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THHow much milk does a newborn really need?
On the first day of life, your baby’s stomach is only the size of a cherry 🍒 — it holds just 5–7 ml per feed. That’s a teaspoon!
So why are new mothers often handed a 3 oz bottle of formula?
Because babies naturally lose some weight after birth. This is normal. Most babies will lose up to 7–10% of their birth weight in the first days — and that is expected✅
In some cases, if weight loss is too much or if baby has medical challenges, supplementation can be truly necessary and even lifesaving. But too often, the amounts given are not proportional to what a newborn’s stomach can actually hold❌
⚠️Oversupplementation can⚠️
• Overstretch your baby’s tiny stomach
• Create false expectations of what “enough milk” looks like
• Interfere with your body’s natural milk supply
• Leave mamas discouraged when their colostrum looks “small” compared to ounces of formula
The truth: colostrum is enough. It may look tiny in volume but it is perfectly designed to meet your baby’s needs. 💛
👉Here’s how baby’s milk needs grow👈
• Day 1: 5–7 ml per feed (cherry size 🍒)
• Day 3: 15–30 ml per feed (walnut size 🌰)
• End of week 1: 30–60 ml per feed (apricot size 🍑)
• By 2 weeks: 60–90 ml per feed (egg size 🥚)
This slow and steady increase is normal. Your body is designed to keep up✨
And let’s talk about Instagram 👀 — the endless freezer stashes and 10 oz pumping sessions? That’s not the standard and not what babies need. Many of those babies are actually being overfed from bottles, while the mamas who pump just enough are left feeling “less than.”
💡If you’re pumping enough to meet your baby’s daily needs — you are more than enough.
✨Do you want to know how to actually tell if your baby is getting enough? Stay tuned — that’s coming next💕
@the.latchacademy
