hours; 8–12 feeds daily.
• By week 3–4: many babies take 3–4 oz (90–120 ml) every 3–4 hours.
• Daily ballpark for formula: 2½ oz per pound, not over ~32 oz in 24 hours.
• Breastfed babies feed more often and regulate intake well; watch diapers and weight, not minutes.
• Wake to feed if stretches pass 4–5 hours in the early weeks.

For breastfeeding signs that intake is on track, CDC’s page on how much and how often to breastfeed and AAP’s checklist on how to tell if a baby is getting enough milk pair well with weight checks.