Most newborns start with 1 to 2 ounces per feeding in the first week of life and gradually work up to about 4 to 6 ounces per feeding by a few months of age. The exact amount varies by age, whether you’re breastfeeding or formula feeding, and your individual baby’s appetite. Below is a clear breakdown of what to expect at each stage, from birth through 12 months.
Formula Feeding Chart by Age
This chart covers formula-fed babies specifically, since bottle volumes are easier to measure than breast milk intake. The ranges are wide on purpose: a smaller baby at the low end of a range and a larger baby at the high end can both be perfectly normal.
- Birth to 7 days: 1 to 2 ounces (30 to 60 mL) per feeding, fed on demand every 2 to 3 hours. Expect 8 to 12 feedings in 24 hours.
- 1 to 2 weeks: 2 to 3 ounces (60 to 90 mL) per feeding, 6 to 10 bottles per day. Total daily intake: roughly 14 to 26 ounces.
- 3 to 8 weeks: 3 to 5 ounces (90 to 150 mL) per feeding, 5 to 8 bottles per day. Total daily intake: roughly 17 to 35 ounces.
- 2 to 5 months: 4 to 6 ounces (120 to 180 mL) per feeding, 5 to 7 bottles per day. Total daily intake: roughly 20 to 39 ounces.
- 6 to 8 months: 4 to 8 ounces (120 to 240 mL) per feeding, 4 to 5 bottles per day. Total daily intake: roughly 16 to 37 ounces. Solid foods are now part of the picture.
- 9 to 12 months: The number of bottles drops further as solid food intake increases. By 12 months, most babies transition to about 2 cups (500 mL) of whole milk per day.
By the end of the first month, most babies settle into a fairly predictable rhythm of 3 to 4 ounces every 3 to 4 hours. That pattern holds for a while before the per-feeding amount climbs and the number of daily feedings drops.
How Breastfed Babies Differ
Breastfed babies don’t follow the same volume trajectory as formula-fed babies, and that’s normal. In the first days of life, a breastfed newborn eats as often as every 1 to 3 hours, taking in tiny amounts of colostrum. Over the first weeks and months, most exclusively breastfed babies feed every 2 to 4 hours, totaling 8 to 12 sessions per day.
One key difference: breast milk intake tends to plateau between about 1 and 6 months rather than steadily increasing. A breastfed baby at 4 months may drink roughly the same daily volume as they did at 2 months, because breast milk composition changes to meet growing calorie needs. Formula-fed babies, by contrast, need larger volumes as they grow because formula composition stays the same.
If you’re pumping and bottle-feeding breast milk, most breastfed babies take about 2 to 4 ounces per feeding during the first six months. That’s typically lower per bottle than a formula-fed baby of the same age, and that’s expected.
Reading Your Baby’s Hunger Cues
Charts give you a useful ballpark, but your baby’s own signals are the most reliable guide. Hunger doesn’t always look like crying. In younger babies (birth to about 5 months), watch for hands moving to the mouth, head turning toward the breast or bottle, lip smacking or licking, and clenched fists. These early cues mean it’s time to feed.
Fullness cues are just as important. A baby who has had enough will close their mouth, turn their head away from the breast or bottle, and relax their hands. Older babies (6 months and up) show hunger by reaching for or pointing at food, getting excited when they see it, and opening their mouth for the spoon. When full, they’ll push food away, close their mouth, or turn their head.
Letting your baby stop when they show fullness signs, rather than encouraging them to finish every last ounce, helps build healthy self-regulation from the start.
Why the Ranges Are So Wide
You’ll notice the charts list ranges like “4 to 6 ounces” rather than a single number. That’s because babies vary a lot. A baby who eats 4 ounces six times a day gets 24 ounces total. Another baby who takes 6 ounces five times a day gets 30 ounces. Both can be growing well.
Day-to-day variation is normal too. Your baby might eat more during a growth spurt and less when teething or fighting off a mild cold. What matters is the overall trend: steady weight gain along their own growth curve, 6 or more wet diapers a day after the first week, and a baby who seems satisfied after most feedings.
The 32-Ounce Guideline
You may hear that formula-fed babies shouldn’t exceed 32 ounces per day. This number comes from pediatric guidelines and serves as a practical ceiling. Babies taking in 32 ounces or more of formula daily are getting enough nutrients (including enough vitamin D to skip a separate supplement). Going significantly beyond that in a 24-hour period is rarely necessary and can contribute to excess weight gain or spit-up. If your baby consistently seems hungry after 32 ounces of formula per day, it’s worth discussing with your pediatrician, as it may be a sign they’re ready for solid foods or that something else is going on.
What Changes When Solids Start
Around 6 months, most babies begin eating solid foods alongside breast milk or formula. Milk doesn’t disappear from the menu. It remains the primary calorie source through most of the first year. But the total daily milk volume gradually decreases as solids take up a bigger share of the diet.
Between 6 and 8 months, formula-fed babies typically take 4 to 8 ounces per bottle across 4 to 5 feedings. Between 9 and 12 months, the number of milk feedings drops further while solid food portions grow. By 12 months, most babies are ready to shift to about 2 cups of whole milk per day, alongside three meals and snacks. Formula isn’t needed for most healthy babies past their first birthday.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding for about 6 months, followed by continued breastfeeding alongside solid foods for at least 2 years if it works for both parent and child. For formula-fed babies, the transition from formula to whole milk happens at 12 months.