How Much Milk Should a Baby Drink? Bottle Feeding Amounts by Age (UK)
If you're bottle feeding — whether that's formula, expressed breast milk, or a mix — one question comes up at almost every feed: is that enough? The honest answer is that babies are very good at regulating their own intake, and the "right" amount is the one that leaves your baby satisfied and growing well. But it helps to have a rough map of what's normal by age, so you know when a feed is wildly off and when it's perfectly fine.
This guide covers typical daily and per-feed amounts by age, how often to feed, the signs your baby is getting enough, and how to keep track when you're tired and the days blur together.
The short answer: From the first week to around 6 months, formula-fed babies need roughly 150–200ml of milk per kilo of body weight per day, split across feeds and given on demand rather than to a fixed schedule. A newborn might take 60–90ml every 3–4 hours; by 3–4 months that's often 150–180ml per feed. Always follow your baby's hunger and fullness cues over any chart, and speak to your health visitor about your own baby.
CubTrack is a baby tracker, not a medical service. This is general information aligned with NHS guidance — your midwife, health visitor or GP knows your baby and should guide feeding decisions.
Bottle feeding amounts by age (rough guide)
These are typical ranges, not targets. A bigger baby needs more; a smaller baby needs less; appetite varies day to day and even feed to feed.
| Age | Approx. per feed | Feeds per 24 hours |
|---|---|---|
| First few days | 30–60ml | 8–12 (small, frequent) |
| 1–2 weeks | 60–90ml | 8–10 |
| 1 month | 90–120ml | 6–8 |
| 2 months | 120–150ml | 5–7 |
| 3–4 months | 150–180ml | 5–6 |
| 5–6 months | 180–240ml | 4–5 |
| 6 months+ | 180–240ml, reducing as solids start | 3–4 milk feeds + solids |
A more reliable way to sense-check the day's total is the 150–200ml per kilo rule for under-6-month-olds. For example, a 4kg baby would need somewhere around 600–800ml across the whole day. Use the upper end if your baby is hungrier and growing fast, the lower end if they're more relaxed about feeds.
Once your baby starts solid food at around 6 months, milk gradually becomes the supporting act rather than the main event, and total milk intake slowly falls.
How often, and "on demand"
The NHS guidance for both breast and bottle is to feed responsively — when your baby shows they're hungry, rather than forcing a rigid timetable. Early hunger cues include stirring, mouthing, turning towards the breast or bottle, and bringing hands to the mouth. Crying is a late cue, so you don't have to wait for it.
In practice this means newborns feed little and often — sometimes every two hours, sometimes three — and the gaps stretch out as they grow. Don't worry if no two days look identical. What you're watching for over time is a baby who feeds, settles, and grows, not a baby who hits an exact number every time.
Signs your baby is getting enough
The reassuring signs are the same whether you bottle or breastfeed:
- Wet nappies: at least 6 heavy, pale wet nappies a day after the first week. (See our nappy guide for what's normal by age.)
- Steady growth: your baby follows their own centile line over time — your health visitor plots this on a WHO growth chart.
- Content after feeds: satisfied and relaxed rather than frantic, most of the time.
- Alert and active when awake, with good skin tone and colour.
When to get advice
Speak to your midwife, health visitor or GP if you notice:
- A sudden, sustained drop in how much your baby will take
- Consistently far less than the rough ranges above, alongside fewer wet nappies
- Your baby seems persistently unsettled, frantic at feeds, or hard to rouse for them
- Excessive vomiting (not just normal posseting), or signs of reflux distress
- You're worried about weight gain at a weigh-in
Never add extra scoops of formula powder to "fill them up," and don't dilute feeds — always make formula exactly to the instructions on the tin, as the ratio matters for your baby's health.
How to track milk without the mental maths
The hard part of bottle feeding isn't a single feed — it's holding the whole day in your head while sleep-deprived, especially when more than one person is feeding. "Did the 2pm bottle get finished? How much have we done since this morning? Whose turn is the next one?" That's exactly the running total that's impossible to keep in your head at 3am.
CubTrack lets you log each bottle — amount, time and contents — in a couple of taps, and shows the day's running total so you can see at a glance whether you're tracking high or low. It auto-handles breast, bottle and combination feeds in one timeline, and if you're expressing, the milk stash feature tracks what's in the freezer and when it expires. Everyone caring for your baby sees the same totals, so handovers stop being a guessing game — and you can export a clean feeding report for your health visitor.
Related reading
- How Many Wet & Dirty Nappies Should a Baby Have? A UK Guide by Age
- Newborn Feeding Schedule: How Often Should You Feed a Newborn? (UK)
- Cluster Feeding: What It Is and How Long It Lasts
Frequently asked questions
How much milk should a newborn drink per feed?
In the first few days, newborns take small amounts — often 30–60ml every few hours — building to around 60–90ml per feed by the end of the first couple of weeks. Feed on demand and let your baby decide when they've had enough rather than pushing a fixed amount.
How do I know if my baby is still hungry or just wants comfort?
Offer the feed and watch the cues. A genuinely hungry baby will feed eagerly; a baby who's full will slow down, turn away, or stop. If they take a full feed and still seem unsettled, it may be comfort, wind or tiredness rather than hunger — and that's where tracking patterns over a few days helps you tell the difference.
Can I overfeed a bottle-fed baby?
It's possible to overfeed if you encourage a baby to finish a bottle they've signalled they're done with. Follow their fullness cues, use a slow-flow teat, and take breaks to wind. Never add extra formula powder or change the dilution.
How much milk does a baby need once they start solids?
From around 6 months, milk slowly reduces as solid food increases, but milk remains an important part of the diet through the first year. Many babies still take 3–4 milk feeds a day alongside meals at this stage.
Is the amount different for expressed breast milk vs formula?
Expressed breast milk and formula are given in broadly similar volumes by age, though breastfed babies' intake can vary more. The "is my baby getting enough" signs — wet nappies, growth, contentment — are the same for both.
Sources & further reading: NHS — bottle feeding and formula feeding guidance; UK health visiting standards. General information only, not a substitute for personalised medical advice.