As newborns get older, they'll nurse less often, and may have a more predictable schedule. Some might feed every 90 minutes, whereas others might go 2–3 hours between feedings. Newborns should not go more than about 4 hours without feeding, even overnight.
Breastfed babies feed often, about every 2–3 hours. Bottle-fed babies tend to feed less often, about every 3–4 hours. Newborns who sleep for longer stretches should be awakened to feed. Wake your baby every 3–4 hours to eat until he or she shows good weight gain, which usually happens within the first couple of weeks.
Waiting too long to feed your newborn can lead to rapid weight loss, jaundice, and other health issues down the road. It's more important your baby get the sustenance they need, so if your baby is sleeping through their feedings, gently rouse them to make sure they eat.
It is not necessary to wake most older newborns up to eat. However, those younger than 1 month old or so may not wake up when they feel hungry. Babies younger than 4 weeks old should not go longer than 4–5 hours without food.
As a rough guide, babies need to feed at least eight to 12 times (sometimes more) over 24 hours during the first few weeks (NHS, 2019a; UNICEF, 2010). That means they'll probably need to feed every two to three hours. Watch our video for tips on how often and how long to breastfeed your baby for.
Don't worry, baby will ask to be fed as usual as soon as his stomach feels empty again. Your baby may be constipated and appear less hungry than usual, however once this passes everything will go back to normal. Or it may just be that your baby was enjoying the sleep and took longer to wake up.
Most babies start sleeping through the night by 6 months. This means they can sleep for five to six hours at a stretch without feeding. Some babies start sleeping longer even sooner, around 4 months. It's natural and common for babies to wake up throughout the night.
Newborns can only go without eating for two to three-hour stretches, and that includes overnight. Their little stomachs can only handle so much food at a time, so smaller, more frequent feedings are a must in the first few months of life.
Until your newborn regains this lost weight — usually within one to two weeks after birth — it's important to feed him or her frequently. This might mean occasionally waking your baby for a feeding, especially if he or she sleeps for a stretch of more than four hours.
For the first few days you may need to wake them to feed if they are still sleeping by 3 hours from the last day feeding and 4 hours at night. If baby still won't eat, allow baby to sleep another hour and try again to wake and feed them.
Newborn babies who are getting formula will likely take about 2–3 ounces every 2–4 hours. Newborns should not go more than about 4–5 hours without feeding. Signs that babies are hungry include: moving their heads from side to side.
Watch for these signs that your baby is hungry, and then feed baby right away: Fists moving to mouth. Head turning to look for the breast. Becoming more alert and active.
But there are a few signs baby may not be getting enough to eat to watch for: Baby is sluggish or sleeping longer than usual. This is especially something to watch for in newborns. Because they are so little, newborns need to eat every 2-4 hours.
Try different positions, upright positions may help your baby stay awake to breastfeed longer. Breast compressions. Putting gentle pressure on the breast with a free hand while baby suckles can help to keep milk flowing at a faster pace and so keep a baby feeding longer.
As a guide, many babies sleep 14-20 hours a day in the first weeks. By 3 months many are settled into a pattern of longer sleep times – perhaps 4 to 5 hours at night. When a baby sleeps about 5 hours straight, this is considered 'sleeping through the night'.
Generally, newborns sleep a total of about 8 to 9 hours in the daytime and a total of about 8 hours at night. But because they have a small stomach, they must wake every few hours to eat. Most babies don't start sleeping through the night (6 to 8 hours) until at least 3 months of age. But this can vary a lot.
Some newborns may be sleepy and not interested in feeding.
At first, babies need to eat about every 2 to 4 hours to help them get enough nutrition and to grow.
Most babies don't start sleeping through the night (6 to 8 hours) without waking until they are about 3 months old, or until they weigh 12 to 13 pounds. About two-thirds of babies are able to sleep through the night on a regular basis by age 6 months.
Newborns won't sleep through the night because they need to eat frequently. In fact, two to four hours at a time is about as long as you can expect your brand new baby to sleep during those early weeks and months — depending on whether you're breastfeeding, formula-feeding or both.
Your 7-week-old baby should be sleeping really well (in SNOO babies often have 5, 6, or even 7-hour stretches of continuous sleep). And all that rest is helping them make the most of their awake periods.
This can be a sign of illness, infection, or low blood sugar. Infants dehydrate easily and not eating can quickly turn into a medical issue. Generally, they shouldn't go without feeding for longer than five hours for their first 12 weeks.
Most babies can make it through the night without eating when they're 6 months old. You may be able to start night weaning your baby when they're 4 months old, or you may choose to wait until later. The key is to ensure your baby is getting plenty to eat during the day and right before bedtime.
A feeding aversion refers to a situation where a physically well baby, repeatedly exhibits partial or full feeding refusal despite obvious hunger. A feeding-averse baby has a history that demonstrates he's capable of feeding but for reasons yet to be identified and corrected, he refuses to feed or eats very little.