The day you bring your newborn home for the first time is one of the most exciting experiences for new parents – but also one of the most overwhelming ones. Away from the schedules of the hospital and the guiding advice of doctors and nurses, many questions arise in the early days of parenting. A very important one being: how often should a newborn eat?
Understanding your baby’s needs when it comes to feeding, figuring out their hunger-schedule and recognizing their cues can ease anxiety and help establish a healthy feeding routine. Regardless of if you are breastfeeding, using formula or a little bit of both, this article will explore the essentials of feeding your newborn: frequency, hunger cues, how much newborns eat and tips to make feeding easier.
Schedule & establishing a feeding routine
Newborns have very small stomachs – around the size of a cherry – meaning they eat smaller quantities and subsequently need to feed every few hours. Generally, most newborns are hungry and need to be fed every 2-3 hours, meaning they eat between 8 to 12 times within 24 hours. This frequent feeding schedule not only prevents your little one from getting hungry, but also supports their development and growth, as well as helps you to develop a steady milk supply if you are breastfeeding.
If you choose to use formula rather than breastfeeding, or are doing a combination of both, there may be slight differences in how often your little one needs to eat. Formula-fed babies tend to go a little longer stretches of time between feedings. They typically eat every 3-4 hours, instead of every 2-3 like breastfed babies, as formula takes a little longer to digest than breastmilk.
However, keep in mind that these are general guidelines. Each baby is unique and lives by its own schedule, so the most important thing is to listen to your gut and your baby's cues rather than feeding it strictly by the clock.
In the early weeks, you may also experience that your little one is asleep during the time you had planned to feed it, particularly if you are one of the lucky parents whose newborn sleeps for longer stretches of time at once. If the last feed is more than 3-4 hours ago, it may be advisable to wake your baby to feed it, even if it is asleep, as babies require frequent nourishment to regain their birth weight and prevent dehydration.
After a few weeks when your baby has regained its birth weight and your pediatrician has given you the greenlight, you can let your little one sleep for longer stretches of time at night without waking them for feedings. It can, however, still be helpful to keep up with your regular feeding schedule during the day to ensure a good rhythm and sufficient nourishment.
Hunger cues
As your little one cannot tell you with words that they are hungry, you might feel a little lost as to how to understand when they are hungry. However, most newborns try to communicate with cries and cues that you can learn to recognize over time. Some common hunger cues are:
- Sucking on hands or fingers
- Smacking their lips
- Rooting with an open mouth
- Being more alert than usual or stirring from sleep
- Crying combined with any of the above (usually a late hunger cue)
Learning to recognize these cues early on can help you feed your baby when they are hungry before they become upset and start crying. If you want to read more about hunger cries and how it differs from other baby cries, have a look at our article about why babies cry.
How much do newborns eat?
As said above, each baby is unique, and so are their needs. However, it can be said that the amount each baby eats increases gradually as they grow. On their first day, most newborns eat only 5-7 mL per feeding, which is roughly the amount that would fit on a teaspoon. By day 3, the amount per feeding increases roughly 4 or 5-fold, to around 22-27 mL per feeding. By the end of their first week of life, babies tend to eat around 40-60 mL per feeding, and by the end of month one that amount has doubled to around 80-150 mL. Keep in mind that the actual amount varies from baby to baby and depends greatly on the feeding method. Additionally, growth spurts can also have an impact on the amount your baby feeds.
Growth spurts are very typical around weeks 2, 6 and 12 and can lead to a change in feeding patterns, called cluster feeding. As your baby undergoes bigger changes during these weeks, they may feed more frequently whilst experiencing such a growth spurt, to support their increased nutritional needs. Cluster feeding is completely normal and usually lasts only a few days before returning to their regular feeding pattern.
Tips to facilitate feeding
Feeding your baby can be a calming bonding experience, especially with a few tips to facilitate it. Start by finding a comfortable nursing position, that supports both you and your little one, as good posture and positioning can make all the difference. Using a nursing pillow can help make finding such a position easier, no matter if you are breastfeeding or using formula, and help support you and your baby whilst you feed.
If you're often on the move, you may be required to feed your baby on the go. In this case, using a baby wrap can make this process much easier and more supportive. A soft stretchy wrap allows you to keep your baby close and content, whilst also giving you the flexibility to find the ideal position when feeding on the go.
Another nursing essential are muslins. They allow you to clean any spit up, and help you protect your clothes when you are burping your baby – a key step after feeding to keep your baby comfortable and prevent any discomfort from built up gas.
To sum up
Feeding a newborn is not a one size fits all experience. Some newborns are naturally hungrier than others and feed on a schedule right from the beginning, whilst others may experience some initial difficulties latching, feeding in certain positions or developing a consistent feeding pattern. So be patient with your baby and with yourself, and listen to your baby’s cues, as this will allow you to establish the best feeding schedule for your little one.
Despite these early days potentially being overwhelming with irregular feeding patterns and having to wake your baby to feed when it has finally fallen asleep, remember that they too are temporary, and your that feeding your baby is far more than nourishment, it is also a chance for the two of you to bond and get to know each other more. As your baby grows, their feeding needs and patterns will evolve too.
If you’re curious about what to expect in the coming weeks, months and years, check out our article on baby development for insights into how your little one will grow and change in the time ahead.
