At 11 months old, your baby needs roughly 24 to 28 ounces of breast milk or formula per day, split across three to four feedings of about 6 to 7 ounces each. That volume is lower than what your baby drank at six months, and that’s normal. Solid foods are gradually replacing some of those milk calories as your baby approaches their first birthday.
Daily Milk Volume and Feeding Schedule
Between 10 and 12 months, most babies settle into a pattern of 6 to 7 ounces of breast milk or formula every four to six hours. That works out to three or four milk feedings spread across the day. Some babies prefer a slightly larger morning bottle and a smaller one before bed, while others are more consistent. Either pattern is fine as long as the total lands in that 24-to-28-ounce range.
At this age, your baby should also be eating about three small meals of solid food and two to three snacks. The CDC recommends offering something to eat or drink roughly every two to three hours, which gives your baby five or six eating opportunities total (milk feedings plus meals and snacks combined). A predictable routine helps, so aim for set mealtimes rather than letting your baby graze continuously.
Balancing Milk and Solid Foods
Breast milk or formula is still the primary source of nutrition through 12 months, but solids should be making up a bigger share of the diet by now. If your baby is filling up on milk and refusing solids, try offering solid food first at mealtimes, then following up with a smaller milk feeding. This encourages your baby to practice eating a variety of textures and flavors while still getting the nutrition milk provides.
If the opposite is happening and your baby loves solids but seems uninterested in milk, keep offering it at regular intervals. Some babies cut back to closer to 20 ounces a day when they’re enthusiastic eaters. That’s generally okay as long as growth stays on track.
Why Cow’s Milk Should Wait
Even though your baby is just one month away from the typical transition point, cow’s milk is not recommended before 12 months. Before that age, cow’s milk can put babies at risk for intestinal bleeding, contains too much protein and too many minerals for developing kidneys, and doesn’t provide the right balance of nutrients. Stick with breast milk or formula until your baby’s first birthday, then switch to whole cow’s milk (not reduced fat).
Once you do make the switch at 12 months, keep whole milk to no more than 24 ounces per day. Drinking more than that can crowd out solid foods and lead to iron deficiency, because cow’s milk is low in iron and can interfere with iron absorption.
Water and Other Drinks
Between 6 and 12 months, babies can have 4 to 8 ounces of plain water per day. This is in addition to breast milk or formula, not a replacement. Small sips of water with meals help your baby get used to drinking from a cup. Juice isn’t necessary and adds sugar without much nutritional benefit.
Vitamin D at 11 Months
Babies under 12 months need 400 IU of vitamin D daily. If your baby is breastfed, or gets a combination of breast milk and formula, they need a vitamin D supplement every day. Formula-fed babies who drink 32 ounces or more of formula daily get enough vitamin D from the formula itself. Since most 11-month-olds drink less than 32 ounces (because solids have replaced some feedings), even formula-fed babies at this age may benefit from a supplement.
How to Tell Your Baby Is Getting Enough
The most reliable sign is steady weight gain over time. Your pediatrician tracks this at well-child visits, but between appointments you can watch for a few practical indicators. Your baby should produce at least six wet diapers in 24 hours. They should seem satisfied after feedings rather than fussy or rooting for more. Active, alert behavior and meeting developmental milestones are also good signals that nutrition and hydration are on track.
If your baby suddenly refuses milk for more than a day or two, seems unusually lethargic, or produces noticeably fewer wet diapers, those are signs worth bringing up with your pediatrician sooner rather than waiting for the next scheduled visit.