How much formula should a three month old drink

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Every baby is different. How much and how often your baby feeds will depend on your baby’s needs. Here are a few things to know about infant formula feeding during the first days, weeks, and months of your baby’s life.

First Days

If you have questions about your baby’s growth or how much infant formula he or she is taking, talk with your child’s doctor or nurse.

If you have questions about your baby’s growth or how much infant formula he or she is taking, talk with your child’s doctor or nurse.

• Your newborn baby’s belly is tiny. He or she does not need a lot of infant formula with each feeding to be full.
• You can start by offering your baby 1 to 2 ounces of infant formula every 2 to 3 hours in the first days of life if your baby is only getting infant formula and no breast milk. Give your baby more if he or she is showing signs of hunger.
• Most infant formula-fed newborns will feed 8 to 12 times in 24 hours. Talk with your child’s doctor or nurse about how much infant formula is right for your baby.
• As your baby grows, his or her belly grows too. Your baby will be able to drink more infant formula at each feeding, and the time between feedings will get longer.

First Weeks and Months

Some babies need additional vitamin D.

Babies who are fed breast milk exclusively or who receive both breast milk and infant formula need extra vitamin D, starting shortly after birth. They can get this through over-the-counter vitamin D drops. Babies receiving only infant formula do not need vitamin D drops. Infant formula is fortified with vitamin D.

• Over the first few weeks and months, the time between feedings will get longer—about every 3 to 4 hours for most infant formula-fed babies. This means you may need to wake your baby to feed. You can try patting, stroking, undressing, or changing the diaper to help wake your baby to feed.
• Some feeding sessions may be long, and other feedings short. That is okay. Babies will generally take what they need at each feeding and stop eating when they are full.

6 to 12 Months Old

• Continue feeding your baby when he or she shows signs of hunger. Most 6 to 12 month olds will need infant formula or solid foods about 5 to 6 times in 24 hours.
• As your baby gradually starts eating more solid foods, the amount of infant formula he or she needs each day will likely start to decrease.

12 to 24 Months Old

• When your toddler is 12 months old, you can switch from infant formula to plain whole cow’s milk or fortified unsweetened soy beverage. You can do this gradually. You may want to start by replacing one infant formula feeding with cow’s milk to help your child transition.

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Page last reviewed: May 16, 2022

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Wondering if you're feeding your baby enough breast milk, formula, or solid food is a common parental concern. Babies require different amounts of food depending on body weight, appetite, and age, which can add to the confusion. Fortunately, experts offer some recommendations.

Unless your baby's pediatrician advises you otherwise, one of the most important things you can do is listen to your infant's hunger and fullness cues to guide feedings, rather than giving them a specific amount or sticking to a strict schedule. Read on to learn about baby feeding guidelines by age, and if you're still unsure, ask a pediatrician for specific guidance on feeding your baby from the newborn stage to toddlerhood.

Baby Feeding Chart

While each baby's feeding needs may be slightly different, based on their weight, age, and other factors, most will follow a predictable schedule. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, babies should be fed when they seem hungry.

In the first months of life, this is very often. Newborns eat every two to three hours. By two months, babies will feed every three to four hours, and by 6 months old, the time between feedings stretches to every four to five hours. Below are the average amounts of breast milk or formula babies at each stage need at each feeding.

Newborn

Newborns should receive all their calories and nutrition from breast milk or formula. Here's a tentative breakdown of newborn feeding patterns.

Breast milk

Most newborns eat every two to three hours, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and they drink 1 to 2 ounces of breast milk per feeding. When your baby reaches 2 weeks old, this amount increases to 2 to 3 ounces.

If you're pumping and bottle-feeding, you can quite literally see how much breast milk your baby is consuming each feeding, but if you're feeding directly from the breast, it's much more difficult to measure your infant's intake. And that's OK.

If your baby is nursing, you can watch their output as a way to gauge their intake. You can tell your little one is eating enough if they wet their diaper two to three times a day in the first few days and then five to six times a day after they are 4 or 5 days old.

Formula

A formula-fed newborn will take about 1 to 2 ounces per feeding in the first week, gradually increasing until they take 3 to 4 ounces at each feeding by the end of the first month. Formula-fed infants tend to eat every three to four hours and are more likely to be on a predictable feeding schedule than breastfed infants.

As a rule of thumb, you should aim to feed your baby 2.5 ounces of formula per pound of body weight daily, says Amy Lynn Stockhausen, M.D., an associate professor of general pediatrics and adolescent medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. But again, it's important to listen to your infant's cues rather than strictly giving them a specific amount of formula.

During the first few weeks, if your baby does not wake up in the middle of the night to eat, you should wake them. The AAP recommends waking newborns to eat after four to five hours of sleep in the first few weeks after birth.

1 to 3 Months Old

Between 1 and 3 months, your baby's appetite will increase, and they'll become more vocal about telling you when they're hungry. The AAP says that a 2-month-old baby will usually eat 4 to 5 ounces every three to four hours.

If you're feeding formula, you might want to look for one supplemented with 2'-FL HMO. These human milk oligosaccharides are naturally found in breast milk, and research has found that it acts as a prebiotic, supporting gut health and immune system development.

As a result, some researchers think supplementing infant formula with HMOs is a promising innovation in infant feeding. In addition, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has categorized three HMOs, including 2'-FL, as generally regarded as safe.

4 to 6 Months Old

Most babies are ready to start solids around 6 months of age, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). However, since all babies are different, your child may follow a slightly different timeline. So, how can you know when your baby is ready?

Babies who are ready to try solids tend to show some signs, including:

• Mastering the grabbing skill
• Developing head and neck control
• Losing the tongue-thrust reflex that automatically pushes food out of their mouth

Babies younger than 4 months have not developed these necessary skills, so never start solids before 4 months. When first introducing solids, aim to offer your little one about 1 to 2 tablespoons of food twice daily.

Solid food shouldn't take the place of breast milk or formula as the primary source of nutrients before the age of 12 months. Indeed, babies should still drink about 4 to 6 ounces per feeding when they're 4 months old. According to the AAP, once they turn 6 months old, they may take even more—up to 8 ounces every four or five hours.

Remember that even after introducing solids, breast milk or formula is still your baby's primary food source for their entire first year. According to the AAP, by 6 months, your baby should be consuming 6 to 8 ounces of formula at each of their four to five feedings each day. At 6 months, a breastfeeding baby should still be nursing every four to five hours.

6 to 9 Months Old

When a baby is 6 to 9 months old, nearly all their calories should still come from breast milk or formula, says Natalie Muth, M.D., R.D.N., co-author of The Picky Eater Project. For a formula-fed baby at this age, that usually means no more than 32 ounces of formula daily.

Your breastfed babies' nursing patterns may fluctuate at this age due to growth spurts or when they need extra comfort. That's why it remains important to watch them for hunger cues rather than sticking to strict schedules and limits. If you notice your child isn't breastfeeding as often after introducing solids, the CDC recommends offering breast milk before feeding them a meal.

Since your baby is still getting most of their calories from breast milk or formula, don't stress about getting them to eat bite after bite of solid food. You can offer your child food whenever you sit down to eat—solids at this point are more about the ritual and exposure than nutrition (though it's still important to offer nutritious options!). At this age, you can offer foods such as:

• Iron-fortified single-grain baby cereal
• Pureed foods, including vegetables, fruits, and meats
• Finger foods like strained vegetables and fruit
• Yogurt
• Cottage cheese
• Casseroles

To identify possible allergic reactions or digestive issues, some experts recommend introducing just one food at a time. You may want to wait on things that include a mixture of foods, like casseroles, until you've introduced those foods separately, especially if you have a family history of food allergies.

"One of the things I really like about casseroles is that if the child likes the base flavor, you can add a bunch of other vegetables to it, and he's often fine with it," says Alan Greene, M.D., author of Feeding Baby Green, who makes a pasta casserole in red sauce for his family.

If your baby seems to have an insatiable appetite or doesn't seem to be eating enough, contact a health care provider for advice.

9 to 12 Months Old

At this age, babies should continue to have about 7 to 8 ounces of liquid per feeding. They usually cap out at 32 ounces of formula in 24 hours. "By 9 to 12 months, about half of your baby's calories should come from food and the other half from breast milk or formula," Dr. Muth says.

Growing infants tend to have an adventurous palate—they've learned eating tastes good, so don't be afraid to give them baby-friendly nibbles from your plate. If they want more, feed them more, but if they push food away, don't take it personally.

Babies like to play with their food, so also consider using yogurt or oatmeal as a dip for vegetables or whole-grain crackers. Just remember to ensure foods are prepared safely and to avoid those that are small, round, hard, or the size of a child's airway.

After 12 Months

"After the first birthday, most of the calories your baby consumes should come from finely chopped table food," Dr. Muth says. To meet their calcium needs, serve whole milk in a sippy cup at meals and with snacks. The US Department of Agriculture's Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends toddlers consume 700 mg of calcium per day (the equivalent of 2 to 3 cups of milk a day), but it's important to note that doesn't all have to come from milk.

Aiming for a set meal and snack schedule can also pay off since your child will be more hungry and thus willing to try new things at this age. Always consult a health care provider if you're unsure about feeding guidelines for your baby.