How Many Ounces Should Newborn Eat Each Feeding? | Quick Baby Guide

Feeding a brand-new baby can feel puzzling. The good news: there is a steady pattern many families see in the first month. Use this guide to set a baseline, then let your baby’s cues fine-tune the plan.

How Many Ounces Per Feeding For Newborns: By Day And Week

Here’s a practical range that blends what pediatric groups share with what parents track at home. Volumes below apply to direct breastfeeds measured later by pumped amounts, and to bottles of expressed milk or formula.

Age	Typical Intake Per Feed	Feeds In 24 Hours
First 24–48 hours	0.5–1 oz (15–30 mL)	10–12+
Days 3–7	1–2 oz (30–60 mL)	8–12
Weeks 2–3	1.5–3 oz (45–90 mL)	8–12
End of Month 1	2–4 oz (60–120 mL)	6–10

Formula bottles trend larger, spaced a bit farther apart. Direct breastfeeds trend smaller, spaced closer together. That pattern lines up with what the American Academy of Pediatrics says about early bottle feeds and daily totals, and what the CDC shares about breastfeeding frequency.

Breastfed Vs. Formula-Fed: What Actually Changes

Breastfed newborns. Frequent sessions help milk supply and practice. Many babies nurse every 2–4 hours, with spurts of back-to-back feeds in the evening. That fast cycle is normal and often called cluster feeding. See the CDC’s guide on how much and how often to breastfeed for timing cues and signs your baby is settling after feeds.

Formula-fed newborns. Early bottles often start at 1–2 oz per feed in the first days, then rise across the first month to 3–4 oz per feed. AAP guidance also offers an easy rule of thumb for full-day totals and an upper limit many babies do well under. You’ll find both in the AAP page on formula amounts and schedules.

Reading Hunger And Fullness Cues

Watch your baby, not the clock. These cues help you decide when to start, slow, or stop a feed:

• Ready to eat: stirring, mouth opening, rooting, hands near mouth, soft sounds.
• Actively feeding: steady sucks with pauses, relaxed hands, calm face, rhythmic swallows.
• Had enough: slower sucks, turning away, milk pooling at lips, relaxed body, sleepy eyes.

If a bottle empties and your baby still leans in, offer a small top-up. If your baby pushes the nipple out or turns away mid-bottle or breast, pause and burp; the feed may be done.

Night Feeds, Sleepy Babies, And Safe Intervals

In the first weeks, long stretches without milk can be an issue. Many babies still need a feed at least every 3–4 hours overnight. If a newborn sleeps past 4–5 hours in the early weeks, wake for a feed, then let them settle again. The AAP notes this helps protect growth while sleep patterns mature.

Working Out Daily Totals Safely

Here’s a quick way to sanity-check totals for babies who take bottles: multiply body weight in pounds by 2.5 to get a rough daily ounce target, with a common cap near 32 oz in 24 hours. This is a guide, not a quota. Some days your baby will take less, other days more.

Baby Weight (lb)	Daily Total (oz)	Per Feed If 8–12/Day
6 lb	15 oz	1.3–1.9 oz
7 lb	18 oz	1.5–2.3 oz
8 lb	20 oz	1.7–2.5 oz
9 lb	23 oz	1.9–2.9 oz
10 lb	25 oz	2.1–3.1 oz
11 lb	28 oz	2.3–3.5 oz
12 lb	30 oz	2.5–3.8 oz

Use the table as a ballpark when prepping bottles or gauging pumped output. If your baby wants more and grows well, higher days can still be fine. If your baby refuses bottles yet seems content and grows, lower days can still be fine.

Paced Bottles And Nipple Flow

Fast flow can race ahead of a newborn’s swallow and lead to gulping. Pace the bottle: hold it more level, let your baby draw the milk in, and rest after several swallows. Try a slow-flow nipple at first; move up only if feeds drag on and your baby stays frustrated.

Breastfeeding And Pumping Volumes: What To Expect

Early sessions can be short and frequent. Hand expression right after latching can boost transfer; so can breast compressions during active sucking. If you need to introduce a bottle, match the same small, paced approach so your baby doesn’t learn to prefer a faster flow.

Growth Spurts, Cluster Feeds, And When Amounts Swing

Feeds often bunch up at 2–3 weeks and again near 6 weeks. Some babies take several small feeds over two hours, then sleep a longer block. Lean on burps, skin-to-skin, and contact naps to ride it out. These swings help supply keep up with demand.

How To Tell Your Newborn Is Getting Enough

You’re on track when these signs stack up over several days:

• Your baby settles after most feeds and wakes ready to eat again.
• Plenty of wet diapers across the day and soft stools.
• Steady weight gain after the first week, with the normal early drop already behind you.
• Good tone and a bright look when awake.

When To Call Your Pediatrician

Reach out fast if your newborn feeds fewer than eight times in a day, shows weak suck and long, sleepy stretches, spits up forcefully after most feeds, seems in pain, or has fewer wet diapers than you’d expect. Sudden drop in interest, fewer stools with a firm belly, or no weight gain also calls for a check. If you feel sore, worried, or stuck, ask for hands-on help from a lactation pro.

Sample Day: Bringing The Numbers To Life

Here’s a sample mix for a 7 lb baby in week two who drinks some pumped milk and nurses the rest. Your day will look different, and that’s okay.

Morning

06:00 nurse, both sides; 08:30 bottle 2 oz; nap; 10:30 nurse.

Afternoon

12:45 bottle 2.5 oz; contact nap; 15:30 nurse; 17:30 nurse.

Evening

19:00 cluster of two short nurses; 21:00 bottle 2 oz.

Overnight

00:30 nurse; 03:30 nurse. Total feeds: 10. Estimated intake lines up with the table above.

Troubleshooting Common Snags

Lots Of Spit-Up

Try more burp breaks, keep the bottle paced, and hold your baby upright for a short while after feeds. If weight gain stalls or spit-up shoots across the room, call your clinic.

Won’t Take Enough From The Bottle

Check nipple flow, try a different bottle shape, warm the milk slightly, and feed skin-to-skin. Offer smaller, more frequent bottles.

Always Seems Hungry

Run through cues: sometimes the need is comfort, a diaper change, or a change of scenery. If hunger cues keep returning fast and diapers stay light, add a feed and call your care team for a weight check.

Formula And Expressed Milk Prep Basics

Clean gear makes feeds smoother. Wash your hands first. Use clean bottles, rings, and nipples. For powdered formula, follow the label, stick to the exact scoop, and use safe water from a trusted source. Mix well so there are no dry pockets. For pumped milk, label and rotate so the oldest goes first.

Burping, Gas, And Positions

A small newborn belly fills fast, and air sneaks in along the way. Try two or three pauses to burp during a bottle, and one pause between sides at the breast. Hold your baby upright on your chest or sit them on your lap with a hand under the chin for a steady hold. If one position stalls, switch. Short, frequent burps beat one long struggle.

Preterm Or Small Babies: Extra Care

Babies who arrive early or under weight may tire faster and take smaller amounts at each feed. Aim for more frequent, shorter sessions. Watch suck strength and alertness. Many families use paced bottles to balance energy. If intake dips or weight stalls, your medical team may suggest a different plan for a while. Keep notes on start times, volumes, and diapers to share during check-ins.

Milk Storage Quick Pointers

Fresh milk beats older milk. Chill pumped milk soon, group small amounts, and avoid topping off cold bottles with warm milk. Thaw the oldest bag first by placing it in the refrigerator or under cool running water that you refresh as it warms. Never refreeze thawed milk. Discard leftovers from a used bottle at the next feed.

Calm Feeding Routine You Can Repeat

Pick a short sequence and stick to it, day and night: change the diaper, dim the room, feed on cue, burp, and settle. That steady pattern teaches your baby what comes next and makes it easier for other caregivers to step in. Keep the first minutes of each session free of TV or phones so you can watch cues and adjust in real time.

Your Takeaway

In week one, most newborns take 1–2 oz per feed. By the end of the first month, many take 2–4 oz per feed. Across that span, 8–12 feeds per day is common. Use cues, keep bottles paced, and let steady growth be your guide.