How much formula should my baby drink per day?

Under 6 months, the standard reference is 120–180 ml per kilogram of body weight per day, with 150 ml/kg as the usual midpoint. A 5 kg baby therefore needs roughly 600–900 ml per 24 hours, split across 5–6 bottles. From 6 months, solids replace part of the milk and the reference stops depending on weight: 500 to 800 ml a day across the whole 6–12 month period (French HCSP guidance), moving towards 500 ml as meals become established.

How many ml should be in each bottle?

Divide the daily total by the number of feeds. Example: a 5 kg baby taking 750 ml/day over 5 bottles ≈ 150 ml per bottle. It's normal for babies to take uneven amounts through the day — bigger bottles in the morning and smaller ones at night, or the reverse.

My baby drinks less than the calculator says. Should I worry?

Not from one number alone. Appetite varies day to day, and the ranges are wide on purpose. The reliable signals are diapers and growth: 5–6 heavy wet diapers a day and a weight curve following its percentile mean feeding is fine. If intake drops sharply, wet diapers decrease, or weight stalls, call your pediatrician.

Does this work for breastfed or mixed-fed babies?

Direct breastfeeding is on demand and doesn't need measuring — supply adapts. For mixed feeding, the calculator's total minus what the baby takes at the breast is hard to estimate; a common approach for bottle top-ups of expressed milk is about 100–130 ml per kg per day of total milk. Your pediatrician or lactation consultant can tailor this.

Should I wake my baby at night to feed?

In the first weeks, yes if the baby sleeps through feeds and hasn't regained birth weight — newborns shouldn't go much beyond 4–5 hours without milk. Once weight gain is established and your pediatrician confirms it, you can let the baby set the night rhythm.

When do babies stop formula?

Formula (or follow-on milk) typically remains the main milk until 12 months. After the first birthday, most babies can switch to whole cow's milk (around 350–500 ml/day) alongside a varied diet — growing-up milks are optional, not required. Discuss the transition with your pediatrician.

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Baby Formula Calculator

Find out how much milk your baby needs per day and per bottle, from weight, age, and number of feeds — based on standard pediatric guidance.

How the Amounts Are Calculated

Under 6 months, the reference used by pediatricians worldwide is weight-based:

daily milk ≈ 150 ml × weight (kg) — range 120–180 ml/kg

Weight sets the total

A formula-fed baby needs roughly 120–180 ml of milk per kilogram of body weight per day, with 150 ml/kg as the usual midpoint — up to a practical maximum of about 1 litre per day.

Feeds split the total

Newborns feed 6–8 times a day; by 3–6 months most settle at 4–5 bottles. The daily total divided by the number of feeds gives the typical amount per bottle.

Solids change the math

From about 6 months, purées and meals replace part of the milk. Needs stop tracking weight: French health authority guidance (HCSP 2020) gives 500–800 ml a day across the whole 6–12 month period — nearer 800 when solids are just starting, nearer 500 once three meals are established.

Typical Formula Amounts by Age

Every baby is different — these are the typical ranges pediatric guidelines describe for exclusively formula-fed babies, then for babies eating solids.

Age	Milk per 24 h	Feeds
0–1 month	450–750 ml	6–8
1–3 months	600–900 ml	5–6
3–6 months	750–1000 ml	4–5
6–12 months (+ solids)	500–800 ml	2–4

First days of life are different: babies start with 5–10 ml per feed of colostrum-sized amounts and build up gradually over the first week. Follow your maternity team's guidance for week one.

Feed the Baby, Not the Number

The most reliable feeding guide is not a calculator — it's your baby. Learn the cues and let them lead.

Hunger cues

Rooting — turning the head with an open mouth, searching for the bottle or breast.
Bringing hands to the mouth and sucking on fists or fingers.
Stirring, stretching, and increasing restlessness during light sleep.
Crying is a late hunger sign — ideally the feed starts before the tears.

Fullness cues

Turning the head away from the bottle or pushing the teat out with the tongue.
Sucking slows down markedly and pauses get longer.
Hands open and relax (clenched fists often mean still hungry).
Falling deeply asleep and releasing the teat — done, even if milk is left.

Practical Bottle-Feeding Tips

1Feed on demand within the ranges rather than on a rigid schedule — formula-fed babies self-regulate too when allowed to.
2Never push a baby to finish the bottle. Leftover milk is information, not waste — forcing teaches babies to ignore fullness.
3Expect hungrier phases around 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months. Add a feed or a little volume for a few days rather than switching everything.
45–6 heavy wet diapers a day and steady weight gain are the real proof your baby is drinking enough — more reliable than any ml count.
5Prepare bottles per the tin's ratio exactly (one level scoop per 30 ml of water in most European formulas). Never concentrate or dilute the mix.

Sources & Limitations

Under 6 months, this estimate follows the weight-proportional rule used in pediatric guidance: about 150 ml of formula per kilogram of body weight per day. It is shown as a 120–180 ml/kg band because the rate is higher in the first weeks and drifts down as 6 months approach, and it is capped at around a litre a day, in line with the ceiling given by the AAP. From about 6 months, milk needs stop tracking weight — solid meals cover part of them — and the figure becomes a single band for the whole 6–12 month period: 500 to 800 ml a day, the range set by the French HCSP. Most authorities publish one band like this rather than a number per age slice, because what actually moves the figure is how far along weaning is, not the baby's birthday. The NHS goes down to around 400 ml at 10–12 months, assuming three established meals; at 6 months the AAP is still describing 180–240 ml bottles at four or five feeds a day — 720 ml and up. That is the same baby at two different points of weaning, not a disagreement about physiology. The ceiling itself has a stated reason: France sets it to avoid an excessive protein load, and Ireland's FSAI writes the other half — past roughly 600 ml, milk starts eating into the appetite for solid food.

General reference ranges, not medical advice. No baby is an average: appetite changes from one day to the next, and what your pediatrician says about your baby always comes first — especially for premature or low-birth-weight babies, or for any formula and feeding plan prescribed by a professional. This calculator helps you prepare bottles; it cannot tell you whether your baby is getting enough. Wet diapers, the weight curve and your baby's own cues do that. If your baby seems hungry all the time, refuses feeds, or if weight gain worries you, talk to your pediatrician rather than adjusting amounts from a number on a screen.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much formula should my baby drink per day?: Under 6 months, the standard reference is 120–180 ml per kilogram of body weight per day, with 150 ml/kg as the usual midpoint. A 5 kg baby therefore needs roughly 600–900 ml per 24 hours, split across 5–6 bottles. From 6 months, solids replace part of the milk and the reference stops depending on weight: 500 to 800 ml a day across the whole 6–12 month period (French HCSP guidance), moving towards 500 ml as meals become established.
How many ml should be in each bottle?: Divide the daily total by the number of feeds. Example: a 5 kg baby taking 750 ml/day over 5 bottles ≈ 150 ml per bottle. It's normal for babies to take uneven amounts through the day — bigger bottles in the morning and smaller ones at night, or the reverse.
My baby drinks less than the calculator says. Should I worry?: Not from one number alone. Appetite varies day to day, and the ranges are wide on purpose. The reliable signals are diapers and growth: 5–6 heavy wet diapers a day and a weight curve following its percentile mean feeding is fine. If intake drops sharply, wet diapers decrease, or weight stalls, call your pediatrician.
Does this work for breastfed or mixed-fed babies?: Direct breastfeeding is on demand and doesn't need measuring — supply adapts. For mixed feeding, the calculator's total minus what the baby takes at the breast is hard to estimate; a common approach for bottle top-ups of expressed milk is about 100–130 ml per kg per day of total milk. Your pediatrician or lactation consultant can tailor this.
Should I wake my baby at night to feed?: In the first weeks, yes if the baby sleeps through feeds and hasn't regained birth weight — newborns shouldn't go much beyond 4–5 hours without milk. Once weight gain is established and your pediatrician confirms it, you can let the baby set the night rhythm.
When do babies stop formula?: Formula (or follow-on milk) typically remains the main milk until 12 months. After the first birthday, most babies can switch to whole cow's milk (around 350–500 ml/day) alongside a varied diet — growing-up milks are optional, not required. Discuss the transition with your pediatrician.