# How much and how often do babies eat?

> How often and how much babies eat (breast and bottle), hunger cues, signs a baby is getting enough

Feeding · Reviewed 2026-10-19 against the sources below · https://livia.baby/learn/feeding-amounts

- Breastfed newborns nurse about every 2 hours, around 10 to 12 times in 24 hours; feeds spread out slowly over the months.
- Bottle-fed newborns eat every 2 to 3 hours, at least 8 times in 24 hours.
- Bottle amounts the AAP gives: about half an ounce a feed for the first day or two, then 1 to 2 oz; about 3 to 4 oz every 3 to 4 hours by the end of the first month; about 6 to 8 oz at 4 to 5 feeds a day by 6 months. Breastfed babies take about 1 oz a feed in the first weeks, rising to about 4.5 oz by a year.
- Early hunger cues: licking lips, tongue out, rooting, hands to mouth, opening the mouth, sucking on things, fussing. Crying is a late sign.
- Babies may keep sucking when full: offer smaller amounts (more can always follow), pause during the feed, and never push them to finish a bottle. Tummy pain, gas, spitting up and vomiting can be signs of overfeeding.
- Signs of getting enough: 2 to 3 wet diapers a day in the first days, then at least 5 to 6 a day after day 4 or 5; at least 4 stools a day by day 4 (this varies more); steady growth on the pediatrician's chart.
- Solids (CDC): start with 1 or 2 tablespoons; breast milk or formula stays the main food from 6 to 12 months. Later, food or a drink about every 2 to 3 hours, around 3 meals and 2 to 3 snacks a day, at set times rather than grazing all day.
- After 12 months growth slows and appetite swings day to day; what a child eats over a week matters more than any one day.

## In Livia

Log each feed, breast or bottle, and Livia shows how long since the last one and each day's total, so the 3am question of when she last ate has an answer.

## Sources

- [AAP / HealthyChildren.org](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/feeding-nutrition/Pages/How-Often-and-How-Much-Should-Your-Baby-Eat.aspx)
- [CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/infant-toddler-nutrition/foods-and-drinks/how-much-and-how-often-to-feed.html)

_Education from the sources listed, not medical advice. If you're worried about your child, call your pediatrician; in an emergency, call 911._