Help! I feel like my baby constantly wants to nurse and won’t get on a schedule. How often should I nurse my baby?

Breastfeeding mothers should understand that their infants may eat more frequently than formula-fed infants because human milk empties the stomach faster than formula. Newborns will nurse 8 to 12 times or more in 24 hours for 10 to 15 minutes per breast. Breastfeeding should occur every 1.5 to three hours, where the interval between feedings is calculated from the beginning of one nursing to the beginning of the next.

We encourage breastfeeding newborns on demand. The idea of allowing a baby to “cry it out” does NOT apply to newborns. Your baby should settle into a more predictable schedule when he is older, but you should be prepared to nurse your infant frequently in the beginning.