You would think that feeding a newborn is simple enough, and for the most part, it is. When baby is hungry you give them the breast or the bottle and they eat until they are full. When they are hungry again, they let you know. Most people know this, but they can get confused when well meaning people give them bad information. This type of information can make things harder and can even harm a baby. Newborn baby feeding should be about the baby no matter how hard it is on the parents. Remember, this too shall pass.
Some say that you should try to encourage a baby to eat less often than they need by putting them on a schedule. This can work in some cases, but most newborn baby feeding schedules quickly fly out the window. You can try to make them eat every four hours on the dot, but babies are hungry when they are hungry and you can not force them nor can you put them off. Your doctor may recommend that you feed your baby on demand. This means when they are hungry they eat, even if it is every two hours at first. If they are asking for it, their body needs it. If you have concerns, talk it over with a doctor or nurse.
Adding anything to a newborn baby feeding can be dangerous. Do not add things to a bottle without talking to your doctor. They are going to tell you that breast milk or formula is all that they need and anything else is not only worthless, but also could be dangerous. Never water down formula to try to save money, or add sugars to it to help with gas. If gas is an issue, your doctor can recommend what to add to the bottle. They are your only good source for information. Never replace a feeding with water during the first months, as this can be very dangerous for baby as well.
If someone tells you that you can get more sleep if you discourage newborn baby feeding at night, they are doing you a disservice, even though they may mean well. You should always feed a newborn that wakes up in the night to eat, but you can show them that night is for sleeping. They are going to need food often when they are a newborn, but they can start sleeping through a night a few months later. When you get up for a newborn baby feeding at night, keep it business like so that they go right back to sleep. This helps them sleep better at night later on. Don't ever deny them food though not that they would let you!
Some will tell you that you can add rice cereal to your newborn baby feeding by slipping some into a bottle in the evening. They assume this will fill them up more and they will sleep longer through the night. This is not only not true, it is not good for them. Their digestive systems are probably too young to handle the rice and it could cause problems with gas or allergies. Unless your doctor tells you to do this, do not start any other foods other than breast milk or formula until recommended at four or six months.