Newborns take 30–90 mL per feed in week 1, then 60–120 mL; aim 480–900 mL total per day, guided by hunger cues and steady weight gain.
Caring for a tiny tummy raises the same question for nearly every parent: how much milk, in mL, should a newborn actually drink? Early days vary a lot, yet there are clear ranges trusted by pediatric groups. The goal is simple: frequent feeds, steady growth, and a content baby. Below you’ll find per-feed targets by age, daily totals, a weight-based rule many bottle-feeding families use, and easy checks that tell you if intake looks on track.
How Many mL Should A Newborn Drink Per Feed?
Intake climbs quickly across the first month. In the first week, the American Academy of Pediatrics notes that babies usually take about 30–60 mL per feed. Through the rest of the month, that rises toward 90–120 mL per feed for many babies, with feeds spaced roughly every 2–4 hours. Breastfed babies tend to take smaller, more frequent feeds; formula-fed babies often settle into slightly larger, more spaced-out bottles. Let your baby’s cues set the pace.
Here’s a quick snapshot that families can save. Ranges assume healthy term babies and responsive feeding.
| Age | Per Feed (mL) | Total In 24h (mL) |
|---|---|---|
| Days 1–7 | 30–60 | 240–720 |
| Weeks 2–3 | 60–90 | 480–900 |
| Week 4 | 90–120 | 600–900 |
Week One Details
Day-to-day volumes shift as milk comes in and your newborn learns to feed. Some feeds are “snacks” and others are fuller. Expect 8–12 feeds across 24 hours in this stage. If using bottles, start on the lower end and offer a little more only when hunger cues continue. A slow-flow nipple and gentle pauses help match the pace of breastfeeding and make overfeeding less likely.
Breastfeeding, Formula, And Mixed Feeding
Method changes the pattern more than the daily total. From one to six months, many exclusively breastfed babies average around 570–900 mL across 24 hours. Bottle-fed newborns often reach similar daily totals by four weeks, but in larger, less frequent servings. Mixed feeding can sit anywhere between those patterns. Whichever method you use, aim for active sucking and a calm finish rather than forcing a bottle to empty.
Feed On Cues
Crying is late. Look for early signs: stirring, hand-to-mouth moves, rooting, soft coos, and alert eyes. Offer the breast or the bottle when you see those hints. On the flip side, slower sucking, relaxed hands, turning away, milk pooling at the lips, or falling asleep are normal stop signs. Hint: a baby who unlatches and keeps calm is usually done for the moment.
Daily Amounts In mL: The Weight Rule
Many health services teach a simple guide once the first week has passed: about 150–200 mL per kilogram of body weight across a day. It is a guide, not a quota. Preterm or low-birth-weight babies may follow different plans set by their care team. For term babies gaining well, this range lines up with what many families see at home. You can read the same rule on an NHS resource that parents often receive, which states 150–200 mL/kg/day after the first week (NHS guidance).
How Often Should A Newborn Drink?
Most newborns feed every 2–3 hours at first, with shorter gaps in the evening when cluster feeding kicks in. By the end of the first month, many babies stretch to every 3–4 hours. Night feeds still matter for growth and milk supply. If weight gain or jaundice has been a concern, your clinician may ask you to wake for feeds until things are stable.
Growth Spurts And Clusters
Expect short bursts of extra hunger around week two and again near week three. Feeds may bunch up during the late afternoon and evening. Offer more frequent access rather than bigger bottles. That pattern often settles on its own within a couple of days.
Breastfeeding Volumes: What To Expect
Volumes during the first days are modest while colostrum does its job. As supply builds, transfer per feed grows and spacing lengthens a bit. Across the first months, daily intake for an exclusively breastfed baby usually sits in a steady band even as body size increases. That’s why bottle amounts for expressed milk rarely need to climb steeply week to week. If you’re pumping, many parents find that a few smaller bottles across the day match baby’s rhythm better than fewer large ones.
Pumped Milk Bottle Sizes
When feeding expressed milk, many families use 60–90 mL bottles early on and scale to 90–120 mL by four to six weeks. Use paced-bottle techniques and a slow-flow nipple to match the rhythm of breastfeeding and to cut down on overfeeding. If a bottle drains in five minutes with gulping and coughing, drop the flow rate and add pauses.
Expressed Milk Math
A handy way to size a bottle is to divide your baby’s expected daily total by the number of feeds. If a baby takes about 720 mL across a day and usually feeds nine times, a 75–85 mL bottle is a good start. Offer more only if hunger cues continue after a brief pause and a burp.
Formula Amounts: Safe Ranges And Caps
For formula, pediatric groups give clear numbers. In the first week, offer about 30–60 mL per feed. By the first month, many babies take 90–120 mL per feed, and total intake often lands between 710–960 mL per day. Many clinicians set an upper limit near 960 mL in 24 hours for young infants to reduce overfeeding and reflux. Always prepare formula as directed and discard leftovers from a used bottle. Ready-to-feed, powder, and concentrate have different steps, so follow the label closely.
Signs A Bottle Is Too Big
Watch for constant leaking at the corners, very quick feeds with fussing, frequent spit-up, or a hard belly after feeds. Downsizing the bottle or slowing the flow often fixes those issues faster than cutting time between feeds.
Hunger And Fullness Checks
Numbers help, yet your baby’s output and behavior tell the real story. After day five, six to eight wet diapers each day and regular soft stools point to good intake. Skin looks well hydrated, and your baby wakes to feed, latches or sucks with purpose, and returns to calm between feeds. Long stretches of sleep paired with few wet diapers, a dry mouth, sunken eyes, or listless behavior need a call to your pediatrician. If you’re tracking weight, consistent gains over time matter more than a single reading.
Weight Rule Examples
Here’s how the 150–200 mL/kg/day guide can look once the first week has passed. These are ranges, not targets you must hit at every feed.
| Baby’s Weight | Daily Range (mL) | What That Looks Like |
|---|---|---|
| 3.0 kg | 450–600 | 8–12 feeds of ~45–75 mL |
| 3.5 kg | 525–700 | 8–10 feeds of ~55–85 mL |
| 4.0 kg | 600–800 | 7–9 feeds of ~70–110 mL |
Sample 24-Hour Pattern In The First Month
Here’s a sample day for a four-week-old that lands near 750 mL total. Feeds are spaced about every three hours with one cluster in the evening. Times will shift in your home, and that’s fine.
• 6:00 — 90 mL
• 9:00 — 90 mL
• 12:00 — 90 mL
• 15:00 — 90 mL
• 18:00 — 60 mL
• 19:30 — 60 mL
• 21:00 — 60 mL
• 02:00 — 90 mL
• 04:30 — 120 mL
Paced Bottle Feeding, Flow, And Burps
Hold your baby semi-upright and the bottle nearly horizontal so milk flows with effort, not a stream. Tip the bottle just enough to cover the nipple, then pause every few swallows. Switch sides halfway through the feed to change the angle and slow the tempo. Frequent burps break up swallowed air and can ease spit-up. Two short burps during the feed and one at the end work well for many babies.
When To See Your Pediatrician
Call for help without delay if any of the following pop up: far fewer than six wet diapers after day five, fewer than three feeds in eight hours, jaundice that is deepening, fast breathing during feeds, blue coloring, fever, projectile vomit, or sleepy feeds with poor latch or suck. If intake feels off track, weight checks guide next steps. Short visits for a weigh-feed-weigh can be very handy in the early weeks.
Quick Tips That Keep Feeding Smooth
• Keep bottles small and add more only if cues say so.
• Track feeds and diapers for a few days when routines change.
• Use skin-to-skin time to spark feeding cues.
• If bottle volumes creep up fast, try paced-bottle steps and slower nipples before increasing mL.
• Hand expression or pumping after a feed can build supply when needed.
• When using formula, stick to the scoop level and water line on the tin. No heaping scoops, no extra water.
Every baby writes a slightly different story, yet the ranges above fit most newborns. Use them as guide rails while you watch cues, diapers, and growth. If something feels off, your care team can tailor a plan that suits your baby best.