How Much Milk Should My Baby Drink? Age-by-Age Feeding Guide for Newborns to 6 Months

The question that runs on a loop in almost every new parent’s mind: «How much milk should my baby drink?»

You look at your tiny newborn, then at the bottle measurements, then at some baby feeding chart by age you found online, and none of it seems to quite match what your baby is actually doing.

Here is the reassuring truth: there is a wide range of normal. Babies are not robots. They do not read the charts.

This guide will give you age‑by‑age average feeding amounts, what is typical for breastfeeding and formula feeding, and the signs your baby has had enough or still needs more. Think of it as a practical reference, not a rule book.

Before the charts: every baby is different

Before we talk numbers, a big caveat.

• These amounts are averages, not targets your baby must hit.
• Some babies are naturally smaller or bigger, more efficient feeders, or snackers.
• Growth spurts, illness, hot weather, and sleep changes can all shift feeding patterns for a few days.

If your baby:

• has steady weight gain,
• has enough wet and dirty nappies,
• seems mostly content between feeds,

then your feeding is probably going fine, even if the numbers do not line up perfectly with someone else's newborn feeding schedule.

Use the guide below as a reference, then trust your baby’s cues.

Newborn stomach size and milk volume by age

In the first days, the question «how many ounces should a newborn eat?» can feel stressful, especially when you see how little colostrum you produce or how tiny the formula amount seems. Understanding newborn stomach size day 1, day 3, and so on, helps everything make a lot more sense.

Here is a rough baby feeding chart by age, showing a typical volume per feed:

Day 1 - stomach the size of a cherry

• Stomach size: about a cherry
• Per feed: 5–7 ml (around 0.2 oz) per feed

On the first day, tiny amounts are normal and expected. Colostrum is thick and highly concentrated, and babies often feed very frequently - sometimes every 1 to 2 hours, with short feeds.

You are not «failing» if you only see little drops. That is exactly what their cherry-sized stomach can handle.

Day 3 - stomach the size of a walnut

• Stomach size: about a walnut
• Per feed: 22–27 ml (around 0.75–1 oz) per feed

Milk (or formula amounts) usually begin to increase around day 3. Some babies cluster feed, which simply means more frequent feeds for a while, often in the evenings. It can be intense, but it is a normal way for them to boost your milk supply.

Day 7 - stomach the size of an apricot

• Stomach size: about an apricot
• Per feed: 45–60 ml (around 1.5–2 oz) per feed

By the end of the first week, many babies settle into a slightly more predictable pattern, though «predictable» is generous. They might go 2 to 3 hours between feeds at night, sometimes less during the day.

Week 2 - stomach the size of a large egg

• Stomach size: about a large egg
• Per feed: 60–90 ml (around 2–3 oz) per feed

Around week 2, you might notice your baby becoming more efficient at the breast or taking slightly bigger formula feeds. Growth spurts are common around this time, so they may feed very often for a few days.

Month 1

• Per feed: 90–120 ml (around 3–4 oz) per feed
• Daily total: roughly 450–700 ml (around 15–24 oz) per day

By the end of the first month, many babies have 7–10 feeds in 24 hours, though some still feed more often. If you are wondering «how much should a 1 month old eat?», this daily range is a helpful anchor, not a strict rule.

Month 2

• Per feed: 120–150 ml (around 4–5 oz) per feed
• Daily total: up to 750–900 ml (around 25–30 oz) per day

At this age, some babies start spacing feeds a bit, maybe 6–8 feeds per day. Others still like more frequent, smaller feeds. Both patterns can be normal, especially for breastfed babies.

Month 3

• Per feed: 150–180 ml (around 5–6 oz) per feed
• Daily total: usually still in the 750–900 ml (25–30 oz) range

Many parents ask specifically, «How much should a 3 month old eat?». Interestingly, daily intake often levels off around this age. Babies usually do not need more and more milk forever. Their growth slows a little, and their intake tends to plateau.

Months 4 to 6

• Per feed: 180–240 ml (around 6–8 oz) per feed
• Daily total: often stays in the 750–900 ml range

Between 4 and 6 months, milk (breastmilk or formula) is still the main source of nutrition. Even if you start solids closer to 6 months, the overall milk intake often stays similar for a while, just spread around differently during the day.

Again, these newborn feeding amounts by age are guides. Some babies are satisfied at the lower end, some at the higher end.

Daily totals: putting the numbers together

To summarise the rough daily totals:

• First month: about 450–700 ml per day
• Months 2–3: about 750–900 ml per day
• Months 4–6: often similar to months 2–3

You might notice that by 2 to 3 months your baby’s daily intake stabilises, even though they are still gaining weight. That is expected. They just become more efficient and their growth curve smooths out.

If your baby consistently drinks way below these numbers and is not gaining weight, or far above and is very unsettled, check in with your health visitor, GP, or paediatrician for individual advice.

Breastfeeding: how to judge intake when you cannot measure

Breastfeeding has one big quirk when you are trying to figure out how much milk should baby eat: you cannot see the measurements.

So instead of fixating on millilitres, you focus on three main things:

1. Feeding frequency
2. Duration and behaviour at the breast
3. Output and growth

Breastfeeding frequency by age

In the first weeks, a typical pattern looks like this:

• First month:

  • 8–12 feeds per 24 hours
  • some babies feed more, especially in the evenings
  • feeds can be closer together during growth spurts

• After the first month:

  • feeds usually gradually decrease in number
  • many babies move to 7–9 feeds, then 6–8 feeds a day by 3 months
  • night feeds are still normal

If you are wondering «how often should a newborn eat?», the answer is: often. It is normal for a newborn feeding schedule to feel relentless in the early weeks. Frequent feeding is how they grow and how your supply builds.

Duration: how long to feed each side?

You will often hear that a baby should feed 10–20 minutes per breast. That can be a useful rough range, but real life is messy:

• Some babies drain a breast well in 5–10 minutes once they are older and efficient.
• Others take 20–30 minutes or more, especially in the first weeks.
• Some do a long feed on one side, then only a short «dessert» on the other.

What matters more than the clock:

• Rhythmic sucking and swallowing after the initial fast sucks.
• Baby seems relaxed, not frustrated.
• Your breast feels softer after the feed.

If your baby is falling asleep at the breast within a few minutes every time and hardly swallowing, or is feeding for very long stretches but still not gaining well, that is something to discuss with a breastfeeding counsellor or health professional.

Output: nappies and weight gain

For breastfed babies, the best indicators that your baby feeding is going well are:

• Wet nappies:

  • By day 4–5: at least 5–6 wet nappies a day.

• Dirty nappies:

  • First few weeks: 2 or more poos per day is common, often more.
  • Later, some fully breastfed babies may go several days between stools, which can still be normal if they are comfortable and gaining weight.

• Weight gain:

  • After the initial normal weight loss in the first days, your baby should be back to birth weight by around 2 weeks.
  • After that, steady gain following their centile line is the key sign things are on track.

If weight checks and nappies are reassuring, you can be confident your baby is getting enough, even if you have no exact numbers for «how many ounces should newborn eat».

Formula feeding: how much and how often?

Formula feeding makes it easier to see exactly how much milk your baby is drinking, which is handy, but can also make parents more anxious about every millilitre.

A simple rule that many UK paediatric teams use:

150–200 ml of formula per kg of body weight per day, divided into feeds.

For example:

• A 4 kg baby:
  • Needs roughly 600–800 ml of formula per day.
  • If they feed 6–8 times a day, that might be 75–130 ml (2.5–4.5 oz) per feed, depending on the baby.

This fits pretty well with the earlier daily ranges and the age-by-age chart.

Typical formula feeding patterns

• First few days:
  Tiny volumes, like 10–30 ml per feed, increasing as baby’s stomach grows.

• End of first week:
  Often 45–60 ml per feed.

• By 1 month:
  Commonly 90–120 ml per feed, 6–8 times a day.

• By 2–3 months:
  Often 120–180 ml per feed, 5–7 times a day.

• By 4–6 months:
  Many babies take 150–240 ml per feed, about 5–6 feeds a day.

Again, some babies sit outside these ranges and are still perfectly healthy. Your baby’s growth chart and behaviour are more important than any one number.

How to tell your baby has had enough milk

Whether you are breastfeeding or using formula, babies are generally quite good at telling us when they are done, if we watch their cues and do not override them.

Signs your baby has had enough:

• Slows down sucking, then lets go of the breast or bottle by themselves.
• Hands and body relax, fingers uncurl.
• Looks sleepy, content, or turns their head away.
• Falls asleep at the end of a good, active feed.
• Spits out or gently pushes the bottle teat or nipple out with their tongue.

If you are using bottles, resist the urge to make them finish the last 10 ml “so it doesn’t go to waste”. Consistently pushing past their fullness cues can lead to overfeeding and discomfort.

Signs your baby may need more

Some babies need a little top-up or more frequent feeds. Signs they might still be hungry include:

• Still rooting (turning head and opening mouth) shortly after a feed.
• Sucking on hands in a hungry, restless way, not just for comfort.
• Very short feeds (few minutes), then crying again soon after.
• Coming off the breast or bottle upset, crying when you try to wind them.
• Poor weight gain or dropping through centile lines.
• Few wet nappies or infrequent, very small wees.

If you are worried that your baby feeding pattern is not right, or their newborn feeding amounts by age seem much lower than typical and they are not gaining well, speak to your midwife, health visitor, or GP. Sometimes small tweaks to positioning, latch, or feed frequency can make a big difference.

Common mistakes and myths about baby feeding

New parents get bombarded with advice. Some helpful, some... not so much. A few pitfalls show up again and again.

1. Forcing baby to finish the bottle

This is a big one.

Because formula is measured and feels «precious», it is tempting to think every drop must go in the baby. So you jiggle the bottle, coax, or gently insist they take more, even though they are pushing the teat out.

Problems with this:

• Babies learn to override their own fullness cues.
• It can cause discomfort, spitting up, or more wind.
• Over time, it may affect their ability to self-regulate appetite.

A better approach: prepare typical amounts at first, but be relaxed if they leave some. You can always offer a tiny bit more next time if they are consistently draining the bottle and still showing hunger cues.

2. Comparing to other babies

Cousin’s baby takes 180 ml per feed at 8 weeks. Yours happily stops at 120 ml and is growing well. Who is right?

Probably both.

Babies differ in:

• Metabolism
• Birth weight and body type
• Feeding style (slow grazer vs big feeder)

So «how much should a 1 month old eat» or «how much should a 3 month old eat» will always have a range. Use charts and guidelines as context, not a competition.

3. Overfeeding to “make them sleep longer”

This myth is very persistent: give a huge bottle before bed and baby will sleep through.

Two issues:

1. Young babies are not meant to sleep through the night. Their tummies are small and they need frequent feeds.
2. Overfilling their stomach can lead to:
   • more spit-up,
   • tummy ache,
   • more waking from discomfort, not less.

A balanced, responsive newborn feeding schedule, day and night, is more helpful for sleep in the long run than overloading them with milk at one time.

4. Ignoring baby’s cues in favour of the clock

Routines and schedules can be helpful once feeding is well established. But in the early weeks, especially if you are breastfeeding, feeding on demand works better for supply and for baby.

If baby is hungry at 1.5 hours, then again at 3 hours, then has a longer stretch later, that can be completely normal. You are not «spoiling» them by responding to hunger cues. You are feeding a tiny human with a tiny stomach.

Bringing it all together

When you put all the charts, rules, and numbers aside, baby feeding boils down to a few key ideas:

• Average ranges are just that - averages.
• Your baby’s cues, nappies, and growth tell the real story.
• Breastfeeding is harder to measure, so focus on frequency, behaviour at the breast, and weight gain, not exact ml.
• Formula feeding gives precise numbers, but try not to let the measurements override your baby’s own sense of hunger and fullness.
• Do not force-feed to empty bottles, do not compare endlessly to other babies, and do not overfill them in the hope of magical sleep.

If you ever find yourself staring at the bottle or your baby thinking, «Is this right? Is this enough?» you are not alone. Every parent asks that. Often many times a day.

When in doubt, check:

1. Are they having enough wet nappies?
2. Are they gaining weight steadily?
3. Do they seem mostly content between feeds?

If yes, you are almost certainly doing just fine.
And if something still feels off, trust that instinct too and reach out to your midwife, health visitor, GP, or a breastfeeding specialist. Numbers are helpful, but you and your baby are the ones who matter most.