1 to 3 oz per feed, 8 to 12 times in 24 hours — about 16 to 24 oz a day by the end of the first week.
| Age | Per feed | Feeds / 24h | Daily total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | 0.2–0.3 oz | 8–12 | 2–3 oz |
| Days 2–3 | 0.5–1 oz | 8–12 | 6–10 oz |
| Days 4–7 | 1–2 oz | 8–12 | 12–20 oz |
| Week 2 | 2–3 oz | 8–12 | 18–24 oz |
| Weeks 3–4 | 2–4 oz | 7–9 | 20–26 oz |
Why the first week has its own numbers
A newborn's stomach holds roughly a teaspoon on day one — about the size of a cherry. By day three it is closer to a walnut, and by day ten an egg.
That is the entire reason the amounts start so small and rise so fast. It is also why trying to give a two-day-old a 2 oz bottle usually ends in spit-up: the volume has nowhere to go.
After the first fortnight the weight rule takes over — roughly 2.5 oz per pound of body weight per 24 hours, up to a ceiling of about 32 oz a day.
Feeding on demand, and the exception
Newborns feed on demand, which in practice means every two to three hours around the clock including overnight.
The one exception: a newborn should not go longer than 4 hours without a feed in the first few weeks, even at night. If they are sleeping through, wake them. This matters most for babies who lost weight after birth or who were born early or small.
Once birth weight is regained and the paediatrician is happy, longer night stretches are fine and welcome.
Cluster feeding is normal
Evenings often bring a run of feeds close together — sometimes every hour for several hours. This is normal newborn behaviour, it does not mean there is not enough milk, and it typically peaks around two to three weeks and again at six.
It is exhausting and it is not a sign of a problem.
What tells you it is enough
Wet nappies. One on day one, two on day two, and so on, reaching six or more a day by the end of the first week and staying there.
Dirty nappies. Black meconium for the first days, then transitioning to yellow and seedy by day four or five.
Weight. Newborns lose up to 7 to 10% of birth weight in the first days and should be back to birth weight by 10 to 14 days. That milestone is the one paediatricians actually watch.
Behaviour. Alert periods, relaxed hands at the end of a feed, and settling afterwards.
When to ring someone
Fewer than four wet nappies a day after the first week, not back to birth weight by two weeks, difficulty waking for feeds, or a baby who seems to feed constantly without settling.
Also worth a call: any baby under three months with a fever, regardless of feeding.
Never dilute formula to stretch it and never concentrate it to add calories. The mixing ratio on the tin is a medical instruction, and the electrolyte balance depends on it.
Amounts by weight and age are on the feeding table, and weight gain in the first weeks is read against the growth curve.
Sources: American Academy of Pediatrics, Amount and Schedule of Baby Formula Feedings; NHS Infant formula: common questions.
Reference information, not medical advice. Your paediatrician or health visitor knows your baby's history; this page does not.