A 3-day-old baby typically eats about 1 ounce (30 ml) per feeding, with an upper range of around 2 ounces (60 ml). That’s not much, but it matches the size of their stomach, which at three days old holds roughly 22 to 27 ml, about the size of a walnut or ping pong ball. Your baby will want to eat frequently to make up for those small volumes, usually 8 to 12 times in a 24-hour period.
How Much Per Feeding at 3 Days
By day three, your baby’s intake has already tripled from birth. In the first 24 hours of life, babies take in only 2 to 10 ml per feeding. By day three, that jumps to about 1 ounce (29.5 ml) per feeding. Formula-fed babies in their first week should get no more than 1 to 2 ounces (30 to 60 ml) per feed.
If you’re breastfeeding, you won’t be measuring ounces directly. Instead, you’ll rely on feeding cues and diaper output to know your baby is getting enough. Your milk is likely transitioning from colostrum to mature milk right around this time, so the volume your baby receives per session is naturally increasing even if you can’t see it.
How Often to Feed
Expect to feed your 3-day-old every 1 to 3 hours, adding up to 8 to 12 feedings across a full day and night. Some of those feedings will bunch together. Cluster feeding, where your baby wants to eat every hour or even more often, is completely normal in the first few days of life. It can feel relentless, but it’s how newborns stimulate milk production and meet their caloric needs with that tiny stomach.
By the end of the first week, round-the-clock cluster feeding typically eases up. If your baby is still cluster feeding nonstop past one week of age, it could mean they aren’t getting enough milk at each session, and that’s worth a call to your pediatrician.
Formula-Fed vs. Breastfed Babies
The volume targets are similar whether your baby gets formula or breast milk. The CDC recommends offering formula-fed newborns 1 to 2 ounces every 2 to 3 hours in the first days of life. Breastfed babies eat the same general amount but may feed slightly more often because breast milk digests faster than formula.
One key difference: breastfeeding works best on demand, meaning you follow your baby’s hunger cues rather than a set schedule. The World Health Organization recommends feeding as often as the baby wants, day and night, with no supplemental food or water unless medically necessary. Formula feeding also benefits from a responsive approach. If your baby turns away or stops sucking, they’re done, even if there’s formula left in the bottle.
How to Tell Your Baby Is Getting Enough
Since you can’t measure what a breastfed baby drinks, diapers are your best tracking tool. A simple rule for the first few days: your baby should produce roughly one wet diaper and one dirty diaper for each day of life. So a 3-day-old should have at least 3 wet diapers and 3 dirty diapers in 24 hours. By the end of the first week, you’ll want to see 6 or more wet diapers daily.
Weight loss is also normal and expected. Breastfed newborns lose an average of 6.6% of their birth weight before they start gaining, with the turning point coming around day 2 or 3. More than 10% of exclusively breastfed babies lose 10% or more of their birth weight, which is the threshold where pediatricians pay closer attention. Your baby’s doctor will weigh them at their first visit (usually within a few days of discharge) to make sure weight loss is within a safe range.
Signs Your Baby Needs More
A baby who isn’t getting enough milk or formula can become dehydrated quickly. Watch for these signs:
- Fewer wet diapers than expected for their age (fewer than 3 on day three)
- A sunken soft spot on the top of the head
- Few or no tears when crying
- Sunken eyes
- Unusual drowsiness or irritability that goes beyond normal newborn sleepiness
Newborns are sleepy, and it’s normal for a 3-day-old to doze off during feedings. But a baby who is consistently too sleepy to wake for feeds, or who seems limp and uninterested in eating for stretches longer than 3 to 4 hours, needs medical attention. Dehydration in newborns can escalate quickly, so trust your instincts if something feels off.
What Changes After Day 3
Feeding volumes increase rapidly in the first weeks. By the end of the first week, most babies are taking 1.5 to 2 ounces per feeding. By two weeks, many are up to 2 to 3 ounces. The stomach grows fast to accommodate this, roughly doubling in capacity during the first week alone. As your baby takes in more per feeding, the intervals between feeds gradually stretch, though nighttime feedings will continue for weeks or months.
If you’re breastfeeding, the transition from colostrum to mature milk happens around days 3 to 5. You may notice your breasts feeling fuller or firmer, and your baby may seem more satisfied after feeds. This shift can also trigger a temporary period of extra fussiness or frequent feeding as your baby adjusts to the faster milk flow.