Newborn feeding guide: how much, how often, and signs baby is full

We spoke to Dr. Philippa Kaye, a London-based GP who specialises in paediatrics and gynaecology, about all things newborn and feeding. Here’s how often to feed your baby, how long feeds should last and what to do if things don’t go to plan.

How much should you feed a newborn?

Newborns have tiny stomachs, because until they were born, they had all the nutrition they needed delivered via the placenta, so their stomachs aren’t used to receiving milk.

This means that for the first couple of weeks, their stomachs are expanding as they get used to drinking and processing milk.

“On the day that your baby is born the stomach has the capacity to hold around 5-7mls of liquid, that is about the size of a cherry, but by the end of the first week it can hold around 45-60mls and it continues to grow, increasing to around 80-150mls by a month,” Philippa says.

“This means that you will need to feed your baby little and often,” she says.

This could mean every hour for the first few days, although “as they get bigger they will need to feed less frequently,” she says.

The NHS says that babies should feed at least eight to 12 times a day each day for the first few weeks, which "tends to amount to feeding every 2-3hrs,” Philippa says.

How to know when you should feed a newborn

The current guidance for breastfeeding mums in the UK is to ‘feed on demand.’ This means that you feed your baby when they show that they are hungry, rather than on a schedule.

“Bottle fed babies can also be fed on demand, though breast fed babies tend to need to feed more frequently,” Philippa says.

Signs that your newborn is hungry can include:

Rooting — meaning that they are looking for a teat or bottle, and may turn their head and open their mouth
Getting more restless and wriggling
Smacking their lips/opening and closing their mouth
Sucking on their hands or fists — or anything else they can find
Moving their eyes around

Crying babies are harder to feed, so it’s best to try to figure out your baby’s hunger signs so that you can feed them before they start crying.

The NHS says that you can also feed your newborn when your breasts feel full or if you just want to have a cuddle.

How long should newborn feeding sessions last?

“As with most things with babies it will depend, but breastfeeding tends to take somewhere between about 10 and 40 minutes at a time,” Philippa says.

“Depending on the size of the bottle teat (start with the smallest size) bottle feeding is often quicker.”

Babies tend to stop feeding when they are full — for bottle-fed babies, don’t force them to finish a bottle. For breastfed babies, the NHS says it isn’t possible to overfeed them.

Establishing a newborn feeding routine

“If you are feeding on demand it can be difficult to establish a routine, at least initially,” Philippa says. “As long as you are ok with this, and it isn’t impacting on your mental or physical health, then it is fine to be led by your baby.”

Following a schedule can also increase the risk of overfeeding, since the baby isn’t only feeding when they are hungry.

However, some people do find baby-led feeding difficult, so try to establish a routine. If this is the case, Philippa says: “Remember that any routine will need to change as they grow and get older. While their stomachs will continue to get bigger and be able to hold more milk, there may be times when they want/need more milk than others, for example during growth spurts, and times when they seem less hungry.”

How to tell if your newborn is eating enough

“Babies’ needs are constantly changing as they grow and develop, so it can be hard to tell if they are eating enough,” Philippa says. “If you are breast feeding it is also more difficult as you can’t tell exactly how much they are drinking – though you don't need to.”

If your baby is feeding well, they are probably getting enough milk. Here are a few signs a baby is getting enough milk during a feed:

You can see and hear them swallowing
They come off the teat on their own when they are finished
They are calm during a feed, and seem satisfied afterwards
Their mouth is moist after a feed

Some other signs that a newborn is feeding well include:

They are steadily gaining weight after the first two weeks. “It is normal for baby’s weight to drop a little bit from the birth weight in the first few days of life, but if it drops significantly, or doesn’t return to normal then you may be advised to seek medical help to ensure that they baby isn’t becoming dehydrated and unwell,” Philippa says.
They have an appropriate number of wet nappies for their age (i.e. two or three wet nappies for the first few days, and then at least six wet nappies every 24 hours from five days old and onwards)
They seem healthy and alert when awake

What should you do if you’re worried about how your newborn is feeding?

Many newborn feeding problems new mums might have in the first few days and weeks can be sorted out.

Philippa says: “In the first few days at home you will be visited by the community midwife, who as part of the visit, will weigh your baby and ask about feeding.

“Once you are discharged from the midwife you will be seen by your health visitor and the baby weighed again, and again at the six-to-eight-week health check. There may also be local drop in baby weighing clinics where you can have your baby weighed and ask for support. “

But if you are concerned about how your baby is feeding, or you have any questions, Philippa says it’s always best to ask for medical advice.

“If you have any questions or concerns please seek medical advice. Remember your midwife and health visitor are also a source of information and support, there may be a local breastfeeding advisor and as always you can see your GP,” she says.

The NHS also has a digital tool for new parents called Breastfeeding Friend, which offers practical information and advice on breastfeeding that is available all day, every day. It can be accessed through Amazon Alexa, Facebook Messenger or Google Home.

Serafina Kenny