Feeding Your Newborn: What Parents Should Know

Breast milk, formula, or both

Breast milk is the recommended source of nutrition for babies when possible.

Health organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization, recommend feeding only breast milk—without water, juice, other liquids, or solid foods—for about the first 6 months when possible.

Breast milk contains antibodies and other components that help protect babies from infections such as diarrhea, ear infections, and chest infections.

If breastfeeding is not possible or is not your choice, iron-fortified infant formula is a safe and nutritious option.

What matters most is that your baby is fed, growing well, and that you feel supported in your feeding decisions.

Many families use a combination of breast milk and formula.

In the first few days, the breasts produce a small amount of thick, yellowish milk called colostrum.

This is normal.

Even small amounts can meet a newborn's needs when the baby is feeding frequently. A fuller milk supply usually begins to increase around days 3 to 5.

How often and how much?

Newborns eat small amounts frequently.

Follow your baby's hunger and fullness cues, but remember that very young newborns may sometimes need to be woken to feed.

During the early weeks—especially before weight gain is well established—your pediatrician may recommend avoiding long stretches between feedings.

Breastfed babies

Most newborns breastfeed about 8 to 12 times in 24 hours, often roughly every 2 to 3 hours.

Some babies cluster-feed and may want several feeds close together.

Breastfeeding sessions vary considerably in length. A longer or shorter feeding is not necessarily a problem if milk transfer, diaper output, and weight gain are appropriate.

Formula-fed babies

During the first day or two, a baby may take only about ½ ounce at a feeding.

After that, many newborns take roughly 1 to 2 ounces every 2 to 3 hours, gradually increasing the amount as they grow.

By the end of the first month, many babies are taking larger feeds and spacing them farther apart.

The exact amount varies from baby to baby, so hunger and fullness cues remain important.

Reading your baby's cues

Watching your baby is one of the best ways to know when to offer a feeding and when your baby has had enough.

Early signs of hunger

Offer a feeding when you notice signs such as:

• Sucking motions or sucking on hands or fingers
• Opening and closing the mouth
• Smacking or licking the lips
• Turning the head and opening the mouth, called rooting
• Becoming more alert or active

Crying is a late sign of hunger.

A very upset baby may have more difficulty latching or settling into a feeding, so offering milk before crying begins can make feeding easier.

Signs your baby may be full

Your baby may:

• Turn the head away
• Close the mouth
• Slow or stop sucking
• Relax the hands and body
• Become less interested in continuing the feeding
• Fall asleep after an effective feed

Not every cry means hunger.

Babies also cry because they need sleep, comfort, holding, a diaper change, or simply help settling.

How do I know my baby is getting enough?

Parents cannot directly measure how much milk a breastfeeding baby takes, so several other clues are useful.

Wet and dirty diapers

Urine output should increase as feeding improves.

During the first few days, babies may have only 2 to 3 wet diapers per day.

After about day 4 or 5, most well-fed newborns should have at least 5 to 6 wet diapers each day.

Stool patterns vary more depending on whether a baby receives breast milk, formula, or both.

Breastfed newborns typically transition from dark meconium stools toward greener and then yellow stools during the first several days.

Weight gain

Most babies lose some weight during the first few days after birth.

They usually begin gaining again during the first week and are back to their birth weight by about 2 weeks of age.

After that, many newborns gain roughly 20 to 30 grams per day, or about two-thirds of an ounce to one ounce per day, during the early months.

Weight trends matter more than any single number.

Your baby's pediatrician will follow weight closely during newborn visits, which is one reason those early appointments are important.

How your baby behaves after feeding

A baby who appears satisfied and relaxed after most feedings is reassuring.

You may also notice active swallowing during feeds and breasts that feel softer after effective breastfeeding.

No single sign tells the whole story, so diaper output, feeding behavior, and weight gain are considered together.

Vitamin D

Breast milk does not contain enough vitamin D to meet an infant's needs by itself.

Babies who are breastfed—or who drink less than about 32 ounces of vitamin-D-fortified formula per day—should receive 400 IU of vitamin D each day, beginning soon after birth.

Ask your baby's pediatrician which vitamin D product to use and how to measure the dose correctly.

If you use formula

Infant formula should be prepared exactly according to the manufacturer's instructions.

• Use iron-fortified infant formula intended for babies.
• Use water from a safe source.
• Always measure the water first, then add the exact amount of formula powder specified on the container.
• Do not dilute formula with extra water.
• Do not add extra powder to make formula more concentrated.
• Never use homemade infant formula.
• Do not heat a bottle in the microwave because uneven heating can create hot spots that burn a baby's mouth.

An extra precaution for young newborns

Powdered infant formula is not sterile.

The CDC recommends extra precautions when preparing powdered formula for babies who are:

• Younger than 2 months
• Born prematurely
• Immunocompromised

For these higher-risk infants, follow the current CDC preparation instructions designed to reduce the risk from germs such as Cronobacter that can occasionally contaminate powdered formula.

Ready-to-feed liquid formula is sterile and may be preferred for some higher-risk infants.

If you are unsure which preparation method is appropriate for your baby, ask your pediatrician.

Safely storing expressed breast milk

These recommendations apply to healthy, full-term infants. Premature or medically fragile babies may have different storage recommendations.

Additional tips:

• Store milk toward the back of the refrigerator or freezer rather than in the door.
• If refrigerated breast milk will not be used within 4 days, freeze it sooner rather than later.
• Freeze breast milk in smaller amounts to reduce waste.
• Never thaw or heat breast milk in a microwave.
• Once previously frozen milk is completely thawed in the refrigerator, use it within 24 hours.
• Once breast milk has been warmed or brought to room temperature, use it within 2 hours.
• Do not refreeze completely thawed breast milk.

Need a copy for the refrigerator? Print the CDC Human Milk Storage Guidelines →

Safely storing prepared infant formula

Prepared formula spoils more quickly than breast milk.

Once your baby's mouth has touched the bottle, bacteria from saliva can begin to grow in the remaining formula.

Throw away formula left in the bottle after the feeding. Do not put it back in the refrigerator for another feeding.

Opened powdered formula should generally be:

• Stored tightly closed in a cool, dry place
• Kept out of the refrigerator
• Used according to the manufacturer's instructions after opening
• Discarded after the manufacturer's recommended interval
• Never used after the manufacturer's Use By date

Writing the date the container was opened on the lid can be helpful.

Need a copy for home? Print the CDC How to Prepare and Store Powdered Infant Formula guide →

When to seek urgent medical care

Seek urgent medical evaluation if your baby:

• Has green vomit
• Vomits blood
• Repeatedly vomits forcefully
• Has trouble breathing during feeds
• Turns blue, gray, or another concerning color while feeding
• Is extremely difficult to wake
• Suddenly becomes too weak or sleepy to feed normally

These symptoms can indicate something more serious than a routine feeding problem.

For a possible life-threatening emergency, call 911.

When to call your baby's doctor

Contact your baby's pediatrician promptly if your baby:

• Is feeding poorly or repeatedly refusing feeds
• Has fewer wet diapers than expected
• Shows signs of dehydration
• Regularly coughs, chokes, or gags during feeds
• Has frequent vomiting that concerns you
• Has yellowing of the skin or eyes that is increasing
• Is not gaining weight as expected
• Has painful or difficult feeding
• Is unusually sleepy, floppy, irritable, or difficult to console
• Has a fever
• Simply seems different enough that you are worried

Trust your instincts.

If you are concerned about your baby's feeding, that is always a reasonable reason to reach out.

Getting help

Feeding challenges are common, even when parents are doing everything right.

Lactation consultants, pediatricians, nurses, and other feeding specialists can help with:

• Difficulty latching
• Concerns about milk supply
• Painful breastfeeding
• Bottle-feeding difficulties
• Choosing or preparing formula
• Poor weight gain
• Frequent coughing, choking, or gagging with feeds

Asking for help early can make feeding easier for both you and your baby.

The bottom line

Newborn feeding does not have to look exactly the same in every family.

Breast milk, infant formula, or a combination can provide the nutrition your baby needs.

Feed frequently, learn your baby's hunger and fullness cues, pay attention to diapers and weight gain, prepare and store milk safely, and keep your baby's newborn appointments.

If something about feeding does not seem right, contact your baby's pediatrician.