How Often Should You Offer a Bottle to a Newborn?

Average Feeding Patterns

• Though each baby is unique and patterns vary, most newborns require one feeding every two to three hours. On average, you should offer your newborn a minimum of eight and a maximum of 12 bottles per day, suggests MayoClinic.com. Keeping a log of each feeding can help you determine how often your baby tends to get hungry, but the final decision of whether to offer a bottle should be based more on your newborn̵7;s behavior than the clock.

Early Signs of Hunger

• The best time to offer your newborn a bottle is when she is displaying early signs of hunger. Stirring, stretching, kicking and squirming are all early signs of hunger in a newborn. Other early signs include putting her hands or fingers in her mouth, making sucking motions, sticking out her tongue or smacking her lips. Rooting or moving her head or mouth towards your breast is also an early sign that your baby might be ready for a feeding.

Late Signs of Hunger

• Once your newborn starts displaying late signs of hunger, she is beginning to get desperate for a feeding and should be offered a bottle immediately. Fussing and crying are both late signs of hunger. Ideally, you should offer your newborn a bottle before she starts to fuss or cry so that she doesn't get too frantic before a feeding.

Average Feeding Amounts

• Though individual needs vary, most newborns require 2 to 3 ounces of formula at each feeding during the first few weeks, with the amount gradually increasing to 4 ounces per feeding by the end of the first month. Your baby should be consuming approximately 2.5 ounces of formula for every pound of her body weight, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, but her behavioral signals are a better guide than fixed amounts. If she starts to fidget or become distracted during a feeding, your baby has probably had enough to eat. If, on the other hand, your newborn drains the bottle and continues displaying signs of hunger, you may need to slightly increase the amount you're offering.

Growth Spurts

• Every newborn goes through periods of growth spurts during which extra calories are required. Though the average newborn experiences a growth spurt during the second week and then again between three and six weeks, it is important to rely on your baby̵7;s behavioral cues to determine whether she is getting enough food. If your baby cries at the end of a feeding, she may need more.