Key takeaways: A rough guide is about 2.5 ounces per pound of body weight per day, usually topping out around 32 ounces. Intake rises quickly in the first months, then levels off as solids begin. Watch your baby’s cues and growth, not just the bottle.
Charts and rules of thumb are helpful starting points, but every baby is different. Use this guide alongside your baby’s hunger and fullness cues and your pediatrician’s advice.
A Simple Rule of Thumb
Many babies take about 2.5 ounces of formula per pound of body weight per day, up to a maximum of about 32 ounces a day. For example, a 10-pound baby might take about 25 ounces in 24 hours.
Typical Amounts by Age
These are averages for healthy, full-term babies:
First few days: about 0.5 to 1 ounce per feed, every 2 to 3 hours.
End of week 1 to 2 weeks: about 2 to 3 ounces per feed, every 2 to 3 hours (8 to 12 feeds a day).
1 month: about 3 to 4 ounces per feed, every 3 to 4 hours.
2 months: about 4 to 5 ounces per feed, 6 to 8 times a day.
4 months: about 4 to 6 ounces per feed, 5 to 6 times a day.
6 months: about 6 to 8 ounces per feed, 4 to 5 times a day, along with small amounts of solid food. Total formula is often 24 to 32 ounces.
9 to 12 months: formula intake may fall to about 16 to 24 ounces a day as solids increase.
Cues Matter More Than Numbers
Hunger cues: rooting, sucking on hands, smacking lips, fussing.
Fullness cues: slowing down, turning away, closing the mouth, relaxed hands, falling asleep.
Let your baby stop when they’re full, even if the bottle isn’t empty. Encouraging babies to finish every bottle can override their natural appetite regulation.
Signs Your Baby Is Getting Enough
- 6 or more wet diapers a day.
- Steady weight gain along their own growth curve.
- Content and alert between feeds.
Signs of Overfeeding
- Frequent large spit-ups.
- Gassiness or discomfort after feeds.
- Rapid weight gain crossing percentile lines upward.
- Consistently taking more than 32 ounces a day.
If you see these, try smaller, more frequent feeds, paced bottle feeding, and a slower-flow nipple, and talk with your pediatrician.
Growth Spurts
Expect temporary increases in appetite around 2 to 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months.
Water and Juice
Babies under 6 months don’t need water; formula provides all the fluid they need. After 6 months, small sips of water (4 to 8 ounces a day total) with meals are fine. Juice isn’t recommended before age 1.
Night Feeds
Many babies still need night feeds in the first months. Talk with your pediatrician about when your baby can go longer stretches without feeding.
Call your baby’s doctor if your baby: has fewer than 6 wet diapers a day, isn’t gaining weight, vomits forcefully or often, consistently refuses feeds, or seems hungry even after large feeds.
The Bottom Line
Use 2.5 ounces per pound per day (up to about 32 ounces) as a starting point, but let your baby’s cues and growth guide you. Every baby is a little different.
Want more support for your baby’s first year? My book, From First Breath to First Birthday, is available on Amazon.
Sources
- American Academy of Pediatrics. Amount and schedule of baby formula feedings. HealthyChildren.org. https://www.healthychildren.org
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. How much and how often to feed infant formula. https://www.cdc.gov/infant-toddler-nutrition
- Pérez-Escamilla R, Segura-Pérez S, Lott M. Feeding guidelines for infants and young toddlers: a responsive parenting approach. Healthy Eating Research; 2017.
- Li R, Fein SB, Grummer-Strawn LM. Do infants fed from bottles lack self-regulation of milk intake compared with directly breastfed infants? Pediatrics. 2010;125(6):e1386-e1393.
- Healthy Eating Research. Healthy beverage consumption in early childhood: recommendations from key national health and nutrition organizations. 2019. https://healthyeatingresearch.org
This article is for general education and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice. Always talk with your baby’s health care provider or your own provider about your specific situation. If you think your baby or you may have a medical emergency, call 911.
