How Much Should a Newborn Eat? Feeding Amounts by Week

How much your newborn needs depends on their age and how they are fed. Here is the chart pediatricians actually use — plus how to know if your baby is getting enough.

Feeding Amounts by Week

These are general ranges. Your baby may eat more or less. Follow their cues, not the chart.

• Days 1–3: 0.5 – 1 oz per feed · 8–12 feeds per day
• Days 4–7: 1 – 2 oz per feed · 8–12 feeds per day
• Weeks 2–4: 2 – 3 oz per feed · 8–10 feeds per day
• Month 2: 3 – 4 oz per feed · 6–8 feeds per day
• Month 3: 4 – 5 oz per feed · 5–7 feeds per day

How to Tell If They're Getting Enough

The most reliable signs are output (diapers) and weight gain. Skip counting ounces and watch these instead:

• Wet diapers: 1+ on day 1, 2+ on day 2, building to 6+ per day from day 5 onward
• Dirty diapers: 1+ on day 1, building to 3+ per day from day 4 onward
• Stool color shifts: black (meconium) → green-brown → yellow seedy by day 5
• Steady weight gain after day 5 (newborns lose 5–10% of birth weight in the first week — this is normal)
• Baby seems satisfied after most feeds and has alert, awake periods

Paced Bottle Feeding

If you bottle-feed (formula or pumped milk), use paced feeding to prevent overfeeding:

• Hold baby upright (not lying flat)
• Hold the bottle horizontally so milk barely fills the nipple
• Let baby pull the nipple in — do not push it in
• Pause every 30–60 seconds to let baby breathe and decide
• Stop when baby turns away or slows down — even if there's milk left

When to Call the Pediatrician

• Fewer than the expected wet diapers per day
• Baby is excessively sleepy and not waking to feed
• Baby is not regaining birth weight by 2 weeks
• Baby refuses to feed for several feeds in a row
• Yellowing skin or eyes (jaundice)