They only need about an ounce of colostrum per day. This equals about a teaspoon each feeding (you can expect to feed your newborn eight to 10 times the first few days). The amount of colostrum (and then transitional milk) your baby needs increases slowly each day as their stomach expands.
Day two after birth
Your baby receives approximately one teaspoon of colostrum per feed. Your baby is likely to be more wakeful and may want to feed more frequently until your milk comes in on day three or four. This is normal newborn behaviour.
Typically, though, it's around 30 milliliters or about an ounce a day, which is right around the amount that your baby needs.
This is because colostrum exists in such a low volume (even 5 to 7 milliliters of colostrum is good nutrition for a little one) and is a slow-moving liquid, Syms-Brown explains. "Babies' stomachs are so small and therefore don't require a large volume to satisfy them."
In the first week after birth, babies should be eating no more than about 1 to 2 ounces (30 to 60 ml) per feed. During the first month, babies gradually eat more until they take 3 to 4 ounces (90 to 120 ml) per feed, amounting to 32 ounces per day.
Most newborns eat every 2 to 3 hours, or 8 to 12 times every 24 hours. Babies might only take in half ounce per feeding for the first day or two of life, but after that will usually drink 1 to 2 ounces at each feeding. This amount increases to 2 to 3 ounces by 2 weeks of age.
Using the 1,2,3 rule:
Use the first milk (colostrum) from the cow; Feed the calf colostrum within the first two hours of birth; Calves must be offered at least 3L of good quality colostrum.
Based on the limited research available, suggested intakes for term healthy infants are: Day 0 (up to 24 hours) 2-10 ml/per feed; Day 1 5-15 ml/per feed, Day 2 15-30 ml/per feed, Day 3 30-60ml/per feed, Day 5 30-60ml/per feed... but feeding should be by infant cue to satiation.
It is generally between 2ml and 20ml (millilitres) per breastfeed in the first 3 days. It also depends on the number of breastfeeds your baby has in the first 24 hours after birth. If you have breastfed before, your milk may come in sooner and you'll likely have colostrum in larger amounts.
In the first 24 hours (day 0-1), a healthy term baby needs around 5-7ml colostrum in total so 0.3ml could be a good feed if feeding frequently.
Colostrum: your first milk
It's thick and usually a golden yellow colour. It's a very concentrated food, so your baby will only need a small amount, about a teaspoonful, at each feed. Your baby may want to feed quite often, perhaps every hour to begin with.
In the early days colostrum provides your baby with antibacterial fighting properties which help keep infections at bay. It is highly concentrated in a small volume as a baby's tummy can only take about 5 – 7 mls in the first couple of days.
Typically, though, it's around 30 milliliters or about an ounce a day, which is right around the amount that your baby needs. But don't worry if you're producing less than this amount—any amount is good for your baby.
The International Milk League and Alba Lactancia Materna mention that if you can mix breast milk from other days or sessions. As long as both milks are at the same temperature and that the mixture is used within 24 hours.
On average, your baby will consume about a teaspoon of colostrum per feeding in the first 24 hours, which is ideal for his or her tiny stomach. In fact, your baby's stomach is only about the size of a cherry on day one and holds just 5 – 7 mL or 1 – 1 ½ teaspoons of breast milk during each feeding!
Syringe feeding can be used when you need to give your baby small amounts of colostrum or expressed breast milk (less than 5ml at a time). This is usually during the first couple of days after your baby's birth. Use a small, sterile syringe and place no more than 0.2ml into your baby's mouth at a time.
In the first few days after the birth, between a few drops and a few mls of colostrum may be expressed each time. As colostrum changes to more mature milk, the amount increases to around 50 to 70 mls at each expression by about day four or five. Milk volumes vary from mother to mother and from expression to expression.
Please bring between 5 and 40 ml of expressed colostrum to hospital. If you have more than this, it can be brough from home at a later date if required. Please let staff know you have milk to put into our Level 10 freezer. Frozen colostrum defrosted in the ward fridge will need to be used within 24 hours.
Can you use a Haakaa to collect colostrum ? A lot of our Milkbar community have found that the Haakaa Silicone Breast Pump works really well to express colostrum. Simply suction it on and use the gentle suction to help the colostrum move out of the breast. Then transfer to your colostrum syringes.
You can collect your colostrum while you're pregnant by hand expressing in the same way that you will express breast milk when your baby is born. While you're pregnant, you should only use your hands for expressing. Do not use a breast pump until after you have given birth.
Take Advantage of the Golden Hour
Nursing within the first hour of birth, often called the Golden Hour, will allow you to take advantage of the high oxytocin levels in your body and encourage your lactation hormones to get to work. This also gets your baby the nutrient-rich colostrum they need at this stage.
Newborns should get 14–17 hours of sleep over a 24-hour period, says the National Sleep Foundation. Some newborns may sleep up to 18–19 hours a day. Newborns wake every couple of hours to eat. Breastfed babies feed often, about every 2–3 hours.
Duration. During the newborn period, most breastfeeding sessions take 20 to 45 minutes. However, because newborn babies are often sleepy, this length of time may require patience and persistence. Feed on the first side until your baby stops suckling, hands are no longer fisted, and your baby appears sleepy and relaxed.
Until your newborn regains this lost weight — usually within one to two weeks after birth — it's important to feed him or her frequently. This might mean occasionally waking your baby for a feeding, especially if he or she sleeps for a stretch of more than four hours.