How Much A Newborn Can And Should Eat

A new born baby may not do a lot, considering all they do is eat,sleep and defecate. However, the first few weeks of life can be a lot more energy requiring than one may think as new born babies grow, during this period of rest, at an astonishing rate. Parents or carers must ensure they are fed exactly enough to fuel their growth spurt. Here are some indications that you are overfeeding your new born:


  • Baby becomes greater than average weight (weight should be monitored by NHS or preferred health service for first few days, especially before leaving hospital after delivery)
  • Eight or more heavily wet nappies per day.
  • Frequent sloppy, foul-smelling bowel motions.
  • Extreme flatulence (intestinal gas)
  • Large belching.
  • Milk regurgitation.
  • Irritability.
  • Sleep disturbance.

However depriving your child of food is also possible, here are a few signs that may indicate a hungry child besides crying:

  • Less than five wet disposable nappies in a 24-hour period.
  • Infrequent, hard dry stools.
  • Baby may be restless, fretful, irritable and wakeful.
  • Weak, unwell or extremely underweight babies can become excessively sleepy and non-demanding.
  • A pattern of poor weight gain or failure to gain weight over a number of consecutive weeks. 

The 1st month of feeding is usually the difficult for both child and carer. On the carer side getting down the routine of feeding is not as easy as it seems as it may effect sleep and or the usual daily routine. However it is important that the baby intakes 2-4 ounces per feeding and they should be feed 7-8 times a day. 2-3 months, a baby should be gradually at 6-7 ounces per feeding and fed 5-7 times a day.

Even if you do not have a child yourself, a lot of us have family members and friends who do and it is important to provide newborns with care. Hopefully, this has helped you understand how to keep newborns happy and healthy in terms of food.

Thank you for your time :)

Written by Anuja  Rajeev 

Sources:https://www.kidspot.com.au/baby/feeding/bottle-feeding/bottle-feeding-tips-for-underfeeders/news-story/2a69c926b2450f80353251468018405e

https://www.thebump.com/a/how-much-should-a-newborn-eat

https://www.kidspot.com.au/baby/feeding/bottle-feeding/the-dangers-of-overfeeding-your-bottlefed-baby/news-story/52634fe00f5f185bab9dfbcb0d26e961

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