Every baby is different, and how much and how often yours feeds depends on their needs. If you have questions about your baby's growth or how much formula they're taking, ask their doctor or nurse.
The first days
A newborn's belly is tiny, so they don't need much formula to feel full.
- If your baby gets only formula (no breast milk), start with 1 to 2 ounces every 2 to 3 hours.
- Give more if they show signs of hunger.
- Most formula-fed newborns feed 8 to 12 times in 24 hours.
As their belly grows, they'll drink more at each feeding, and feedings will be further apart.
The first weeks and months
Most formula-fed babies now feed about every 3 to 4 hours — so you may need to wake your baby to feed. Try patting, stroking, undressing or a diaper change. Some feedings will be long and others short, and that's fine: babies usually take what they need and stop when they're full.
Vitamin D
Formula is fortified with vitamin D, so babies who drink about 32 ounces or more a day don't need extra. Babies who get only breast milk, or less than 32 ounces of formula a day, need extra vitamin D starting shortly after birth — over-the-counter drops work. Ask your baby's doctor or nurse if you have questions.
6 to 12 months
Keep feeding when your baby shows hunger. Most 6- to 12-month-olds need formula or solid foods about 5 to 6 times in 24 hours, and as they eat more solids, they'll gradually need less formula.
12 to 24 months
At 12 months, you can switch from formula to plain, unsweetened, pasteurized whole cow's milk or a fortified, unsweetened dairy alternative. Do it gradually — for example, by replacing one formula feeding with cow's milk at first.
Sources
Based on "How Much and How Often to Feed Infant Formula," Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; a work of the United States government in the public domain.
Licence: CC0 1.0 (public domain) · Adapted from www.cdc.gov
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