What should a newborn feeding log template include?
Use a simple newborn feeding log template that fits your household. This guide includes a blank printable page without a schedule or targets.
The short answer
A newborn feeding log template can be as simple as a date, time, event type and room for a short note. Add a side, duration or bottle amount only when it helps or your care team asks for it. The printable has twelve open rows for feeds, nappies, sleep or notes. It has no schedule or targets.
Keep a simple record easy to scan
Start with the date and time, then name the event. The printable has twelve open rows, so you can record feeds, nappies, sleep or a note for the next caregiver without filling every line. For a breastfeed, you might note the side or duration if that helps your household. Keep pumping separate from a bottle the baby drank.
Follow the fields your care team asks you to use. If you are not sure which details they need, ask them. A general template cannot replace a specific form or plan.
Record only what has a purpose
Some households use a brief record for a caregiver handoff or an appointment. Others prefer a notebook, a phone note or no log at all. You do not need to fill every row. If keeping a record adds work without helping, it is reasonable to stop unless your care team has asked you to continue.
Health services use different forms for different situations. The Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust breastfeeding journal has first-days diary fields for date and time, feed length, wet and dirty nappies, and notes. Its pages also include guidance for its own care setting. BabyDays' blank template has open event fields and no schedule or targets. Use the form your care team gives you when they ask for a particular record.
Choose paper or a phone
Paper can be easy to leave near the place where care happens. A phone log can be easier to find or share with another caregiver. Before putting family details into an app, check its privacy information and decide who can access the shared record. See how paper and app logs compare.
If a handoff is your main reason for writing things down, the caregiver handoff checklist can help you pass on only the details the next person needs. For mixed feeding, keep nursing, bottles and pumping in separate parts of the record with this mixed feeding guide.
Print a blank newborn care log
Use only the details that help you. This sheet has no schedule or targets. Follow a specific form or instructions from your care team when they have asked you to keep a record.
Newborn care log
Baby name
Date
Optional event ideas: breastfeed, bottle, pumping, nappy, sleep or a note for the next caregiver.
| Time | What happened | Notes |
|---|---|---|
This blank sheet is a memory aid. It does not assess feeding or replace a care plan.
Sources and further reading
- Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust breastfeeding journal
- BabyDays privacy policy
Sources checked 12 October 2026. This page is not a substitute for individual medical advice.