Generally, newborns need to nurse at least 8 to 12 times every 24 hours. They will usually feed every one to three hours in the first weeks of life and may sleep longer at night. Daily feeding patterns will vary and may change as baby grows. The first few days of life, your newborn may be sleepy and only nurse for short periods lasting 10 to 15 minutes. This is very normal and will change as baby becomes more alert. A healthy full term newborn will establish a nursing pattern suitable for himself.  It is best to look for infant cues, when the eyes are open and baby has his hand near his mouth and makes sucking motions with mouth. Crying is really a late feeding cue, so recognizing early cues will make for a more relaxed breastfeeding for mom and baby. To meet the nutritional needs of your newborn we encourage you to watch your baby and his feeding cues instead of watching the clock.