10-week-old baby feeding schedule & amounts

With a 10-week-old baby, you two are really getting to know each other—and that means you may be picking up on some of your baby’s opinions about feeding. Sure, they’ve likely always let you know when they were hungry. But now you might get feedback on everything from breastfeeding side preference to bottle nipple preferences and more.

Related: 3-month-old baby milestones

How much should a 10-week-old eat?

The American Academy of Pediatrics and La Leche League recommend the following feeding schedules and amounts for 10-week-olds.

Breast milk: 4 to 5 ounces every 3 to 4 hours

Formula: 4 to 5 ounces every 4 hours

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) also recommends that parents should follow the responsive feeding method, also known as feeding on demand, which looks to the infant’s hunger cues for when to feed. The schedules below are just examples—be sure to follow your baby’s hunger signals to know when your little one is ready for the next feeding. As babies get older, their hunger cues and feeding times start to become a little more predictable.

What’s a good 10-week-old feeding schedule?

Remember, it’s more important that you follow your baby’s cues than adhere to a set schedule, so schedules outlined are general guides of how frequently you’ll feed your baby—not hard-and-fast rules.

These guidelines also apply primarily to infants born full-term and without any underlying medical conditions. For preterm infants, babies with certain medical conditions or for any specific questions pertaining to your child, be sure to consult your child’s pediatrician for a more customized feeding schedule.

Related: How much sleep does a 10-week-old need?

What are essential breast milk pumping supplies?

If you are pumping breast milk either during the work day or just occasionally, there are some essential pumping supplies that can make your life easier. For most pumping mamas, the most important item is a double electric breast pump that helps efficiently pump breast milk. Depending on your needs and lifestyle, other great pumping supplies to consider include a wearable breast pump, nursing bra, milk storage bags, manual breast pump, breast pump bag and bottle cooler. We rounded up some of our favorite pumping supplies here.

A note from Motherly on feeding a 10-week-old

The further you go along your parenting journey, the more you realize that no two paths are alike. When it comes to feeding in particular, there isn’t just breastfeeding or formula-feeding. There’s also exclusively pumping, combination feeding, part-time pumping—and more. The beauty in that is that you can find the feeding style that works for you and your baby.

Look ahead: 11-week-old baby feeding schedule and amounts

A version of this story was published October 17, 2021. It has been updated.