How Much Milk Should a Baby Drink? Bottle Feeding Chart 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: In the first few days a newborn takes only small amounts, little and often. From the end of 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 — often 60–90ml a feed at 1–2 weeks, and 150–180ml by 3–4 months. 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 chart by age (UK)
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 | Small amounts, building up (see below) | 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, once your baby is past the first week, 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.
Baby milk amount calculator
A sense check for a bottle-fed baby’s whole day, worked out from weight. It is not a target for any one feed.
Based on the 150-200ml per kilo per day rule of thumb that NHS trusts publish for babies from the end of the first week to around 6 months. Always make formula exactly as the tin says and let your baby’s hunger and fullness cues lead. Speak to your health visitor if you’re worried about how much your baby is taking.
How many ml should a newborn drink a day? Totals by weight
The same rule worked out for common weights. These are totals for the whole day, to be split across however many feeds your baby takes, and they only apply from the end of the first week to around 6 months. Before that, newborns take small amounts, little and often.
| Baby's weight | Milk over 24 hours (150–200ml per kg) | In fluid ounces |
|---|---|---|
| 3kg (6lb 10oz) | 450–600ml | 15–20 fl oz |
| 3.5kg (7lb 11oz) | 525–700ml | 18–24 fl oz |
| 4kg (8lb 13oz) | 600–800ml | 20–27 fl oz |
| 4.5kg (9lb 15oz) | 675–900ml | 23–30 fl oz |
| 5kg (11lb 0oz) | 750–1000ml | 25–34 fl oz |
| 5.5kg (12lb 2oz) | 825–1100ml | 28–37 fl oz |
| 6kg (13lb 4oz) | 900–1200ml | 30–41 fl oz |
Once your baby starts solid food at around 6 months (see our UK weaning chart and schedule), milk gradually becomes the supporting act rather than the main event, and total milk intake slowly falls.
How much milk does a newborn need?
Less than most charts suggest, especially at first. There's no official per-feed figure for the first few days: the NHS simply says newborns need "quite small amounts of formula to start with", and that the amount varies from baby to baby. In practice:
- The first 2–3 days. If you're breastfeeding, your baby is getting colostrum, which is so concentrated that they only need about a teaspoonful at each feed, according to the NHS. They may feed every hour to begin with, and should feed at least 8 to 12 times, or more, every 24 hours in the first few weeks. Formula-fed newborns also take small amounts, little and often, and may not finish a bottle.
- Days 2–4. Around 2 to 4 days after birth, breast milk "comes in" and feeds get bigger. Bottle feeds build up gradually too — follow your baby's cues rather than a set amount.
- From the end of the first week. The 150–200ml per kilo rule starts to apply. For a 3.5kg baby that's about 525–700ml a day, or roughly 65–90ml a feed across 8 feeds.
In those early days, the signs matter more than any number. The NHS says to expect only 2 or 3 wet nappies in the first 48 hours, then at least 6 heavy, wet nappies every 24 hours from day 5. Breastfed babies should also do at least 2 soft, yellow poos about the size of a £2 coin a day from day 4, for the first few weeks. It's normal for babies to lose some weight in the first few days: your baby will be weighed during their first 2 weeks, and most are at or above their birth weight by 3 weeks, according to the NHS. Our newborn feeding schedule covers how often to feed, and the nappy guide has the counts by age.
Where does the "150–200ml per kg" figure come from?
It's the long-standing rule of thumb taught by UK midwives, and NHS trusts still publish it: Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, for example, both give 150–200ml per kg a day from the end of the first week. It's why you'll see it quoted everywhere from antenatal classes to formula tins. Worth knowing: the main NHS website's formula feeding guidance deliberately doesn't lead with a per-kilo formula any more — it says newborns need "quite small amounts to start with", that the amount "will vary from baby to baby", and puts responsive feeding first.
Both say the same thing in practice: use the per-kilo maths as a sense check on the whole day, not a target for any single feed — and let your baby's hunger and fullness cues lead.
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, wet nappies a day from day 5, with pale or clear wee. (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. Our formula feeding guide covers amounts by age, preparation and the 70°C rule in full.
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?
Small amounts at first. There's no official figure for the first few days: breastfed newborns get about a teaspoonful of colostrum a feed, according to the NHS, and formula-fed newborns take "quite small amounts" that vary from baby to baby. From the end of the first week, around 150–200ml per kilo a day is the usual guide, which is often 60–90ml a feed at 1–2 weeks. Feed on demand and let your baby decide when they've had enough rather than pushing a fixed amount.
How many ml should a newborn drink in a day?
In the first few days, only small amounts, little and often, with no set figure. From the end of the first week, the usual guide is 150–200ml per kilo a day, so a 3.5kg baby takes roughly 525–700ml across 24 hours. The table and calculator above work this out for your baby's weight. The NHS leads with responsive feeding rather than a number, so use it as a sense check, not a target.
How many ounces should a newborn drink?
Once feeding is established, 60–90ml a feed is about 2–3 fl oz. In the first days it's less, and it builds up with your baby's appetite. A fluid ounce is about 30ml, so a 120ml bottle is roughly 4 fl oz.
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. If you'd rather not do that on paper, we compared the best baby feeding apps for UK parents on breast, bottle and pumping logging.
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: Formula milk, common questions; NHS: Breastfeeding, the first few days; NHS: Is my baby getting enough milk?; NHS: Your baby's weight and height; Derbyshire Family Health Service: Formula feeding. General information only, not a substitute for personalised medical advice.
