20/01/2026
Fact or myth? "You should feed a baby every 3 hours"
I often hear parents tell me that they've been told to feed their baby every three hours either by a health care professional or a book.
This often comes from being told that babies need to have 8 feeds in 24 hours and 24 divided by 8 is 3.
However, there are a few things wrong with this...
Firstly, 8 feeds in 24 hours is the absolute bare minimum and often not enough for most newborns. Many babies feed 10-12+ times in 24 hours.
Secondly it assumes baby is like a machine with each feed being like clockwork. We know that babies can feed differently at different times a day, sometimes cluster feed with frequent feeds through the evenings and whilst possibly having slightly longer stretches between feeds at other times. Some feeds might be quick thirsty quenching snacks and others may be three course meals. Sometimes babies want to feed for comfort, reassurance, pain relief, to get to sleep... the list is endless; it's not just to get milk.
Finally, we know that milk supply thrives on frequent stimulation and milk removal. Leaving breasts full for hours at a time can lead to issues with milk supply.
So how often should you feed a baby? How long is a piece of string? Every baby and every parent's breasts are different. Look for feeding cues (which if they are a newborn means if they are awake or even starting to stir in their sleep) and offer the breast regularly. If baby is under two weeks of age, hasn't yet regained their birth weight or has ongoing weight issues, you can use 3 hours as a time not to exceed between feeds, but expect to be needing to feed more often!
