In the first days, offer 1–2 oz per feed every 2–3 hours; by weeks 1–4 most newborns take 2–4 oz per feed across 8–12 feeds daily.
New babies don’t come with a measuring cup, yet the bottle, breast, and the clock can feel like a test.
You’re trying to figure out ounces, timing, and what’s “normal” when your baby’s appetite seems to change by the hour.
Here’s a clear, ounce-by-ounce guide that blends what health agencies recommend with real-world feeding patterns, so you can feed with confidence.
Newborn Feeding Ounces By Day: What To Expect
During the first week, a newborn’s stomach starts tiny and stretches fast. On Day 1, it holds only teaspoons; by the end of week one,
most babies handle a couple of ounces at a time. Across the first month, feeds stay frequent—usually 8–12 in 24 hours—because small bellies empty fast.
That rhythm is helpful for milk supply if you’re nursing and keeps intake steady if you’re using formula.
| Age | Per-Feed Volume | Feeds/24h |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | 5–7 mL (~0.2 oz) | 8–12 |
| Day 3 | 22–27 mL (0.8–1 oz) | 8–12 |
| End of Week 1 | 45–60 mL (1.5–2 oz) | 8–12 |
| Weeks 2–3 | 60–90 mL (2–3 oz) | 8–12 |
| By 1 Month | 80–150 mL (3–5 oz) | 7–10 |
Those ranges match what many parents see at the breast and in the bottle.
If your baby seems hungry soon after a small feed, offer more. If they turn away or relax and release the nipple, the feed is done.
Feeding on cues keeps intake right-sized for that small stomach.
For bottle-fed babies, an easy rule helps map the day’s intake: about 2.5 ounces of formula per pound of body weight in 24 hours,
with an upper limit around 32 ounces a day. See the AAP guidance on formula amounts.
In the first days on formula, start with 1–2 ounces every 2–3 hours and adjust to hunger cues; the CDC’s infant formula page lays out that early rhythm.
Formula Amounts: Ounces Per Pound Rule
Here’s what that rule looks like for common newborn weights. It’s a range, not a target for every baby or every day.
If the total drifts beyond the range but your baby is growing well and cueing happily, bring the numbers to your child’s doctor and review together.
Never push a bottle to meet a number; babies stop when they’re full if we let them pace.
Breastfed Babies: How Many Ounces Is Typical?
At the breast, you won’t see ounces, so cues and patterns lead the way. Most newborns nurse 8–12 times in 24 hours,
with some clusters in the evening and a longer stretch at night once weight gain is on track.
As supply builds, many parents who pump see 1–3 ounces per session early on and more over time; the exact number varies with time of day, pump fit, and recent feeds.
A newborn may nurse for 10–45 minutes, rest a moment, then want the other side.
That back-and-forth is common while your baby learns and as milk shifts from colostrum to mature milk.
Frequent, effective nursing drives supply, and the small belly volume listed in the early-days table explains the short intervals.
Hunger And Fullness Cues To Trust
Watch the baby, not the clock. Early cues appear before crying and make feeds easier to start.
When you catch these signs, latching or offering a bottle goes smoother—less gulping, less air, and a calmer finish.
Hunger Cues
- Stirring from light sleep, mouth opening, tongue moving, hand-to-mouth, rooting, soft “eh-eh” sounds.
Fullness Cues
- Slowing sucks, longer pauses, relaxed hands and arms, milk dribbling out, turning away, gently releasing the nipple.
Paced Bottle Feeding For Newborns
Paced feeding gives bottle-fed babies more control and helps match the slower flow of nursing. It helps self-regulation and can cut down on spit-up and gas.
Step-By-Step
- Hold your baby upright and keep the bottle nearly horizontal, so milk flows steadily but not fast.
- Tickle the upper lip with the nipple and wait for a wide, eager mouth before letting the baby latch to the bottle.
- Let the baby pause. Tip the bottle down during breaks so milk isn’t pouring while they rest.
- Switch sides halfway through the feed to mimic the change of sides at the breast and for eye and neck comfort.
- Stop when you see fullness cues. If the bottle isn’t empty, that’s okay. The baby decides.
Night Feeds, Growth Spurts, And Timing
Newborn sleep is light and short. Many babies wake every 2–3 hours for the first couple of weeks.
Shortly after birth, common spurts around days 7–10, weeks 2–3, and weeks 4–6 bring bursts of appetite.
During a spurt, feeds stack closer together and ounces per feed may rise; after a day or two, the pattern usually settles.
If your baby sleeps longer than 4–5 hours in the first weeks and starts skipping feeds, rouse gently and offer a feed.
Later in the month, longer sleep windows appear on their own. Many formula-fed babies move toward 3–4 hour gaps sooner, while breastfed babies often keep shorter gaps for a bit longer.
Diaper Output And Weight Gain: Reality Checks
Output is a reliable window into intake. After day 4, expect around 6 or more pale, wet diapers in 24 hours and regular stools that shift from dark to mustard-yellow if breastfed.
Formula-fed stools tend to be tan and a little firmer. Wide swings in color, hard pellets, or a clear drop in wet diapers call for a chat with your baby’s doctor.
Steady weight gain matters more than any single bottle or nursing session.
Your care team will review growth at each visit and help fine-tune ounces if needed.
Bring your logs, bottles, and questions so the plan fits your baby’s pattern and your routine.
What If My Newborn Seems Hungry All The Time?
Some days bring stacked feeds and short naps. That can be a surge in appetite, a sleepy day catching up, or cluster feeding.
Offer both breasts or a little extra in the bottle, burp midway, and watch for calmer cues.
If feeds run past an hour, work on a deeper latch or switch to a slower bottle nipple to cut air.
Skin-to-skin time can steady cues and help many babies settle.
View the day as a whole. A long nap often shifts ounces to the evening.
Short bursts of frequent feeds are common in the first month and usually pass.
If the pace feels tough, tag a helper to handle burping and changes so you get brief rests while staying on your baby’s rhythm.
Bottle Size, Flow, And Safe Prep
Use small bottles early on. Four-ounce bottles work well for paced feeding and make it easy to stop on fullness cues.
Pick a slow-flow nipple; a fast stream can push extra ounces. Hold your baby upright, keep the bottle level, and pause often.
Mix formula exactly as the label directs—right ratio, right order.
Too strong strains kidneys; too weak shortchanges calories. Warm milk if you like, then test on your wrist.
Discard leftovers within two hours and wash parts well. Use safe water sources. Always.
Common Myths That Get Parents Stuck
- “A bigger bottle means a longer nap.” Bigger often brings gas and spit-up. Pace first; size up later only if hunger cues persist.
- “You must wait three hours between feeds.” Strict gaps can lead to cranky babies. Responsive feeding works better.
- “Newborns should sleep through the night.” Most still need night feeds; longer stretches arrive with growth.
If You’re Combining Breast And Bottle
Many families mix approaches. Protect supply with a pump for any long gap between nursing sessions.
Aim for flange fit and remove milk about 8–12 times per day at first, counting nursing and pumping together.
Offer bottles with the paced method so flow feels similar.
For top-ups after nursing, begin with ½ to 1 ounce, then reassess.
A slow nipple and upright hold protect that stop signal. If your baby dozes at the breast, try breast compressions to boost transfer before adding a top-up.
| Weight (lb) | Total/Day (oz) | Per Feed (8 feeds) |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | ~15 | ~1.9 |
| 7 | ~17.5 | ~2.2 |
| 8 | ~20 | ~2.5 |
| 9 | ~22.5 | ~2.8 |
| 10 | ~25 | ~3.1 |
Practical Wrap-Up
So how many ounces should a newborn eat? In the first days, think teaspoons at a time; through weeks 1–4, think 2–4 ounces per feed, about 8–12 times daily.
Use cues to set the pace, use the per-pound rule for bottles as a guide, and keep daily totals below about 32 ounces unless your clinician suggests otherwise.
Most of all, adjust to the baby you see—calm, contented pauses and steady daily diapers say the plan is working. If questions linger, bring a short feeding log and diapers per day to your next visit; that snapshot makes decisions easier for you and your care team. Bring the bottles you use.