Printable baby feeding and sleep log: a simple template to copy

In the first weeks, many pediatricians and midwives ask parents to keep a record of feeds, wet and dirty diapers and sleep. Paper is a perfectly good way to do it. It needs no battery, no login and no learning curve, and a sheet taped to the fridge lets both parents and any visiting grandparent see what happened at a glance. This page gives you a simple template you can copy or print, explains what each column is for, and ends with an honest note on when an app is the better tool.

The template

This is a one-day sheet. It has a row per event rather than a fixed grid of hours, because newborns do not feed on the hour. Print one per day, or copy the table into a spreadsheet or a notes app. To print it, use your browser's print command and select only this section, or copy the table into a document first.

Twelve rows cover most newborn days for feeds, since the AAP's figure for breastfed newborns is 10 to 12 feeds per 24 hours. If a day is busier, add a second sheet. Diaper and sleep events that do not coincide with a feed simply get their own row.

Why these columns

Time

Write the time a feed starts. The AAP counts the interval between nursing sessions from the start of one feeding to the start of the next, so start times are what let you work out the gaps. The end time is optional, and the "how long" column covers it.

Feed: side or bottle

For breastfeeding, write L, R or L+R, and start the next feed on the side you ended with. For a bottle, write the amount. Stay with one unit, ounces or millilitres, so the totals add up. The AAP's reference figures for bottle feeds are about half an ounce on the first day or two, usually 1 to 2 ounces after that, and at least 3 to 4 ounces by the end of the first month. Your pediatrician may suggest something different for your baby.

How long

Rough minutes are enough. The AAP does not set a target length for breastfeeds, and it advises letting the baby nurse until full, but it does list feedings that are consistently under about 10 minutes in the first few months, or over about 50 minutes, among the warning signs to mention to your pediatrician. A column of numbers lets you see whether that applies to you. Our guide on how long a newborn should breastfeed explains the context.

Wet and dirty diapers

Tick or write a number. This is the single most useful column in the first week, because diapers are the main outward sign that a breastfed baby is getting milk. The AAP's benchmarks are about 2 to 3 wet diapers per day in the first few days, then at least 5 to 6 per day after the first 4 to 5 days. For breastfed babies the AAP says to expect 6 or more wet diapers per day by days 5 to 7, and it lists fewer than 6 wet diapers or 4 stools daily at 7 days as a warning sign. See the wet diaper guide for the full breakdown. Add a short note if a stool is dark, red-flecked or a different colour from before, so you can describe it later.

Sleep

Write when sleep started and ended. The CDC lists 14 to 17 hours of sleep per day for newborns aged 0 to 3 months, and 12 to 16 hours including naps for infants aged 4 to 12 months. Those are population ranges, not targets for your baby, and you do not need to total them every day; they are simply useful context. For tips on what sleep details are worth recording, see how to track baby sleep.

Notes

Short phrases: "fell asleep at breast", "spat up twice", "fussy 6-8 p.m.", "gave vitamin D", "weight check at clinic: ___". Notes are what you will not remember otherwise. They are also the part pediatricians tend to find most useful when something seems off.

How to fill it in at night

Paper has one clear problem at 3 a.m.: you need light and two hands. A few habits make it much easier.

• Keep the clipboard and pen where you feed. Tie the pen on. A pen that has rolled under the sofa is the usual reason a log has gaps.
• Write only the start time and L or R. Fill in the rest in the morning from memory while it is fresh. A half-complete night is far more useful than a perfect first day followed by an abandoned sheet.
• Use a red or dim clip-on reading light if you do not want to wake the room.
• Agree on one sheet. If two adults take turns, there should be only one log. Two logs doubles the work and leads to disagreement about what happened.
• Do the day totals once, at the same time each day, for example after the morning feed. It takes about two minutes.

What to do with the sheets

Bring the last three to seven days to checkups and weight checks. The AAP says the first checkup should be no more than 48 hours after hospital discharge and that the weight check at that visit helps show whether the baby is getting enough milk. A sheet showing feeds, diapers and any concerns gives the doctor context for that weight. You can also add a few lines at the top: your baby's birth weight and date, and the questions you want to ask. We describe an efficient one-page summary in the baby tracker report for the pediatrician.

The AAP's warning signs give you things to compare your sheet against. For instance, at 2 weeks the baby is below birth weight, or has not gained 5 to 7 ounces weekly since the milk came in; or a newborn sleeps more than 4 hours at night, in which case the AAP says to wake them to nurse. If your sheets show any of these, call your pediatrician instead of waiting for the next appointment.

Paper or app?

Both work, and the best tracker is the one you will actually use at 3 a.m. Here is an honest comparison.

• Paper is better if you want zero setup, you like seeing the whole day on one page, or a grandparent without a smartphone helps with care. It also never runs out of battery.
• An app is better if you want the totals and gaps calculated for you, a running timer for each breast, reminders, or a summary you can share with the pediatrician without retyping. It also lets two caregivers see the same record from different rooms.

Nightfeed is an Android baby tracker built around the night-time case: one big Feed button, a dim night mode, a breastfeeding timer with left and right sides, bottle amounts, diapers and sleep, working offline. You can start with the paper template for a week and move to the app if you find you want the automatic counts. See the Nightfeed home page, or read how to choose a baby tracker app for a checklist that is not tied to any one product.

When to call the pediatrician

A log is a record, not a diagnosis. Call your pediatrician if you are worried about your baby's feeding, if diaper counts are below the AAP figures above, if your baby is hard to wake for feeds or seems unwell, or if the baby is not gaining weight. For anything urgent, such as breathing difficulty, contact emergency services or your doctor immediately. This website and the Nightfeed app are not medical devices or medical advice.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a free printable baby feeding log?

Yes. The template on this page is free to copy or print. It has columns for time, side or bottle amount, duration, wet and dirty diapers, sleep and notes, with a day-totals row at the bottom.

What should a baby feeding log include?

At minimum: the start time of each feed, which side or how much in the bottle, and diapers. Duration, sleep and notes are useful extras. Your pediatrician may ask for specific items.

How long should I keep a feeding log for a newborn?

There is no fixed rule. Many parents keep one for the first few weeks or until the pediatrician is satisfied with weight gain. Ask your pediatrician how long they would like to see it.

How many wet diapers should I record per day?

The AAP says about 2 to 3 wet diapers per day in the first few days, then at least 5 to 6 per day after the first 4 to 5 days. For breastfed babies it says 6 or more per day by days 5 to 7.

Should I use paper or an app for a baby log?

Either. Paper needs no setup and is easy to share in a household, while an app calculates totals and gaps and makes a shareable summary. Use whichever you will keep up at night.