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Newborn feeds and diapers: is my baby getting enough?
Updated 28 October 2026
In the first weeks, it's hard to know how much milk your baby is getting, especially when breastfeeding. The good news is that your baby's diapers tell you a lot. Here's what's typical, and when to ask for help.
How often newborns feed
Breastfeeding
The WHO and the NHS advise feeding your baby whenever they want, day and night, for as long as they want. This is called responsive feeding. As a rough guide from the NHS, newborns feed 8 to 12 times or more every 24 hours in the first few weeks. In the first few days, feeds may come every 1 to 3 hours. They usually become less frequent, and longer, after that.
- Colostrum, the thick, golden milk of the first few days, comes in small amounts. The NHS says a newborn needs only about a teaspoon per feed at first.
- Night feeds matter. Feeding at night helps build up your milk supply.
- The WHO recommends breast milk only for the first 6 months, with no other food or drink, not even water.
Formula feeding
The CDC suggests offering 1 to 2 ounces (about 30 to 60 ml) of formula every 2 to 3 hours in the first days of life, and says most formula-fed newborns feed 8 to 12 times in 24 hours. Give more if your baby still seems hungry.
Follow your baby's lead. The NHS advises not to worry if they don't finish the bottle, and never to force them to take more than they want.
Diapers: the signs of enough milk
For breastfed babies, the NHS gives these signs:
| Baby's age | Wet diapers | Dirty diapers |
|---|---|---|
| First 48 hours | Often only 2 or 3 | Meconium: sticky and greenish-black |
| From day 4 | Becoming more frequent | At least 2 soft, yellow poos a day, each about the size of a £2 coin, for the first few weeks |
| From day 5 | At least 6 heavy, wet diapers every 24 hours | As above |
Hard to tell with disposables? The NHS suggests pouring 2 to 4 tablespoons of water into a clean, unused diaper to feel what a wet one should weigh.
What poo looks like
- The first poo, meconium, is sticky and greenish-black. It usually comes during or after birth, or in the first 48 hours.
- After a few days it changes to a yellow or mustard colour.
- Breastfed babies' poo is runny and doesn't smell much. Formula-fed babies' poo is firmer, darker brown and smellier.
Weight
It's normal for babies to lose some of their birth weight in the first 3 to 4 days. After that, they should gain weight steadily. Your midwife, health visitor or doctor will weigh your baby and tell you how they're doing.
When to get help
- If you're worried about how much milk your baby is getting, ask for help early: your midwife, health visitor, doctor or a breastfeeding specialist.
- If your baby has fewer wet or dirty diapers than in the table above, talk to your midwife, health visitor or doctor.
- Pale poo can be a sign of jaundice: speak to your doctor or health visitor. A definite change in poo, especially very watery poo, poo with blood in it, or much harder poo, is also a reason to talk to your doctor.
- If your baby seems unwell, or you're worried for any reason, call your doctor now. In an emergency, call your local emergency number.
Tracking feeds and diapers in Palna
Palna's breastfeeding timer times each side, left and right, and keeps running when the app is closed. Bottles of breast milk or formula, pumping and your breast-milk stash are a tap away. Wet and dirty diapers are counted for the day, and the 7-day reports show feeds, sleep and diapers each on their own tab. If the whole family helps with feeds, everyone sees the same log on their own phone, so nobody has to ask when the last feed was.
Sources
- NHS: Breastfeeding: is my baby getting enough milk?
- NHS: Breastfeeding: the first few days
- NHS: Bottle feeding advice
- NHS: How to change your baby's nappy (what's in the nappy)
- World Health Organization: Breastfeeding
- CDC: How much and how often to feed infant formula