When your baby is born, their stomach is only the size of a marble, so don’t be worried if they don’t drink much. Their stomach will gradually grow; by day 10, it will be the size of a large chicken egg!
Your baby’s feedings will also depend on their birth weight and if they were born early.
No matter what you feed your baby, it’s best to feed “on demand”—that is, when they show signs of hunger.
When breast/chestfeeding, baby will want to nurse about every 2-3 hours for 20-30 minutes each time. Your milk supply will adjust to the amount that their stomach will hold. During growth spurts, they will feed more often or “cluster feed.”
If formula feeding, at first, they may only drink 1-3 ounces of formula every 3-4 hours. This amount will gradually increase to 4 ounces per feeding around the end of the first month.
Look for your baby’s cues or signs that they are hungry such as “rooting” or moving their head around with their mouth open; smacking their lips or chewing on their hands.
Keep in mind “crying” is a late sign of hunger—the feeding will go better if it’s before your baby says, “Feed me now—I’m starving!”
