Whether you’re using breast or bottle, we recommend responsive feeding. This means watching for your baby’s hunger cues and feeding them whenever they want.
The NHS says babies may want to breastfeed eight to twelve times or more every 24 hours. So you might be feeding every couple of hours, including at night. It’s also fine to give feeds when your breasts feel full – you can’t overfeed a breastfed baby.
Most young babies need around 150ml to 200ml of formula per kilo of weight until they’re six months old. How much they want can vary from day to day, but most will still feed little and often.
Early cues: Stirring, mouth opening, head turning. You may see them opening their mouth as though they’re about to feed.
Mid cues: Stretching, increased physical movements, hand moving to mouth.
Late cues: Crying, agitated body movements, turning red.
Try to feed at an early stage if you can. By the time your baby shows late hunger cues, they may be too upset to feed. Try calming them first with skin-to-skin contact, stroking, cuddling or talking.
Remember that growth spurts can increase your baby’s need to feed.
Babycentre: 8 signs your baby is hungry
NHS: How often does my baby need to breastfeed?
Essential Parent: How often should I bottle feed my baby?
Essential Parent: How often should I breastfeed my baby?
