
Newborns rely on breast milk and/or formula to meet their nutritional needs. In the first few months, newborns eat very frequently, often every two to three hours. As they grow older, they will eat less often but consume more milk or formula each time. It is important to learn your baby's hunger signs and feed them in a paced manner to avoid overfeeding.
Characteristics | Values |
---|---|
How often to feed newborns | Newborns should be fed when they seem hungry, which is very often – every two to three hours. |
How much to feed newborns | Newborns drink 1 to 2 ounces of breast milk per feeding. This increases to 2 to 3 ounces per feeding when they are two weeks old. |
How to know if newborns are hungry | They will open and close their mouths, put their hands or fists to their mouths, and turn their heads from side to side in search of the nipple. |
How to know if newborns are full | They will slow down, stop, or turn away from the breast or bottle. |
What You'll Learn
- Hunger cues: Babies can't say I'm hungry, so look out for sucking on hands, smacking lips, sticking out tongue, etc
- How much to feed: Newborns eat 1-2oz of breast milk per feed, increasing to 2-3oz after two weeks?
- When to feed: Newborns eat every 2-3 hours, decreasing to every 3-4 hours by two months?
- How to know if your baby is full: They may relax their hands, turn their head away, or push food away?
- When to introduce solid foods: Wait until your baby is at least four months old, but ideally six months?
Hunger cues: Babies can't say I'm hungry, so look out for sucking on hands, smacking lips, sticking out tongue, etc
Hunger Cues in Newborns
Babies can't verbally express their hunger, so it's important to look out for non-verbal cues that indicate they're ready to feed.
One of the earliest signs of hunger is the rooting reflex, where newborns will move their heads from side to side as if searching for the breast or bottle. They may also open their mouths, stick out their tongues, or place their hands and fists near their mouths.
Other signs of hunger include increased agitation, such as leg and arm movements, fussiness, squirming, and displaying discomfort. They may also make soft murmuring noises that gradually increase in volume.
If these early signs are missed, babies may start to exhibit late hunger cues, such as frantically moving their heads from side to side and crying.
Tips for Newborn Feeding
- In the early days, newborns may need to feed as frequently as every 1-3 hours.
- On average, aim to feed your newborn approximately 8-12 times within a 24-hour period.
- Newborns should not go more than 4-5 hours without feeding.
- If your baby is calm and displaying early hunger cues, this is the ideal time to offer your breast or a bottle.
- If your baby is sleepy, they may not ask to feed often enough, so keep them close by day and night to monitor their hunger cues.
- If you're unsure whether your baby is hungry, offer them a feed. This will help reassure and comfort them, and it will also stimulate milk production if you're breastfeeding.
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How much to feed: Newborns eat 1-2oz of breast milk per feed, increasing to 2-3oz after two weeks
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How Much to Feed
Newborns eat 1-2oz of breast milk per feed, increasing to 2-3oz after two weeks. This is because, in the first few weeks, a newborn's stomach is tiny, only being able to hold 5-7ml of breast milk per feed. By the end of the first week, a newborn's stomach will have grown to about the size of a walnut, allowing them to take in more milk.
If you are bottle-feeding, you can see how much milk your baby is consuming. If you are breastfeeding, you can gauge their intake by watching their output. For example, in the first few days, a newborn should wet their diaper two to three times per day, and then five to six times a day after they are 4-5 days old.
When to Feed
Newborns should be fed on demand, which is generally every 1-3 hours. In the first few weeks, newborns will nurse about 8-12 times per day. As they get older, they will feed less often and sleep for longer at night.
Signs of Hunger
- Moving their head from side to side
- Opening their mouth
- Sticking out their tongue
- Placing their hands and fists in their mouth
- Puckering their lips as if to suck
- Nuzzling against their mother's breast
Signs of Fullness
- Slowing down
- Spitting out the bottle or unlatching from the breast
- Closing their mouth
- Turning away from the breast or bottle
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When to feed: Newborns eat every 2-3 hours, decreasing to every 3-4 hours by two months
Newborns have small stomachs, so they need to feed frequently. In the first few weeks of life, a newborn will nurse about 8 to 12 times per day. This equates to feeding every 2-3 hours. This is called on-demand feeding, or responsive feeding, and it's important to feed your baby whenever they seem hungry.
As a newborn gets older, they will be able to feed less often and will be able to sleep for longer stretches at night without needing a feed. By the time a baby is two months old, they will likely be feeding every 3-4 hours.
It's important to remember that every baby is different. Some may feed more at each sitting and may not feel hungry for many hours. Others may eat less at a time and need to feed more frequently. As a general rule, a newborn baby must not go hungry for more than 4 hours at a time, including through the night.
If you are concerned that your baby is not gaining weight normally, don't wait for them to wake up and ask for food. Wake them up and ensure they feed.
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How to know if your baby is full: They may relax their hands, turn their head away, or push food away
As a new parent, it can be difficult to know if your baby is full, especially when they are very young. It's important to remember that your baby will know when they have had enough to eat, and that their hunger can change from day to day and feeding to feeding. Trust that they know how much they need and try to follow their lead.
One way to know if your baby is full is if they start to relax their hands, arms, fingers, or legs. Open and relaxed hands are a good sign that your baby is content and full. You may also notice that they turn their head away from the breast or bottle, or push the bottle or your nipple away. They might also start to play or become easily distracted, or even appear disinterested in feeding.
If your baby is full, they may also start to fall asleep. In the early weeks, newborns often need help to stay awake during feeding. If your baby is younger than one month and hasn't eaten in a few hours, try to keep them awake by gently wiping their forehead or feet with a damp cloth, or playing with their hands and feet. Once your baby is gaining weight well, it's okay to let them fall asleep before they finish feeding.
It's important to avoid forcing your baby to finish a bottle or breastfeed if they seem full. Instead, follow their lead and trust their hunger and fullness cues. Remember that their appetite may vary from day to day, and they may go through growth spurts where they seem to want to feed more often or in larger amounts.
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When to introduce solid foods: Wait until your baby is at least four months old, but ideally six months
When it comes to feeding your newborn, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends exclusive breastfeeding for about the first 6 months of their life. After this period, solid foods can be introduced, and breastfeeding can continue alongside this for the first year and beyond if desired. However, it is important to wait until your baby is developmentally ready before offering solid foods, which is usually around the 4- to 6-month mark.
Introducing solid foods too early can be dangerous, as your baby needs to be able to sit up mostly on their own and show interest in the food you are eating. Starting too early can also interfere with your baby's ability to properly digest and absorb nutrients from solid foods. Waiting until your baby is at least 4 months old, but ideally 6 months, helps ensure their digestive system is mature enough to handle solid foods.
When your baby is ready, it is recommended to start slowly, typically with infant oatmeal mixed with breast milk or formula. This helps ease your baby into the process of eating solid foods and allows them to get used to sitting in a high chair and eating from a spoon. Let your baby take their time, rest between bites, and guide you on how much they need to eat. They may not eat a lot at first, and that is okay. It can take 10-12 tries for your baby to get used to new tastes and textures.
Once your baby is comfortably eating oatmeal, you can introduce stage one foods, which are pureed, single-ingredient foods such as avocados, peas, squash, bananas, or apples. It is important to introduce new foods one at a time and to wait for about three days between new foods to ensure your baby doesn't have any reactions, such as diarrhea, a rash, or vomiting. Starting with vegetables first and then introducing fruits is a good approach, as sweeter flavours may be more appealing to your baby and make them more hesitant to try vegetables later on.
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Frequently asked questions
Newborns eat very often, around 8-12 times per 24 hours in their first few weeks. This equates to feeding every 2-3 hours. After two months, this will reduce to every 3-4 hours, and by 6 months, they will feed every 4-5 hours.
Hunger cues include:
- Opening their mouth
- Putting hands/fists in their mouth
- Rooting reflex (turning their head from side to side in search of the nipple)
- Sucking on hands/fists
- Sticking out their tongue
- Moving their jaw/head around
- Appearing alert/excited around food
Newborns should receive all their calories from breast milk or baby formula. Most newborns drink 1-2oz of breast milk per feeding, increasing to 2-3oz by the time they are two weeks old. Formula-fed newborns will take 1-2oz per feeding in their first week, increasing to 3-4oz by the end of the first month.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends waking newborns to feed after 4-5 hours of sleep in the first few weeks after birth.