How Often Should a Newborn Feed? A Week-by-Week Feeding Schedule for the First 8 Weeks

How often should a newborn feed? Usually 8 to 12 or more times in 24 hours, about every 2 to 3 hours, day and night. The Australian Breastfeeding Association says 8 to 14 or more feeds a day is common early on. In Australia, a newborn feeding schedule follows your baby's hunger cues, with no fixed clock times.

Is feeding every hour normal? Should you wake a baby who has slept for four hours? When does it ease? This guide puts the Australian guidance for each week of the first 8 weeks in one table, then covers night feeds, waking a sleepy baby and when to call your nurse.

How often should a newborn feed?

A newborn feeds about every 2 to 3 hours, 8 to 12 or more times in 24 hours, including overnight. The Australian Breastfeeding Association(opens in a new window) (ABA) says 8 to 14 or more breastfeeds in 24 hours is common. Tresillian(opens in a new window) puts a newborn's need at about 8 to 12 feeds every 24 hours, including overnight.

The reason is size. A newborn's tummy is tiny, and breastmilk digests quickly, so your baby is soon ready for another feed. The ABA says to respond to feeding cues even when it feels like your baby has just fed. Those frequent feeds also build your milk supply.

Australian Breastfeeding Association · Feeding patterns in the early months

Many parents like the idea of a routine to help plan their day. However, strict schedules usually don't work well for most young babies.

Hunger cues come before crying

Pregnancy, Birth and Baby(opens in a new window) lists the signs that a baby is ready to feed:

• turning their head from side to side, or opening their mouth
• stirring, stretching or moving their body
• rooting: turning towards a touch near the mouth
• fussing, squeaking or putting a hand in their mouth

Crying is a late hunger cue, so watch for the earlier signs.

Formula-fed newborns

Pregnancy, Birth and Baby(opens in a new window) advises feeding a formula-fed baby on demand when they show hunger cues, without a set schedule. Most of the feed counts on this page come from breastfeeding guidance. The amounts for each bottle are in our formula feeding guide.

Newborn feeding schedule, week by week

Feeds stay frequent for the first month, at about 12 a day, then ease towards about 8 a day by around 2 months. The table reconciles the ABA, Tresillian, the Sydney Children's Hospitals Network and the NHMRC's Infant Feeding Guidelines. Where the sources give different ranges, the row shows both ends.

What's happening at each stage:

• Days 1 to 4: Small colostrum feeds. Many babies feed very often in the second 24 hours, before the milk comes in between days 2 and 5. Some are sleepy and need waking.
• Day 5 to week 2: The milk is in. Most babies are back to birth weight by 10 to 14 days. Wake your baby if long sleeps keep feeds under 8.
• Weeks 3 to 5: Evening cluster feeds are common. Many babies feed more around a growth spurt at 2 to 3 weeks. A day-night pattern starts to show at about 4 weeks.
• Weeks 6 to 8: Many babies feed more around a growth spurt at about 6 weeks. Feeds then get more efficient. Some babies start one longer night sleep of 4 to 5 hours, though many take until about 3 months.

Reading the table:

• Your baby may sit anywhere in these ranges. The ABA says no matter how many feeds your baby has, the thing that matters is that they get enough milk.
• Feeds bunch up. The ABA says periods of very frequent feeds are often followed by a longer sleep. A baby who sleeps a long stretch overnight may feed more in the day to catch up.
• Feed lengths vary. The ABA says there is no need to time feeds. Tresillian says newborn feeds may take 45 minutes to an hour, and the NHMRC notes early feeds can take up to an hour. Our guide to how long a newborn breastfeed takes has the detail.

The NHMRC Infant Feeding Guidelines(opens in a new window) name a common wrong expectation: that babies sleep 3 to 4 hours in regular patterns around the clock. Frequent feeding is normal, and it varies from baby to baby.

What a newborn day and night can look like

Here is one example of a cue-led 24 hours for a breastfed baby of about 2 to 4 weeks, shown as ranges. It shows one normal day, and your baby's own cues set the actual times. Times in the list are when feeds start.

• 6am to noon, 3 to 4 feeds: Feed, a short time awake, then sleep. The Raising Children Network says some newborns get tired after 1 to 1½ hours awake.
• Noon to 5pm, 2 to 3 feeds: Similar rhythm. Some naps are long and some are short.
• 5pm to 10pm, 2 to 4 feeds: Often short feeds close together (cluster feeding), sometimes followed by a longer sleep.
• 10pm to 6am, 2 to 4 feeds: Feeds about every 2 to 3 hours. Some newborns manage one sleep of up to 4 hours.

That adds up to about 9 to 15 feeds, inside the ABA's range of 8 to 14 or more. Your baby's day will look different. That is fine as long as the signs of enough milk are there.

Tresillian's newborn routine(opens in a new window) uses the same shape: feed, play, sleep, repeat. It also says feeds can be anywhere from 2 to 5 hours apart, so a routine may not settle straight away. If the play is tummy time, leave a gap after the feed: tummy time after a feed covers the timing.

How often do newborns feed at night?

In the first weeks, newborns feed at night about as often as in the day, usually every 2 to 3 hours. The Sydney Children's Hospitals Network gives that overnight figure for the early weeks.

Pregnancy, Birth and Baby(opens in a new window) says babies up to 3 months tend to wake and feed at night the same way they do during the day.

Newborns can't yet tell night from day. The Raising Children Network(opens in a new window) explains that the parts of the brain controlling day-night sleep cycles haven't matured. It says newborns usually sleep in bursts of 2 to 3 hours, and some sleep up to 4 hours at a time.

The first longer night sleep comes later. Tresillian(opens in a new window) describes one sustained night sleep of 4 to 5 hours in its 6 to 12 week example. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby says many babies settle into that pattern by 3 months.

Pregnancy, Birth and Baby suggests keeping night feeds calm, with low lights and no play, so your baby settles back more easily. You may not need to change a nappy at night unless your baby has done a poo or seems uncomfortable.

If two of you are sharing the nights, our guide to splitting night feeds with your partner sets out three shift plans. What happens to night feeds after 8 weeks is in night feeds by age.

Should you wake your newborn to feed?

Sometimes. Little babies need at least 8 feeds in 24 hours, including overnight, so a newborn who sleeps long stretches may need waking. The ABA gives three reasons to wake a baby: they aren't feeding often enough, they need extra feeds for weight gain, or your breasts are overfull and uncomfortable.

Australian Breastfeeding Association · Do I need to wake my baby?

Little babies need to feed very often, at least 8 times in 24 hours, including overnight.

If none of those apply, and your baby feeds a lot, is gaining weight and your breasts are comfortable, the ABA says it is probably okay to let them sleep a little longer.

Who needs waking, in one place:

• Sleepy, early weeks: Often, yes. The ABA and Pregnancy, Birth and Baby both say an extra-sleepy newborn may need waking to get enough milk. Birth can tire a baby, and pain relief used during labour can still have an effect.
• Slow weight gain: Yes, as advised. The ABA says a baby who needs extra feeds for weight gain may need waking more often.
• Jaundice: Follow the plan. Jaundice can make a baby drowsy and slow to feed. The NHMRC guidelines cite advice that early, frequent breastfeeding helps clear it. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby says a nurse or doctor should check every newborn with jaundice, so follow their advice on feeds.
• Born early or small: Follow the plan. The Raising Children Network says your paediatrician or nurse may set a limit on how long a premature or low birth weight baby sleeps at night before a feed.
• Breasts overfull: Wake a little earlier. The ABA says you might wake your baby a little early to relieve discomfort.
• Feeding and gaining: Usually no need. Once your baby feeds often and gains weight, a longer sleep is usually fine.

How to wake a sleepy newborn

The ABA suggests these gentle ways to wake a baby for a feed:

• take off a layer of clothing, or change their nappy
• hold them skin to skin and gently rub their back, feet or hands
• hold them facing you and talk softly, in a dimly lit room
• hand express a little breastmilk near their mouth

Tresillian notes babies are easier to wake during active sleep, and more likely to feed well when woken then.

When can you stop waking your baby for feeds?

You can usually stop once your baby feeds often and gains weight steadily. If you're unsure, check with your midwife or child health nurse. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby(opens in a new window) says most babies are back to birth weight by around 10 to 14 days. Our guide to newborn weight gain per week covers what happens at those weigh-ins.

How long can a newborn go between feeds?

Little babies need at least 8 feeds in 24 hours, including overnight, says the ABA. That averages about one feed every 3 hours. Within that floor, Tresillian says gaps can range from 2 to 5 hours. If your newborn is very sleepy or hard to wake, the ABA says to check with your doctor or child health nurse.

Why is my newborn feeding every hour?

Hourly feeds are usually cluster feeding: several short feeds close together, most often in the late afternoon and evening. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby(opens in a new window) calls it normal and common, and says it is not usually a sign of low supply.

Common reasons a newborn feeds more often for a while:

• Before the milk comes in. The NHMRC says it is common for babies to want to feed often before the milk comes in, particularly in the second 24 hours.
• Growth spurts. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby says babies may cluster feed around 2 to 3 weeks, 6 weeks and 3 months. More in our guide to newborn growth spurts.
• Filling up for the night. Evening cluster feeds are often followed by a longer sleep.
• Hot weather. The ABA says shorter, more frequent feeds give babies extra fluid.
• Comfort. Babies also feed for comfort and closeness, especially when tired or unwell.

The ABA says frequent feeding on its own doesn't necessarily mean your baby is short of milk. Frequent feeding with fewer wet nappies, dark wee or slow weight gain is worth a call to your nurse. More on getting through the evenings is in cluster feeding and the witching hour.

Eight feeds in 24 hours is the minimum the Australian Breastfeeding Association sets for little babies, and many newborns feed far more often than that.

Signs feeding is going well

The count of feeds matters less than the signs your baby is getting enough milk. The ABA(opens in a new window) lists them:

• Wet nappies. From day 5, at least 5 heavy disposable or 6 very wet cloth nappies in 24 hours, with pale wee. Our guide to wet nappies by age has the day-by-day count.
• Poos. Under 6 to 8 weeks, a breastfed baby usually does three or more soft, yellow-mustard poos a day. After that, poos can slow down, and our guide to a breastfed baby not pooing explains when a gap is normal.
• Growth. A small loss after birth, then gaining again, and growing in length and head size.
• Your baby. Good skin colour and muscle tone, and periods of calm between feeds.

The ABA adds that cluster feeding and fussy evenings can happen even when a baby gets plenty of milk. Amounts for bottle-fed babies are in how much milk a baby drinks.

When to call your midwife, nurse or GP

Most feeding worries in the first 8 weeks can wait for a phone call. Some can't.

For feeding help at any hour, the Australian Breastfeeding Association's Breastfeeding Helpline is on 1800 686 268, 24 hours a day. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby's nurses are on 1800 882 436, 7am to midnight (AET), 7 days a week.

Keeping track when feeds blur together

When feeds run together, it's hard to remember when the last one started. BabyLog's free feed log records each breast or bottle feed, with a timer for breastfeeds, and the home screen shows how long ago the last feed started. Pro adds optional feed reminders on the home-screen app, which you set up and can switch off.

If that would help, you can start free in your phone's browser, with no app store needed.

Common questions