How Much Should Babies Be Eating at 10 Weeks?

Many parents worry about whether their baby is eating enough. Your 10-week-old baby makes a sucking motion both when he is hungry and when he wants comfort, so the presence of sucking is not always a reliable hunger cue. Even a baby who is full may not be getting all the nutrition he needs to grow and develop. Complicating matters further, some 10-week-old babies eat small amounts frequently, while other babies eat less often but consume more at each feeding.

Mother breastfeeding her newborn. (Image: AjFilGud/iStock/Getty Images)

Let Baby Take Charge

A 10-week-old baby eats enough within the first ten minutes to satisfy her hunger and then tapers off on her own. Signs your baby is still hungry include crying, sucking on her hand and smacking her lips. The baby gives you consistent signals when she's full, such as turning her head, sealing her lips, spitting out the nipple, fidgeting or falling asleep. If bottle feeding, she may attempt to knock the bottle out of your hand. Stop feeding the baby when she's giving you the signals that she is full, even if she has not finished her bottle or has taken less breast milk or formula than usual.

Diaper Output

Your baby's diaper output can tell you if he's eating enough. A 10-week-old baby should have approximately seven to 10 wet diapers every day. Typically, babies at 10 weeks have about 4 to 5 bowel movements daily. Bowel movement can vary widely, however. At times, your baby may not have a bowel movement for a couple of days. Consistency of bowel movements should be soft but not runny.

Weight and Growth

Adequate weight gain and growth is a sign that your 10-week-old baby is eating enough. According to HealthyChildren.org, during the first four months of your baby's life, she should be gaining about 1.5 to 2 lbs. monthly. During this time frame, expect her to grow about 1 to 1.5 inches every month. If your baby is breastfed, she is likely to weigh more at 10 weeks compared to a formula-fed baby.

Breastfed or Bottle-Fed

The average 10-week-old baby drinks about 4 to 6 oz. formula every three to four hours. While you cannot directly measure the amount of milk your breastfed baby is getting, he should be nursing more frequently, about once every two hours. Your baby should appear satisfied for at least a couple of hours if he's getting enough to eat. Breast milk or formula is the only thing your baby should be eating at 10 weeks. Water, cow's milk or juice are not necessary and could interfere with your baby's weight gain. If you are using formula, buy a commercial prepared product that contains all the nutrients babies need. Adding honey or corn syrup to baby's formula is unnecessary and can make your baby sick.