How Much Infant Formula And Breast Milk For Newborn? | No Stress Tips

How Feeding Amounts Grow In The First 14 Days

Newborn stomachs start tiny, so intake rises fast across the first two weeks. A rough day-by-day view helps set realistic expectations while you watch your baby’s cues. The figures below apply to both breast milk and formula given by bottle. At the breast, your baby self-regulates, so use the range as context, not a target.

Age	Feeds/24 h	Per Feed (ml / oz)
Birth–Day 1	8–12	5–10 ml (1–2 tsp)
Day 2	8–12	10–20 ml (⅓–⅔ oz)
Day 3–4	8–12	20–30 ml (⅔–1 oz)
Day 5–7	8–12	30–60 ml (1–2 oz)
Week 2	8–12	45–90 ml (1½–3 oz)

Many babies bunch feeds close together in the evening. That pattern, often called cluster feeding, is normal. If your baby seems hungry again soon after a feed, offer the breast or a small top-up by bottle and watch for calm, satisfied cues.

What This Looks Like At The Breast

On day 1, thick colostrum comes in tiny amounts yet packs immune power. Swallows sound soft at first, then more frequent as milk volume rises around days 3–5. Aim for a deep latch, active sucking, and gentle breast compressions when swallowing slows. Keep daytime and overnight feeds going, usually every 2–3 hours, to protect supply.

What This Looks Like With Formula

Offer small, paced bottles and let your baby stop when satisfied. As intake climbs through the month, most babies settle on about 60–120 ml (2–4 oz) per feed by the end of month one, with a daily ceiling near 960 ml (32 oz). The American Academy of Pediatrics explains these ranges and the 32-ounce limit.

How Much Formula Or Breast Milk For A Newborn: Daily Patterns

A simple rule of thumb for bottle volumes after the first week is about 150 ml per kilogram of body weight per day (roughly 2½ oz per pound). Treat this as a ballpark number, not a quota. Your baby’s growth, hunger cues, and diaper counts tell the real story.

Signs Your Newborn Is Getting Enough

• By days 4–5, at least 5–6 wet diapers daily; urine looks pale yellow.
• Stools transition from dark meconium to lighter, then mustard-like in many breastfed babies.
• Steady energy with calm periods after feeds and waking for feeds on their own.
• Weight starts to rebound after the normal early drop, then rises on the care team’s scale checks.

Hunger And Fullness Cues To Trust

Early hunger cues include stirring, rooting, hand-to-mouth, and quiet alertness. Late cues include strong crying and a rigid body. When you see relaxed hands, turning away, or slow, sleepy sucking, your baby is likely done. End the feed without trying to finish the bottle.

Bottle Volumes For Breastfed Babies

When giving expressed milk, small bottles go a long way. Start with 45–60 ml (1½–2 oz); many newborns top out near 60–90 ml (2–3 oz) per session in the early weeks. Use paced-bottle technique so the flow stays steady and your baby can pause as needed. That approach keeps bottle feeds aligned with normal breastfeeding rhythms.

Sample 24-Hour Feeding Day

Every family finds a rhythm. Here are two gentle patterns that fit many newborns. Use them as a loose map and shift times to match your baby.

Mostly At The Breast

1. 6:00 a.m. Feed on waking, both sides as cues allow.
2. 8:30 a.m. Short feed, skin-to-skin doze.
3. 11:00 a.m. Active feed.
4. 1:30 p.m. Feed and nap.
5. 4:00 p.m. Feed, burp, cuddle.
6. 6:30 p.m. Two smaller evening feeds.
7. 9:30 p.m. Night feed.
8. 2:00 a.m. Night feed. Diaper change if needed.

Mostly Formula

1. 6:30 a.m. 60–75 ml (2–2½ oz), paced.
2. 9:30 a.m. 60–90 ml (2–3 oz), paced.
3. 12:30 p.m. 75–90 ml (2½–3 oz), paced.
4. 3:30 p.m. 75–90 ml (2½–3 oz), paced.
5. 6:30 p.m. 60–75 ml (2–2½ oz), paced.
6. 9:30 p.m. 60–75 ml (2–2½ oz), paced.
7. 2:00 a.m. 60–90 ml (2–3 oz), paced.

Paced Bottle Feeding: Quick How-To

• Hold your baby upright; keep the bottle nearly horizontal.
• Tickle the lip with the nipple and wait for a wide mouth.
• Let your baby draw the nipple in rather than placing it deep.
• Offer short breaks every few minutes to mirror nursing pauses.
• Stop at relaxed hands, turning away, or slowed sucking.

Weight And Growth Checkpoints

Many newborns lose up to 7–10% of birth weight in the first days. Most regain birth weight by about two weeks. Steady gain follows. If gain stalls, ask for a same-day weight and a full feed review.

Gear, Nipples, And Flow

Nipple size names vary by brand. In the first weeks, a slow-flow nipple helps your baby set the pace. If you see choking, gulping, milk pooling in the mouth, or swallows stacked without breaths, the flow may be too fast. If your baby sucks forever with few swallows, try a fresh nipple or a different brand.

Milk Handling For Pumping Parents

Wash hands, clean pump parts well, and label bottles by date. When freezing, leave a bit of space in each bag. Thaw in the refrigerator or in cool water, then warm gently. Do not refreeze thawed milk.

Safe Mixing, Storage, And Feeding Practices

Mix formula exactly as the label says. Use level scoops, add the right amount of water, and shake well. Never water down feeds. Skip the microwave to avoid hot spots; warm bottles in a mug of warm water if needed. Discard leftovers from the same bottle once a feed ends.

Topic	Safe Limit / Rule	Quick Note
Room-temp window	Use within 2 hours of mixing	Start the clock when powder meets water.
Started bottle	Finish within 1 hour	Then discard; bacteria can multiply.
Fridge storage	Up to 24 hours	Keep at ≤4 °C / 40 °F.
Daily total	Cap near 960 ml (32 oz)	Talk with your doctor if needs exceed this.

See the CDC’s guidance on formula preparation and storage for full safety steps, including washing, water, and cleaning gear.

Night Feeds, Sleep Stretches, And When To Wake

In the newborn period, most babies need frequent night feeds. If a long stretch pushes past 4–5 hours in the first few weeks, wake your baby and offer a feed. Once weight gain is steady and your clinician says night stretches are fine, follow your baby’s lead.

Common Questions Answered Fast

Can You Overfeed A Newborn?

Yes, overfeeding happens most often with bottles because the flow can be quick and the nipple keeps dripping. Use a slow-flow nipple, hold the bottle more horizontal, pause often, and stop at the first signs of fullness. Watch the daily ceiling of 960 ml (32 oz) for formula.

What About Vitamin D Drops?

Breastfed babies need 400 IU vitamin D daily from birth. Formula-fed babies who take less than 960 ml (32 oz) a day also need drops. Use a dropper made for infants and follow the label on the product your clinician recommends.

Do You Need Water Between Feeds?

No. Newborns should not receive plain water. Water can displace needed calories and upset a baby’s salt balance. Breast milk or formula supplies both fluid and energy.

A Handy Feeding Plan For The First Two Weeks

1. Offer the breast or a bottle at early hunger cues, day and night.
2. Keep sessions calm and unhurried; use skin-to-skin before feeds to rouse sleepy babies.
3. For bottles, pick a slow-flow nipple and use paced technique with frequent pauses.
4. Burp at natural breaks, then offer the same breast again or resume the bottle if cues continue.
5. Track diapers. By the end of week one, expect at least 5–6 wets daily.
6. Schedule the first weight check with your care team; ask about any latch pain or low supply.
7. Adjust volumes inside the ranges in the table instead of pushing a fixed ounce goal.

Troubleshooting Intake

Sleepy Newborn

Stir with a diaper change, un-swaddle for skin-to-skin, and try breast compressions or a brief pause during bottle feeds. Switch sides or burp to reset focus.

Fast Flow

If milk gushes or the bottle pours in, use a laid-back nursing position or switch to a slower nipple. Keep the bottle more horizontal and pause every few minutes.

Gassy Or Spitting Up

Smaller, more frequent feeds and upright time after feeds can help. If spit-ups are forceful, green, or paired with poor weight gain, call your clinician.

Weight Not Rising

Ask your care team to review a full feed, check transfer, and set a short-term plan that protects milk supply while your baby catches up.

When To Seek Care Urgently

Contact your clinician or go to urgent care if you see fewer than two wet diapers on day 2, no stool by day 3, listless behavior, cracked dry lips, a sunken soft spot, or deep yellow skin. Feeding trouble paired with fever, vomiting green fluid, or weak cry also needs prompt care.

Bringing It All Together For Your Newborn

Use the ranges, watch your baby, and lean on the weight checks. Babies grow best when we pace feeds, protect rest, and stop at fullness. You’ve got this, and your baby will show you the next step, one feed at a time, always. Share the plan with anyone helping you feed and settle tonight.