Formula-fed babies start with small feeds that grow quickly. The AAP's feeding guide describes about 15 mL (½ oz) a feed for the first day or two, then 30–60 mL (1–2 oz), at least 90–120 mL (3–4 oz) by the end of the first month, and 180–240 mL (6–8 oz) at 4 or 5 feeds a day by around 6 months. Most newborns feed 8 to 12 times in 24 hours, and at least 8 times is the usual minimum.
By weight, Victoria's Better Health Channel in Australia gives about 150 mL per kg a day from 5 days to 3 months, easing to 120 mL per kg from 3 to 6 months. These figures are averages, not amounts your baby has to finish. Babies take more at some feeds and less at others, and wet nappies and steady growth tell you more than any single bottle. For a full day-by-day feeding pattern, including breastfed babies and solids, see the baby feeding schedule by age.
How much formula does a baby need by age?
| Age | Typical amount per feed | Feeds in 24 hours |
|---|---|---|
| Days 1–2 | About 15 mL (½ oz) | At least 8, every 2–3 hours |
| Rest of the first week | 30–60 mL (1–2 oz) | 8–12 |
| End of the first month | At least 90–120 mL (3–4 oz) | About every 3–4 hours |
| Around 6 months | 180–240 mL (6–8 oz) | 4 or 5 |
| 6–12 months | Less milk as solids increase | Milk or solids 5–6 times |
The amounts come from the AAP, and the feed counts from the AAP and the CDC's formula guide. The CDC says that from 6 to 12 months most babies need formula or solid food about 5 to 6 times in 24 hours, and that formula needs fall as they eat more food. At 12 months, the CDC says you can start moving to whole cow's milk; see moving to cow's milk.
How do I work out formula by my baby's weight?
Weight-based figures are useful if your baby is much bigger or smaller than average for their age. The Australian Better Health Channel gives these daily amounts:
| Age | Formula per kg of body weight a day |
|---|---|
| 5 days to 3 months | About 150 mL |
| 3 to 6 months | 120 mL |
| 6 to 12 months | 90–120 mL |
To use it, multiply your baby's weight in kilograms by the figure for their age, then divide by the number of feeds they usually have. The Better Health Channel's own example is a 3 kg baby, who needs about 450 mL of formula a day. It also notes that the amount on the formula tin is often more than a baby needs.
The AAP's formula schedule page uses a different rule of thumb: about 75 mL (2½ oz) a day for every 453 g (1 lb) of body weight, and usually no more than an average of about 960 mL (32 oz) in 24 hours. The two rules give similar answers for young babies but drift apart later. For a fictional 5 kg baby aged 4 months, the Australian figure works out at about 600 mL a day and the AAP rule at about 830 mL. That gap is a good reminder that both are starting points, and the AAP itself says to discuss it with your doctor if your baby consistently wants much more or much less.
Why does my newborn only take a little formula at first?
A newborn's intake builds over the first days, so the per-kg figures above don't apply straight away; the Australian table starts at day 5. In the first week, the AAP says to expect no more than about 30–60 mL (1–2 oz) a feed. The CDC suggests starting by offering 30–60 mL every 2 to 3 hours in the first days, and offering more if your baby still shows hunger cues.
If your baby is sleepy and hard to rouse for feeds in the early weeks, the CDC suggests patting, stroking, undressing or a nappy change to help wake them. The AAP says that if a baby has trouble gaining weight, you shouldn't leave long gaps between feeds, even if it means waking them. Premature babies and babies with medical needs often have a feeding plan with set times and amounts; the AAP says scheduled feeds advised by your baby's doctor are best for them.
How do I know my formula-fed baby is getting enough?
Look at the pattern over a day or two, not one bottle. The AAP describes:
- Wet nappies: 2 to 3 a day in the first few days, rising to at least 5 to 6 a day after days 4 to 5.
- Growth: steady growth along their own curve on the growth chart.
- Feeding cues: hunger signs such as licking lips, rooting or hands to the mouth, with crying a late sign.
The NHS bottle feeding advice says your baby should be gaining weight and have plenty of wet and dirty nappies. Fullness looks like turning away, frowning or pushing the teat out, according to the Better Health Channel, and the AAP says a baby who becomes fidgety or easily distracted is probably finished. The NHS says not to force your baby to take more milk than they want, and that it's fine if they don't finish the bottle. Our hunger cues guide covers the signs in more detail.
Can you overfeed a formula-fed baby?
It can happen. The AAP explains that bottles are faster to drain, so bottle-fed babies may take more than they need, and overfed babies may have tummy pain, wind, spit-up or vomiting. It also links overfeeding in infancy with a higher risk of obesity later. To help your baby notice when they're full:
- Offer a little less and let them ask for more, as the AAP suggests, rather than making a big bottle.
- Pause during the feed. The AAP says pauses help babies recognise fullness. Paced bottle feeding shows how.
- Remember sucking isn't always hunger. The AAP notes babies also suck for comfort, and a dummy can soothe a baby who is a healthy weight.
- Never prop the bottle, so you can see when your baby slows down or turns away. The NHS warns a baby left alone with a propped bottle may choke.
If your baby seems to want to eat all the time, even when full, the AAP suggests talking to your doctor. Don't make feeds stronger or add cereal to settle them; see preparing formula safely for the reasons.
Does my baby need hungry baby or follow-on formula?
Usually not. The NHS guide to types of formula says that, unless a midwife, health visitor or GP suggests otherwise, first infant formula is the only formula your baby needs, and it can be used throughout the first year. It also says:
- Hungrier baby formula: there's no evidence that babies settle better or sleep longer on it.
- Follow-on formula: should never be given to babies under 6 months, and switching to it at 6 months has no benefits.
- Comfort formula: there's no evidence it is easier to digest.
- Changing brands: there's no evidence that switching to a different formula does any good or harm.
Australia's Better Health Channel suggests getting advice from your doctor or maternal and child health nurse before switching formula if your baby is unsettled. The NHS says anti-reflux and lactose-free formulas should only be used on a health professional's advice.
What about night feeds, combination feeding and vitamin D?
- Night feeds. The AAP says most formula-fed babies no longer need a middle-of-the-night feed somewhere between 2 and 4 months, or once they weigh more than 5.4 kg (12 lb). Many still wake for one after that; see dropping night feeds before making changes.
- Combination feeding. If your baby also breastfeeds, they'll need less formula than the tables suggest, and top-ups are usually small; see combination feeding.
- Vitamin D. Formula has vitamin D added. The CDC says babies having about 32 oz (about 950 mL) or more of formula a day don't need extra vitamin D, and thresholds differ in other countries; see vitamin D for babies.
- Who feeds. The NHS says babies feel more secure when most feeds are given by you, your partner or their main carer.
When should I get help?
These signs come from the NHS guide to spotting a seriously ill baby and the NHS dehydration page. The NHS dehydration page gives a sunken soft spot an urgent GP appointment, but the RCH treats sunken eyes as severe dehydration that needs hospital care fast, so we use the stricter tier.
Get medical advice the same day (your GP or a health advice line (Pregnancy, Birth and Baby on 1800 882 436 in Australia, NHS 111 in the UK, your pediatrician's after-hours line in the US)) if your baby:
- has fewer wet nappies than usual or dark yellow wee
- has few or no tears when crying
- is irritable, or is refusing feeds
- is vomiting a lot or forcefully, or seems to be in pain
The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne dehydration fact sheet says any sign of dehydration in a baby under 6 months needs a doctor, because young babies can get sicker very quickly.
Mention it at the next check with your GP or child-health nurse if your baby consistently wants much more or much less than the averages above, seems hungry all the time, isn't following their growth curve, or you're thinking of changing formula.
What's worth noting when you track bottles?
Note the amount in the bottle at the start, the amount left at the end, and the time, so you're recording what your baby actually drank rather than what you made up. A few days of entries alongside wet nappies shows the real daily pattern, which is far more useful to your GP or child-health nurse than one worrying feed. If both formula and expressed breast milk are given, record them separately.
