A newborn drinks about 30 to 60 ml (1 to 2 ounces) per feeding in the first week of life, gradually increasing to around 90 to 120 ml (3 to 4 ounces) per feeding by the end of the first month. These amounts feel surprisingly small, and that’s because a newborn’s stomach is surprisingly small too, roughly the size of a cherry at birth.
Day-by-Day Feeding Volumes in the First Week
A full-term newborn’s stomach holds approximately 20 ml at birth, about four teaspoons. That tiny capacity is why first feedings are so small and so frequent. In the first day or two, a breastfed baby takes in only about 5 to 15 ml of colostrum per feeding. Formula-fed newborns typically start at around 15 to 30 ml per feeding on the first day.
By day three or four, feeding volumes jump noticeably. A healthy newborn can comfortably take in about 30 to 60 ml per feeding at this point. After a few more days, many babies are swallowing around 75 ml per feeding as their stomach stretches and their appetite increases. This rapid progression is normal and happens quickly because the stomach adapts within the first week.
Here’s a rough guide to single-feeding volumes:
- Day 1: 5 to 15 ml (colostrum for breastfed babies, up to 30 ml for formula)
- Days 2 to 3: 15 to 30 ml per feeding
- Days 4 to 7: 30 to 60 ml per feeding
- Weeks 2 to 4: 60 to 120 ml per feeding
How Often Newborns Feed
Because each feeding is so small, newborns eat frequently. Most newborns, whether breastfed or formula-fed, feed 8 to 12 times in a 24-hour period during the first few weeks. That works out to roughly every two to three hours around the clock, including overnight.
Over the first few weeks and months, the gap between feedings stretches. By about one month of age, many formula-fed babies settle into a pattern of feeding every three to four hours. Breastfed babies sometimes continue to feed more often because breast milk digests faster than formula. Neither pattern is better or worse; both are normal.
Total Daily Intake
If you multiply feeding volume by the number of feedings, you can estimate total daily intake. On day one, a newborn may take in only about 60 to 100 ml total across all feedings. By the end of the first week, that total climbs to roughly 300 to 500 ml per day. By one month, most babies consume somewhere around 500 to 750 ml (about 17 to 25 ounces) daily.
These numbers vary quite a bit from baby to baby. A larger newborn naturally takes in more than a smaller one. The general rule for weight gain is that a baby should gain about 7 grams per day for every pound of body weight, or roughly 15 grams per kilogram per day. If your baby is steadily gaining weight along their growth curve, intake is on track regardless of whether they hit these exact volumes.
Breastfed vs. Formula-Fed Differences
Measuring intake is straightforward with a bottle but nearly impossible with a breast. If you’re breastfeeding, you won’t know exactly how many milliliters your baby is getting, and that’s fine. Instead of tracking volume, you track output and weight.
A reliable sign that a breastfed baby is getting enough milk is diaper count. After day five, you should see at least six wet diapers per day. In the first few days the numbers are lower, typically one wet diaper on day one, two on day two, and so on, building up gradually. Consistent weight gain at pediatric checkups confirms the picture.
Formula-fed babies are easier to measure, which sometimes creates the temptation to push a specific number. It’s more useful to follow your baby’s hunger and fullness cues than to fixate on a target volume.
How to Tell Your Baby Is Full
Newborns are surprisingly good at signaling when they’ve had enough. Watch for these cues: they close their mouth, turn their head away from the breast or bottle, and visibly relax their hands. During a feeding, a hungry baby has clenched fists and active sucking. When those fists open and the sucking slows or stops, the feeding is done.
Pushing more milk after these signals appear can lead to overfeeding, which causes discomfort rather than better nutrition. An overfed baby often spits up more than usual, has loose stools, and swallows extra air that produces gas and belly pain. This added discomfort can make an already fussy baby cry more frequently and more intensely. Letting your baby set the pace, even if they take less than expected, avoids this cycle.
When Intake Seems Too Low or Too High
New parents often worry that their baby isn’t eating enough, especially in the first two days when colostrum volumes look impossibly small. That small volume is by design. A newborn’s marble-sized stomach can’t hold much, and colostrum is dense with nutrients and antibodies that don’t require large volumes to do their job.
Signs that intake may genuinely be too low include fewer wet diapers than expected for the baby’s age, weight loss that continues beyond the first four or five days, and a baby who is difficult to wake for feedings or seems lethargic. Some weight loss in the first few days is normal (up to about 7 to 10 percent of birth weight), but babies should start regaining by about day four or five and return to their birth weight within 10 to 14 days.
On the other end, a baby who consistently takes far more than the volumes above and seems uncomfortable afterward may be getting too much at once. Offering smaller amounts more frequently can help. Paced bottle feeding, where you hold the bottle more horizontally and let the baby control the flow, reduces the chance of a baby gulping down more than their stomach can handle.