Feeding amounts and frequency, 0–12 months
Amounts below are for infant formula in a bottle unless the row says breast milk. They are guides for healthy, full-term babies, not a schedule to force. The number of feeds and the amount taken at each feed can vary from day to day.
Baby feeding frequency, formula amount per feed, daily total and solid food status by age band
| Age |
Feeds per 24 hours |
Formula per feed |
Daily total |
Solid foods |
| 0–1 month |
8–12 formula feeds; 8–12 breastfeeds. Every 2–3 hours at first, then about every 3–4 hours. |
5–7 ml on day 1; 22–27 ml on day 3; 45–60 ml by one week; 80–150 ml by one month. |
Up to about 960 ml (32 oz) is the usual upper average; many newborns take much less. |
No |
| 1–2 months |
About every 3–4 hours for formula; every 2–4 hours for breast milk. |
80–150 ml at one month; the AAP gives 90–120 ml by the end of the first month. |
150–200 ml per kg of body weight per day after the first week. |
No |
| 2–4 months |
About every 3–4 hours; some babies stop needing a night feed in this window. |
No fixed per-feed range is published by the sources we checked; use the daily guide and hunger cues. |
150–200 ml per kg of body weight per day. |
No |
| 4–6 months |
About every 3–4 hours; by 6 months, 4–5 feeds in 24 hours is typical. |
180–240 ml by 6 months. |
150–200 ml per kg per day is the guide until 6 months; about 960 ml is the usual upper average. |
No. Solids are not recommended before 4 months and usually start around 6 months. |
| 6–9 months |
5–6 eating occasions in 24 hours, including milk; moving towards 3 meals a day at 7–9 months. |
Not fixed; 180–240 ml was the 6-month reference and intake varies with solids. |
Around 600 ml of formula a day at 7–9 months. |
Yes, from around 6 months. |
| 9–12 months |
About 3 milk feeds a day, alongside 3 meals; 5–6 eating occasions in total. |
Not fixed; follows the milk feeds and how much solid food is eaten. |
Around 400 ml of formula a day at 10–12 months. |
Yes. |
Sources: CDC — How Much and How Often to Feed Infant Formula; CDC — How Much and How Often to Breastfeed; NHS — Bottle feeding your baby; NHS — Formula feeding; AAP HealthyChildren — Amount and Schedule of Formula Feedings; NHS — Feeding at 7 to 9 months; NHS — Feeding at 10 to 12 months. Checked 2026-11-10.
Breast milk and formula are not measured the same way
Formula is measured in the bottle, so published amounts are easy to compare. Breastfed babies feed on demand, and the amount taken at the breast is not measured, so the same millilitre targets do not apply. The table below shows where the guidance differs.
Comparison of breast milk and formula feeding guidance
| Measure |
Breast milk |
Infant formula |
| Feeds per 24 hours |
8–12 breastfeeds |
8–12 feeds as a newborn |
| Spacing |
Every 1–3 hours in the first days, then every 2–4 hours; cluster feeding can be hourly. |
Every 2–3 hours in the first days, then about every 3–4 hours. |
| Amount per feed |
Not measured in millilitres. The AAP describes about 1 oz in the first few weeks, rising slowly to about 4.5 oz by 12 months. |
Measured in the bottle: 5–7 ml on day 1 up to 80–150 ml at one month, and 180–240 ml by 6 months. |
| Daily total |
Fed on demand; there is no millilitre target. |
150–200 ml per kg per day until about 6 months, with about 960 ml as the usual upper average. |
Sources: CDC — How Much and How Often to Breastfeed; CDC — How Much and How Often to Feed Infant Formula; AAP HealthyChildren — How Often and How Much Should Your Baby Eat?; NHS — Bottle feeding your baby. Checked 2026-11-10.
When solid foods start
Solid foods are usually introduced at around 6 months, alongside breast milk or first infant formula, which stays the main drink until 12 months. The NHS describes three signs that, when they appear together around 6 months, show a baby is ready:
- They can stay in a sitting position and hold their head steady.
- They can co-ordinate their eyes, hands and mouth to look at food, pick it up and put it in their mouth.
- They can swallow food rather than spit it back out.
Chewing fists, waking more at night and wanting extra milk are not reliable signs of readiness on their own. The CDC adds that starting solids before 4 months is not recommended, and advises introducing one single-ingredient food at a time and waiting 3 to 5 days before the next new food.
Sources: NHS — Your baby's first solid foods; CDC — When, What, and How to Introduce Solid Foods. Checked 2026-11-10.
How we built this chart
We did not average or estimate any of the numbers. Each cell uses a figure that appears on a CDC, NHS or AAP page, and the age bands follow the bands those pages use. Where a source gives a daily rule based on body weight (150–200 ml per kg per day), we kept it as a rule instead of inventing a fixed millilitre total for an average-sized baby.
Two gaps are deliberate. First, there is no reliable per-feed formula range for 2–4 months on the pages we checked, so the cell points to the daily guide rather than a guessed figure. Second, breast-milk volume is not expressed in millilitres, because it is not measured during a feed.
This chart is for healthy, full-term babies. It is not a feeding plan and it does not replace the advice of your midwife, health visitor, paediatrician or feeding specialist.
Premature and low birth weight babies need individual advice. Babies born early, babies with a low birth weight, and babies with medical conditions may need different volumes, different timing or fortified milk. Use the plan from your neonatal or paediatric team, not this general chart. Contact your health visitor or GP promptly if your baby is feeding much less than usual, is hard to wake for feeds, or has fewer wet nappies than expected.
Frequently asked questions
How much formula should a newborn take per feed?
In the first days, a bottle-fed newborn may take only 5 to 7 ml on day one, 22 to 27 ml by day three and 45 to 60 ml by the end of the first week. By one month the NHS guide is 80 to 150 ml per feed, and the AAP gives 90 to 120 ml per feed by the end of the first month. Feed on cues rather than forcing a set amount.
Is a breastfed baby's intake measured in millilitres?
No. Breastfed babies are fed on demand and intake is not measured in a bottle, so this chart does not give millilitre targets for breast milk. The CDC describes 8 to 12 breastfeeds in 24 hours, and the AAP notes that a breastfed baby may take about 1 oz in the first few weeks, rising slowly to about 4.5 oz by 12 months.
When should I start solid foods?
Around 6 months. The NHS lists three signs that appear together: your baby can stay in a sitting position and hold their head steady, can co-ordinate eyes, hands and mouth to pick up food and put it in their mouth, and can swallow food rather than spit it back out. The CDC says starting before 4 months is not recommended.
Does this chart apply to a premature or low birth weight baby?
No. Babies born early or with a low birth weight may have different feeding volumes, schedules and fortification needs, and the NHS advises asking your health visitor or GP about weaning. Follow the plan from your neonatal or paediatric team rather than this general chart.
Disclaimer
This page is educational and is not medical advice. It does not diagnose anything, and it does not replace a feeding assessment by a clinician. If your baby is not feeding well, is losing weight, has fewer wet nappies than expected, or you are worried about their growth or development, contact your midwife, health visitor, GP or paediatric service.