A one-week-old baby typically eats 1 to 2 ounces (30 to 60 ml) per feeding, whether breastfed or formula-fed. That works out to roughly 8 to 12 feedings spread across a full 24-hour day, since newborns eat around the clock with no real distinction between daytime and nighttime meals.
How a Tiny Stomach Shapes Feeding
The reason feedings are so small and so frequent comes down to stomach size. At birth, a baby’s stomach holds barely a teaspoon. By day three, it’s about the size of a ping-pong ball, fitting roughly 4.5 to 5.5 teaspoons (22 to 27 ml) at a time. By day ten, the stomach has stretched to the size of a large chicken egg and can hold 2 to 2.75 ounces (60 to 81 ml) per feeding.
So at one week, your baby falls right in the middle of that growth curve. Their stomach can handle more than it could on day one but still empties quickly, which is why they’re hungry again in a couple of hours.
Breastfed Babies: Volume and Frequency
With breastfeeding, you can’t measure exactly how many ounces your baby takes per session, and that’s perfectly normal. Most exclusively breastfed newborns eat every 1 to 3 hours, averaging 8 to 12 sessions per day. Each feeding might last anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes per breast, though some babies are faster and some are slower.
Breastfed babies generally take smaller, more frequent feedings than formula-fed infants. This is partly because breast milk digests faster than formula, so the stomach empties sooner. It’s also because breastfeeding involves a supply-and-demand cycle: the more your baby nurses, the more milk your body produces. Frequent feeding in the first week helps establish that supply for the weeks ahead.
Formula-Fed Babies: Volume and Frequency
For formula-fed newborns, the CDC recommends starting with 1 to 2 ounces of formula every 2 to 3 hours in the first days of life. By one week, most babies are comfortably taking about 1.5 to 2 ounces per feeding. Offering more than 2 ounces at this age can overwhelm a small stomach and lead to spit-up.
Over a full day, that adds up to roughly 12 to 24 ounces total, depending on how many feedings your baby takes and how much they drink at each one. Let your baby set the pace rather than trying to hit a specific daily number.
Cluster Feeding Is Normal
During the first few days of life, many babies cluster feed, meaning they want to eat every hour or even more often for several hours in a row, usually in the evening. This is completely expected. Cluster feeding helps stimulate breast milk production and gives the baby the calories they need during a period of rapid adjustment.
By the end of the first week, around-the-clock cluster feeding typically tapers off. Your baby may still have bursts of frequent feeding, especially in the evening, but they shouldn’t be nursing nonstop for 24 hours straight. If a baby older than one week is still cluster feeding all day and night, it could mean they’re not transferring enough milk at each session, and it’s worth checking in with a pediatrician.
Hunger and Fullness Cues to Watch For
One-week-old babies can’t tell you they’re hungry, but they communicate clearly with their bodies. Early hunger cues include bringing their hands to their mouth, turning their head toward your breast or the bottle (called rooting), pucking or smacking their lips, and clenching their fists. Crying is actually a late hunger signal. Feeding is easier and calmer if you catch the earlier signs.
When your baby is full, they’ll close their mouth, turn their head away from the breast or bottle, and relax their hands. These cues are your guide. Trying to push more milk after your baby shows fullness signs can cause discomfort and spitting up.
How to Tell Your Baby Is Getting Enough
Since you can’t see how many ounces a breastfed baby drinks, diapers become your best measuring tool. After day five, a well-fed newborn produces at least six wet diapers per day. The number of dirty diapers varies, but multiple per day is common in the first few weeks, especially for breastfed babies.
Weight is the other key indicator. It’s normal for newborns to lose up to 7% of their birth weight in the first few days. Most babies hit their lowest weight around day three or four, then start gaining. By day 10, a healthy baby has typically regained their birth weight. Your pediatrician will check weight at the first office visit, usually within the first week, to make sure this trajectory is on track.
If your baby seems sleepy and hard to wake for feedings, isn’t producing enough wet diapers, or still hasn’t started gaining weight by the end of the first week, those are signs that feeding may need to be evaluated. Sometimes a small adjustment, like improving the latch or increasing feeding frequency, makes a significant difference.
Night Feedings at One Week
At this age, night feedings are not optional. A one-week-old baby’s stomach empties every two to three hours regardless of the time, and newborns don’t yet have any circadian rhythm. Most pediatricians recommend not letting a newborn sleep longer than three to four hours without eating, even if you have to wake them. This changes as babies grow and can take in more per feeding, but at one week, expect to be up multiple times overnight.