How often should I breastfeed?

Your newborn should be nursing 8-12 times per day for about the first month. If you feel like you’re feeding your little one more often than a friend whose baby is formula fed, you might be. Why? Because breast milk digests easier than formula, which means it moves through your baby’s digestive system faster and, therefore, your baby is hungry more often.

Frequent feedings also will help stimulate your milk production during the first few weeks. By 1 to 2 months of age, a breastfed baby will probably nurse 7-9 times a day.

Before your milk supply is established, breastfeeding should be “on demand” (when your baby is hungry), which is generally every 1½ to 3 hours. As newborns get older, they’ll nurse less often, and may develop a more reliable schedule. Some might feed every 90 minutes, whereas others might go 2 or 3 hours between feedings. Newborns should not go more than about 4 hours without feeding, even overnight.