A 1-week-old baby typically eats 1.5 to 2 ounces per feeding, roughly 8 to 12 times in a 24-hour period. That works out to about 12 to 24 ounces total per day, depending on whether your baby is breastfed or formula-fed and how frequently they feed. The range is wide because every newborn is different, and the best guide isn’t a number on a chart but your baby’s own hunger and fullness signals.
Why the Amount Is So Small
At one week old, your baby’s stomach is about the size of an apricot. It holds roughly 1.5 to 2 ounces at a time. That’s why newborns eat in such small, frequent amounts rather than taking larger, spaced-out meals. Trying to push more than 2 ounces into a feeding at this age can lead to spitting up or discomfort, since there’s simply nowhere for the extra milk to go.
For context, on day one of life the stomach holds only about a teaspoon. It expands quickly over the first week, which is why feeding volumes increase noticeably even in those early days. By the end of the first week, your baby is eating roughly four times what they took in during their first feeding.
Breastfed vs. Formula-Fed Babies
Breastfed and formula-fed babies follow slightly different patterns. Breast milk digests faster than formula, so breastfed newborns tend to eat more frequently, sometimes every 1.5 to 2 hours during cluster-feeding stretches. You won’t know exactly how many ounces a breastfed baby takes at each session, and that’s normal. Instead, you rely on diaper output and weight gain to confirm they’re getting enough.
Formula-fed newborns usually start with 1 to 2 ounces every 2 to 3 hours. Because formula takes longer to digest, they may go slightly longer between feedings. Either way, expect 8 to 12 feedings in 24 hours during the first week. That includes overnight feedings. A 1-week-old should not be going longer than about 3 hours without eating, even if you need to wake them.
Reading Your Baby’s Hunger Cues
Ounce guidelines are a starting point, but your baby will tell you when they’re hungry and when they’ve had enough. Early hunger cues include putting hands to their mouth, turning their head toward the breast or bottle (called rooting), and smacking or licking their lips. Clenched fists are another signal. Crying is actually a late sign of hunger, so try to catch those earlier cues before your baby gets upset, since a very fussy baby can have a harder time latching or settling into a feeding.
Fullness looks like the opposite: your baby closes their mouth, turns their head away from the breast or bottle, and relaxes their hands. When you see these signs, stop the feeding. There’s no need to coax them into finishing a bottle. Letting your baby set the pace helps them develop healthy self-regulation from the start.
How to Tell Your Baby Is Getting Enough
Since you can’t measure breast milk intake directly and even bottle amounts vary day to day, diaper output is the most reliable at-home indicator. After day 5, a well-fed newborn produces at least 6 wet diapers per day. The number of dirty diapers varies more, but you should see several per day in the first weeks, especially for breastfed babies.
Weight is the other key marker. It’s common for newborns to lose up to 10% of their birth weight in the first few days, mostly from fluid loss. Your pediatrician will weigh your baby at the first checkup (usually around 3 to 5 days old) to make sure that loss is within a normal range. Most babies regain their birth weight by about 10 to 14 days of age. Steady weight gain after that point, roughly 5 to 7 ounces per week, signals that feeding is on track.
Signs of Dehydration to Watch For
Underfeeding in the first week can lead to dehydration, which in a newborn can escalate quickly. Signs to watch for include fewer than 6 wet diapers after day 5, a sunken soft spot (the fontanelle) on top of your baby’s head, sunken eyes, few or no tears when crying, and unusual drowsiness or irritability. If your baby seems too sleepy to eat, is difficult to wake for feedings, or shows any of these signs, that warrants prompt medical attention.
The First Growth Spurt
Around 2 to 3 weeks, most babies hit their first growth spurt. You may notice it as early as the end of the first week, though. During a growth spurt, your baby may seem hungrier than usual, want to feed more frequently, sleep differently, or be fussier than normal. This doesn’t mean your milk supply is dropping or that formula isn’t satisfying them. It means their body needs more fuel temporarily. Feed on demand during these stretches, and within a day or two things usually settle back into a more predictable rhythm.
A Practical Feeding Schedule
There’s no strict schedule for a 1-week-old, but a typical day looks something like this: your baby wakes, shows hunger cues, takes 1.5 to 2 ounces (or nurses for 10 to 20 minutes per breast), and falls back asleep. This repeats every 2 to 3 hours, measured from the start of one feeding to the start of the next. That means if a feeding begins at 2:00 a.m. and takes 30 minutes, the next one may start around 4:00 or 4:30 a.m.
Some feedings will be shorter, some longer. Some stretches between feedings will be 1.5 hours, others closer to 3. This inconsistency is completely normal at one week. Your baby’s appetite fluctuates throughout the day and night, and trying to force a rigid clock-based schedule at this age works against their natural feeding rhythm. Follow their cues, track diapers, and let the pediatrician’s scale confirm that everything is progressing the way it should.