Side by side to "volition I ever sleep again?" the biggest questions many new parents have are all about feeding.

Whether your little one is breastfed, formula-fed or a combination of both, figuring out how much he should be eating — and whether that fussing is related to hunger or something else — can feel overwhelming, especially in the very beginning.

The good news is that babies tend to exist really good at letting y'all know when they're gear up to swallow, eating when they're hungry and stopping when they're full.

And so with a footling flake of noesis on your part, you lot can acquire to tell when information technology'south time to offer a meal, how much milk your little ane needs and whether he's getting the right corporeality.

How much should my breastfed baby eat?

Breastfed babies should swallow as frequently and as long every bit they want, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Most newborns nurse every two to 3 hours, counting from the outset of each nursing session. That adds up to around eight to 12 feedings a mean solar day.

But y'all should let your infant guide you instead of the clock, so offer your breast whenever he shows signs of hunger. If your baby seems very sleepy, you should wake him to make certain he gets at least eight feedings within 24 hours.

Equally for how much he should drink during each nursing session? Once more, there'south no right or wrong answer. But you can generally look your newborn to nurse for 20 to xxx minutes per feeding.

It's fourth dimension to end the session when your babe lets go of the nipple, or when his sucking design slows down to four sucks per swallow. (That'south a sign that he's probably just comfort sucking and not really drinking anymore.)

Another matter to keep in mind: It's totally normal for your lilliputian one to occasionally want to nurse nonstop. Chosen cluster feeds, these bursts of hunger tend to coincide with growth spurts. It can feel like all y'all're doing is nursing, but just follow your baby's lead — and know it'll probably only final for a day or two.

All About Breastfeeding

How much should my formula-fed baby eat?

There's no single number that works for everyone. The amount your formula-fed infant eats volition depend on his weight, historic period and appetite (which can vary from one day to the side by side, only like yours does).

As a rule of thumb, infants under six months who haven't yet started solids will take in ii to 2 1/2 ounces of formula per pound of body weight within a 24-60 minutes menstruum. (That's xx to 25 ounces per twenty-four hour period for a 10-pound infant.)

Your baby will need to eat more frequently in the beginning, but his feedings will space out more than as he gets older and his stomach gets bigger.

Here's a general thought of how much formula your bottle-fed baby will accept:

  • During the beginning few weeks: one to 3 ounces of formula every iii to four hours (closer to 2 to 3 ounces a feeding after the first few days or week). Wake your babe for a feeding if he sleeps longer than five hours.

  • By the start month: At least 4 ounces every four hours.

  • Past vi months: 24 to 36 ounces spread out over four or five feedings a day.

Still, go along in listen that every babe is different, so pay attending to your little one's cues.

If your baby is still showing hunger signs after finishing a bottle, offer more. If he seems antsy or distracted before the bottle's empty, he's probably had enough, so don't force him to finish it.

How much should my baby eat if I'm breastfeeding and formula-feeding?

Combination feeding doesn't accept to exist complicated. You tin can adapt the basic guidelines for breastfeeding and formula-feeding based on your infant's historic period. Paying attention to his hunger and fullness cues can help you figure out the right rhythm too. If you're still unsure about amounts, your babe'due south pediatrician can offer more guidance.

How much breast milk or formula should I give my babe after starting solids?

Chest milk or formula should make upward the bulk of your baby'due south nutrition until he's a year onetime. Merely as he starts eating more solid nutrient, the corporeality of breast milk or formula he drinks will slowly taper off. Specific amounts are different for every baby, of grade, but here are some basic rules of thumb:

  • half-dozen months: Nurse five to six times a day for a total of 24 to 36 ounces of chest milk, or offer four to 5 bottles a day with 6 to 8 ounces of formula each.

  • 7 months: Nurse five to six times a day for a total of 24 to 30 ounces of breast milk, or offer iv to five bottles a day with 6 to 8 ounces of formula each.

  • viii months: Nurse iv to vi times a day for a total of 24 to 30 ounces of breast milk, or offer three to five bottles a day with vii to 8 ounces of formula each.

  • 9 months: Nurse four to 6 times a day for a total of 24 to 30 ounces of breast milk, or offer iii to four bottles a 24-hour interval with 7 to 8 ounces of formula each.

  • 10 months: Nurse 4 times a 24-hour interval for a total of 24 to xxx ounces of breast milk, or offer three to four bottles a twenty-four hour period with 7 to 8 ounces of formula each.

  • 11 months: Nurse or bottle-feed iii to four times a day for a total of 24 ounces (or less) of breast milk or formula.

  • 12 months: 24 ounces (or less) of chest milk or formula a day, edging closer to xvi ounces by your baby'southward first birthday.

Babe eating chart

Here's a handy baby eating nautical chart summarizing how many ounces of milk a baby should exist getting depending on the state of affairs:

how much should baby eat chart, baby eating chart

Signs baby is hungry

Picking upward on your babe's hunger cues helps y'all know when he's ready to eat (or take some more than). Plus, taking observe of his early hunger signs ways you can go him fed earlier he starts crying. Your fiddling 1 might let you know he's looking for a meal by:

  • Nuzzling against your breasts

  • Sucking on his hands (or on other things, like your arm or shirt)

  • Opening his mouth

  • Showing the rooting reflex — turning his caput to the side with his mouth open, ofttimes subsequently his cheek is stroked

  • Sucking on his lip or tongue, which might look like he'due south sticking his tongue out

  • Smacking his lips

  • Crying, often with a short, depression-pitched wail that rises and falls

How can I tell if my baby isn't getting enough to eat?

Your baby's mood will often exist the first indicator. If your little one isn't getting enough to eat, he might cry, fuss or suck on his fingers even after a full feeding. (Keep in mind that these could also exist signs of colic or gas, though.)

Some other signs that your baby isn't eating enough and may need more:

  • Too few wet or dirty diapers. Infants should have at to the lowest degree half-dozen wet diapers within a 24-hour period, and the urine should be pale xanthous. As for bowel movements? Breastfed newborns should have at least five poop diapers inside 24 hours, and formula-fed newborns should have at least four.

  • Little or no weight proceeds. The boilerplate newborn gains four to seven ounces per week, so if your baby is gaining less, he may not exist getting enough to eat. The pediatrician tin can help you effigy out whether your baby'due south growth is on track.

If you suspect that your baby isn't eating enough, allow the pediatrician know. He or she can decide whether your infant has an underlying feeding issue (like a mouth, natural language or palate problem or GERD) and help you lot figure out a healthy feeding plan for your footling ane.

How can I tell if I'thousand feeding my baby too much?

Babies are good self-regulators — they tend to eat when they're hungry and stop when they're satisfied. Simply it's still possible for infants to have a little also much, especially if they're beingness bottle-fed, since it takes less work to drink from a bottle than from the breast.

Babies who've overeaten might come away from a repast with stomach pains or gas, or they may spit-up or even vomit. Overfeeding tin also up the run a risk for obesity later in life, only merely because your baby is on the bigger side now doesn't hateful he's eating too much.

However, it's a adept thought to talk with your baby'due south pediatrician if you're worried most his eating habits.

Figuring out how much milk to give your infant can feel a footling overwhelming. But accept heart in knowing that your picayune one tends to be good at getting what she needs, so follow her lead while keeping the general guidelines in mind. You'll settle into a comfortable routine before long — and become a infant feeding pro.