How Often Should I Feed My Newborn Baby?
It’s one of the first questions many new parents ask—and one you’ll probably ask more than once in your nursing journey. If you’re feeling unsure, you’re not alone.
The truth is, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. But there are a few helpful ways to think about it—and some real-life examples that might help you figure out what works best for your baby and your life.
Let’s break it down.
PART 1: Practical Ways to Think About Feeding
Here are three common approaches that parents use to figure out when and how long to feed their babies. Many families mix and match!
1. Feed on cue (aka, “watch the baby, not the clock”)
This is a popular approach for breastfed babies. Instead of feeding on a set schedule, you watch for your baby’s hunger signs—like rooting, sucking on hands, or fussing—and offer the breast when they seem ready. You let the baby nurse as long as they want on each side (or just one side, if that’s all they need).
2. Feed by the clock
Some parents find comfort in having a rough idea of how often to offer a feeding, especially in the early days when babies are still very sleepy. A typical range is every one and a half to three hours during the day. This helps make sure the baby gets enough and keeps your milk supply strong. It’s not rigid—just a guide.
3. Feed based on patterns
As your baby grows, you might start to notice their own rhythm. Maybe they nurse more in the morning, snack in the afternoon, and cluster-feed before bed. Some families jot this down or track it in an app. Others just go with the flow.
PART 2: Three Families, Three Feeding Journeys
Meet Taylor
First-Time Parent, New Baby Jitters
Taylor and their partner recently welcomed baby Leo. They’re both on parental leave and learning everything from scratch. At first, Taylor tried timing every feed down to the minute—but that quickly became overwhelming.
After joining an LLL meeting and hearing other parents’ stories, they decided to try feeding on cue. Now, Taylor keeps an eye out for Leo’s hunger signs and lets him nurse for as long as he wants. Sometimes it’s ten minutes. Sometimes it’s 45. Sometimes it’s again 20 minutes later. Taylor jokes that Leo’s eating habits remind them of late-night snacking in college.
“Letting go of the timer was hard,” Taylor says, “but I’ve learned to trust that my baby knows what he needs.”
Meet Jasmine
Solo Parent, Three Children, One Pair of Hands
Jasmine is parenting her third baby, Aria, while juggling two older children and a job she does from home. She doesn’t have time to overthink things—so she uses a loose schedule to keep things on track.
She offers to nurse every two hours during the day and lets Aria go a bit longer at night. Sometimes Aria seems ready before the two hours are up, and Jasmine feeds her early. Other times, Aria is napping, and Jasmine uses the break to sip a cold coffee and fold laundry… sort of.
“This system isn’t perfect, but it works for us,” Jasmine says. “It gives me a little structure in the chaos, and Aria is thriving.”
Meet Maria and Jorge
New Parents Finding Their Groove
Maria and Jorge are raising baby Mateo. At first, they tried to stick to the every-two-hour rule exactly. Then Mateo started nursing every hour in the evening, and Maria panicked—was he starving?
At their second LLL meeting, another parent smiled and said, “Oh, sounds like cluster-feeding. Totally normal.”
Now Maria uses a tracking app to look at Mateo’s patterns. She noticed he tends to nurse more in the evening and less in the early morning. That helped her feel less stressed—and even helped Jorge know when to jump in with diaper duty and snack deliveries.
“Once we stopped expecting it to be ‘every two hours, on the dot,’ I could breathe again,” Maria says.
Conclusion: Trust Yourself (And Come Talk About It!)
There are many “right” ways to feed your baby. Some babies nurse for five minutes, others for forty. Some nurse every hour, some every three. And your baby’s needs might change from one day to the next.
What matters most is that you and your baby are doing what works for you.
Trust your instincts. Your baby is learning how to be a baby, and you’re learning how to be their parent. You’re both doing a great job.
And if you ever want to talk things through or just hear what other parents are trying, come to a La Leche League meeting! They're free, friendly, and full of people who get it.
You’ll find our meeting calendar here:
https://www.lllpa.org/meetings
You don’t have to figure it all out alone. We’re here for you.
