Feeding Your Newborn: Supporting Breastfeeding or Formula Feeding

Feeding a newborn takes up a big share of every day and night, and it is a team effort whether your family breastfeeds, pumps, uses formula or combines them. A partner who knows the basics can spot hunger early, help with positioning and burping, prepare bottles safely, and notice when it is time to call for help.

This guide draws on feeding guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), plus advice for partners from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). It is general information, not medical advice. Every baby is different, so treat the numbers here as general patterns, not targets. Your baby's doctor or nurse, and a lactation consultant if you are breastfeeding, can tell you what is right for your baby.

Learn your baby's hunger and fullness cues

The CDC notes that crying is often a late sign of hunger. Catching earlier cues means your baby can start feeding while still calm. From birth to 5 months, babies may be hungry when they:

• Put their hands to their mouth
• Turn their head toward the breast or bottle
• Pucker, smack or lick their lips
• Clench their hands

Signs your baby may be full include closing their mouth, turning their head away, and relaxing their hands. The CDC's advice is to let your baby decide how much they want; a baby does not need to finish a bottle.

Breastfeeding: the first days

According to the CDC, the breasts first make colostrum, a thick, yellowish milk packed with nutrients. There isn't much of it at first, and during the first few days most babies get all the nutrition they need from colostrum. For most people, the thinner, whiter milk comes in by about 3 days after birth, though it can take longer for first-time parents.

Newborns may want to eat every 1 to 3 hours, including at night, and the CDC describes 8 to 12 feedings in 24 hours as a sign a baby is getting enough. Frequent feeding helps build the milk supply. Some babies feed very often at times, which is called cluster feeding.

A good latch matters. The CDC describes a good latch as the baby's mouth open wide over the areola with lips turned out, chin against the breast, and regular swallowing you can see or hear. Signs of a poor latch include the baby sucking only on the nipple, lips curled inward, pain during feeding, or cracked or bleeding nipples. The CDC says that breastfeeding should not be painful once the baby is well latched, and that help from a health care or lactation provider should come as soon as possible if there are signs of a bad latch or worries about supply.

What partners can do during breastfeeding

The AAP points out that even though partners cannot breastfeed, their involvement makes a big difference. Practical ways to help:

• Bring the baby to your partner when feeding cues start, and help with positioning.
• Bring water. The AAP notes that nursing makes mothers very thirsty.
• After the feeding, burp and change the baby and return them safely to their crib or bassinet.
• Take over other jobs, such as diapers and soothing, so your partner can rest between feeds.
• If your partner pumps, wash and store the supplies and give some bottle feedings.

Feeding struggles can weigh on both of you. If your partner seems persistently sad, anxious or overwhelmed, the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline is free, confidential and open 24/7 by call or text at 1-833-TLC-MAMA (1-833-852-6262). In a mental health crisis, call or text 988.

Diapers: a simple feeding check

Wet and dirty diapers help show whether a breastfed baby is getting enough. A CDC table lists these minimums:

• Day 1: 1 wet diaper and 1 poop
• Day 2: 2 wet diapers and 3 poops
• Day 3: 5 wet diapers and 3 poops
• Day 4: 6 wet diapers and 3 poops
• Days 5 to 7: 6 wet diapers and 3 poops

Poop changes from black or dark green to yellow during the first week. The CDC says it is normal for breastfed babies to lose some weight in the first week, but they should be back to birth weight by day 10 to 14. Tracking diapers and feeds on paper or an app is an easy partner job.

Speak with your baby's health care provider right away, the CDC says, if your baby is breastfeeding fewer than 8 times a day most days, you cannot see or hear swallowing, your baby seems fussy after feeds, keeps losing weight after day 5, has fewer than 3 poops and 6 pees a day by 5 days old, or their skin looks a bit yellow.

Formula feeding: how much and how often

For a baby getting only formula, the CDC suggests starting with 1 to 2 ounces every 2 to 3 hours in the first days, and offering more if the baby shows hunger cues. Most formula-fed newborns feed 8 to 12 times in 24 hours, and over the first weeks and months the time between feeds gets longer. You may need to wake your baby to feed; the CDC suggests patting, stroking, undressing or changing the diaper. Ask your baby's doctor or nurse how much formula is right for your baby.

Preparing powdered formula safely

The CDC's preparation steps are worth taping inside a cabinet:

• Wash your hands and clean the preparation area. Bottles need to be clean and sanitized.
• Use water from a safe source. If you are unsure about your tap water, contact your local health department.
• Use the exact amount of water on the container instructions, and always measure the water first, then add the powder. Too much or too little water can cause problems.
• Never warm a bottle in the microwave, which creates hot spots. If you warm it, hold it under warm running water and test a few drops on your wrist.
• Use prepared formula within 2 hours of preparation and within 1 hour after feeding starts. If you won't start using it within 2 hours, refrigerate it right away and use it within 24 hours.
• Throw out any formula left in the bottle after a feeding.

For babies younger than 2 months, born before 37 weeks, or with a weakened immune system, the CDC recommends extra precautions against germs such as Cronobacter: boil the water, wait about 5 minutes, then mix it with the powder, and let the formula cool before feeding.

Bottle-feeding basics for any milk

Whether a bottle holds breast milk or formula, the CDC suggests holding your baby close, tipping the bottle at an angle so milk flows only when your baby sucks, letting them take breaks, and stopping when they show fullness. Do not prop the bottle, put your baby to bed with a bottle, or add cereal to the bottle; the CDC notes cereal will not help a baby sleep longer and could increase choking risk.

Finally, ask your baby's doctor about vitamin D. The CDC says babies fed only breast milk, or less than 32 ounces of formula a day, need extra vitamin D starting shortly after birth.

Key takeaways

• Feed on early cues, such as hands to mouth or lip smacking, rather than waiting for crying.
• Breastfed newborns often feed 8 to 12 times a day; frequent feeding builds supply.
• Diaper counts and weight checks help show a baby is getting enough.
• Measure water first, never microwave bottles, and follow the CDC's time limits for prepared formula.
• Partners can bring the baby, help with positioning, burp, change, prepare bottles and track feeds.

Sources

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Signs Your Child Is Hungry or Full
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, How Much and How Often to Breastfeed
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Newborn Breastfeeding Basics
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, What to Expect While Breastfeeding
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, How Much and How Often to Feed Infant Formula
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Infant Formula Preparation and Storage
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, About Feeding From a Bottle
• American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org), New Dads & Partners: How Your Involvement Matters (updated June 13, 2024)
• Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, National Maternal Mental Health Hotline