How Often to Breastfeed Your Newborn

How Often to Feed Your Baby

Newborns usually need to nurse eight to 12 times in 24 hours for the first few weeks, which means they should be feeding every two to three hours. Your baby may try to tell you they are ready to eat with cues like being more alert, mouthing, rooting and suckling. Crying is a late sign of hunger.

If your baby doesn’t show cues that they are hungry within three hours, you may need to wake them up to nurse. “Many parents tell me that they have heard the advice to never wake up a sleeping baby and may even feel nervous about doing so,” says Catherine Pourdavoud, M.D., a pediatrician with Sutter. “But in the first few days of life, waking your baby to feed is very important — both to help establish your milk supply and to ensure baby is getting enough nourishment.”

To gently wake your baby, Pourdavoud recommends that you:

• Change their diaper
• Expressing a bit of milk and rubbing it on their lips
• Massage their ears
• Rub their back or palms
• Run a cool washcloth or baby wipe along their cheek
• Tickle the soles of their feet

How Long to Breastfeed Newborns

Most breastfeeding sessions take 20 to 45 minutes. Feed your baby on one side until they stop actively suckling and swallowing, then burp and switch sides. Some babies may be satisfied after one breast, but offer both sides each feeding session. Alternate the side you start with for each feeding.

Your baby may want to also nurse in shorter, more frequent sessions, especially in the evening and nighttime. This is called “cluster feeding” and it’s normal, especially in newborns.

“Newborn cluster feeding may start as early as the first or second day of life but is also very common for babies to cluster feed at the time of growth spurts around 2–3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months and 6 months,” Pourdavoud says.

Is My Baby Eating Enough?

When you’re breastfeeding, it can be hard to tell if your baby is getting enough milk. These signs can help you feel confident your baby is nursing well:

• Baby is calm and relaxed after eating
• Baby is gaining weight
• Baby has frequent wet diapers and bowel movements
• Baby has pale urine without any pink or red-orange stains in the diaper  
• Baby’s stools transition from black and tarry to mustard yellow and seedy-looking
• You can hear your baby swallowing  
• Your breasts feel softer after feeding

When a Baby Refuses to Breastfeed

There may be times when your baby refuses to breastfeed. Lots of things can trigger a refusal to nurse, including:

• Changes, like a new soap or deodorant you’re using, or new foods you’re eating that can make your breast milk taste different
• Distraction or overstimulation
• Pain or discomfort from teething, ear infections or cold sores
• Sickness, especially if your baby has a stuffy nose and it’s hard for them to breathe while breastfeeding

“If you are concerned your baby may be sick or have an ear infection, it is important to make an appointment with your pediatrician as soon as possible,” Pourdavoud says.

Keep trying to breastfeed. It may help to change positions, limit distractions, and nurse when your baby is getting sleepy. A lactation consultant can help determine the reason your baby is not nursing.

If your baby continues to refuse feeding, consider pumping and offering expressed breast milk to baby. Begin double pumping (both breasts at a time) as soon as possible and continue every one to three hours for 10 to 15 minutes. This will help ensure your milk supply doesn’t decrease while you try to resolve your baby’s issue with breastfeeding.

Breastfeeding Twins or Triplets

Breastfeeding multiples is challenging but can be convenient and less expensive than formula. Your milk supply is likely to meet the demand as long as your babies nurse often. You can nurse two babies at the same time with certain positions and pillows. Keep in mind that one baby may want to eat more often than the other.

Support groups like Mothers of Multiples offer valuable tips. Meeting with a lactation consultant can also be very helpful.

Helpful Tips

These tips can make breastfeeding easier:

• Avoid pacifiers and bottles until at least 3–4 weeks of age when breastfeeding should be well established
• Don’t offer formula unless necessary and instructed by your pediatrician
• Drink plenty of fluids and eat a balanced diet with protein, whole grains, vegetables, fruit and healthy fats
• Limit visitors and responsibilities so you can focus on resting and caring for your baby
• Try to keep baby awake while nursing
• Use pillows or cushions to support your baby close to your breast