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Feeding calculator

Is it enough? Every new parent asks, usually at 3am. How much and how often, by your baby's age and weight. For formula, breast milk or both, from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Your baby's own cues come first.

How are you feeding?
Weight For the formula daily total. Optional.

Signs your baby is getting enough

  • Wet diapers: 2 to 3 a day in the first few days after birth, then at least 5 to 6 a day after the first 4 to 5 days. healthychildren.org
  • Breastfed newborn: 6 or more wet diapers a day by 5 to 7 days old, with nearly colorless or pale yellow urine. healthychildren.org
  • Breastfed newborn dirty diapers: 1 or 2 blackish, tarry stools a day on days 1 and 2, then at least 2 greenish-to-yellow stools a day on days 3 and 4 (AAP's breastfeeding page). Another AAP page says at least 4 stools a day by day 4, for breastfed and formula-fed babies alike. The two pages differ, so ask your pediatrician if you're unsure. By 5 to 7 days, a breastfed baby should have at least 3 to 4 yellow, loose stools a day, and fewer than 4 a day after day 7 is a reason to call your pediatrician (AAP). A breastfed baby on days 2 to 4 with no stool in more than 24 hours needs a call within 24 hours (Seattle Children's). Many babies poop with each feed in the first month. healthychildren.org
  • Formula-fed babies pass 1 to 8 stools a day in the first week, then 1 to 4 a day until about 2 months. After 2 months, 1 or 2 a day, or 1 every other day, is common. seattlechildrens.org
  • Weight: all newborns lose some weight in the first week (a breastfed baby no more than 8 to 10% of birth weight), start gaining steadily from about day 5, and are back to birth weight by about 2 weeks. Almost all babies have regained birth weight by 3 weeks. healthychildren.org
  • After that, steady growth along the baby's curve at checkups. The average newborn gains almost an ounce a day in the first month. healthychildren.org
  • Your baby seems content and drowsy after feeds, and satisfied for an average of 1 to 3 hours between feeds in the newborn weeks. cdc.gov
  • Once your milk is in, you hear frequent swallowing while your baby nurses. healthychildren.org
  • Formula: if your baby is growing and gaining weight, is happy most of the time and isn't spitting up too much, they are taking the right amount for them. healthychildren.org

Hungry or full?

Hungry

  • Hands to mouth, again and again.
  • Rooting: turning the head toward the breast or bottle, or moving the jaw and mouth to search for it.
  • Licking, puckering or smacking the lips, or sticking the tongue out.
  • Opening the mouth, and sucking on anything nearby.
  • Clenched hands.
  • Fussiness. Crying is a late sign of hunger and can make it harder for a baby to settle and eat, so try to feed before crying starts.
  • Not every cry or suck means hunger. Babies also suck for comfort, and sometimes need a cuddle or a diaper change.
  • From about 6 months: reaching for or pointing at food, opening the mouth for a spoon, getting excited at the sight of food.

Full

  • Closes the mouth, turns the head away from the breast or bottle, and relaxes the hands.
  • Becomes fidgety or easily distracted during a feed. If the bottle is drained and the baby keeps smacking their lips, they may still be hungry.
  • Bottle-fed babies may keep sucking even when full. Offer less and pause during feeds; you can always give more.

Call now

  • Call 911 if your baby can't be woken, is not moving or is very weak, or you think it's a life-threatening emergency. seattlechildrens.org
  • Call the doctor now if you suspect dehydration: no urine in more than 8 hours, dark urine, a very dry mouth or no tears. seattlechildrens.org
  • Call the doctor now if your baby will not drink, or drinks very little, for more than 8 hours. seattlechildrens.org
  • Call your pediatrician right away if you're worried your baby isn't getting enough to drink. Signs of dehydration in a baby include fewer wet diapers, being overly sleepy, a sunken soft spot on the head and no tears when crying. healthychildren.org
  • Call the doctor now if your baby is under 1 month old and looks or acts abnormal in any way. seattlechildrens.org
  • Call the doctor now for any fever in a baby under 12 weeks old. Don't give fever medicine before your baby is seen. seattlechildrens.org
  • Call the doctor now if jaundice (yellow skin) started in the first 24 hours, the skin looks deep yellow or orange, or the yellow has reached the legs. seattlechildrens.org
  • Call the pediatrician right away if, once your milk is in, you don't hear your baby swallowing while nursing. healthychildren.org
  • Have your baby weighed right away if they still seem hungry after most feeds, or if your milk hasn't come in by day 5. healthychildren.org

Call within a day, or at your next chance

  • Call within 24 hours if your baby has fewer than 6 wet diapers a day (3 a day can be normal for a breastfed baby before day 5), or you're worried your baby isn't getting enough breast milk. seattlechildrens.org
  • Call within 24 hours if your baby doesn't seem to be gaining enough weight. seattlechildrens.org
  • Call the pediatrician if, after day 7, your baby has fewer than 6 wet diapers and 4 stools a day, urine is dark yellow or specked with red, or stools are still dark rather than yellow and loose. healthychildren.org
  • Call the pediatrician if your baby is still under birth weight at 2 weeks, or hasn't gained at least 5 to 7 ounces a week since your milk came in. healthychildren.org
  • Get help if nursing sessions are consistently shorter than about 10 minutes or longer than about 50 minutes in the first months, or if severe nipple or breast pain gets in the way of feeding. healthychildren.org
  • Talk with your pediatrician if your baby seems to want to eat all the time, even when full, or consistently wants much more or less formula than the guideline. healthychildren.org

Your baby decides when a feed is done. You get to wash the bottle.

How much formula

On average, babies take about 2½ ounces of formula a day for every pound they weigh, and usually no more than about 32 ounces in 24 hours. In the first days, feeds are tiny: about half an ounce on day one or two, then 1 to 2 ounces. By the end of the first month, many babies take 3 to 4 ounces a feed.

Babies regulate their own intake. Some days they want more, some days less. Let your baby stop when they show they’re full, rather than finishing the bottle.

How often to breastfeed

Newborns usually feed 8 to 12 times in 24 hours, sometimes in clusters. You can’t measure breast milk, so watch the signs instead: diaper counts, steady weight gain, and a baby who seems satisfied after feeds. Most babies are back to their birth weight by about 2 weeks.

Water, juice and solids

Under 6 months, babies need breast milk or formula only: no water or juice. From about 6 months, a little water in a cup is fine. No juice before 12 months.

Solid foods start at about 6 months, when your baby can sit with support, hold their head steady and swallow food. Starting before 4 months is not recommended.

Sources

  1. American Academy of Pediatrics, “Amount and Schedule of Baby Formula Feedings.” healthychildren.org
  2. American Academy of Pediatrics, “How Often and How Much Should Your Baby Eat?” healthychildren.org
  3. CDC, “How Much and How Often to Breastfeed.” cdc.gov
  4. CDC, “When, What, and How to Introduce Solid Foods.” cdc.gov
  5. American Academy of Pediatrics, “Where We Stand: Fruit Juice.” healthychildren.org
  6. American Academy of Pediatrics, “Recommended Drinks for Young Children Ages 0-5.” healthychildren.org