Baby Feeding Chart: How Much to Feed by Age (0 to 12 Months)

A clear baby feeding chart takes the guesswork out of the first year: how many ounces of breast milk or formula your baby needs, how often to feed, and when solid foods fit in from birth to 12 months.

Every baby is a little different, so the amounts below are typical ranges, not strict targets. The most reliable approach is to feed on demand, watching your baby’s hunger and fullness cues rather than the clock, and to use the chart as a reassuring reference point.

Below you will find a full baby feeding chart by age, plus what the numbers mean for breast milk, formula, and the move to solids, all based on guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics and Johns Hopkins Medicine.

How to Use This Baby Feeding Chart

Think of the numbers below as a starting point, not a rule. Healthy, full-term babies are the best judges of how much they need, so the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends feeding on demand: watch your baby for hunger and fullness cues rather than the clock. Some babies like to snack often, and others take more at a time and go longer between feeds. Both patterns are normal.

The amounts here are typical ranges gathered from the AAP and Johns Hopkins Medicine. Your baby may take a little more or a little less on any given day, and that is fine. Growth spurts, teething, illness, and cluster feeding can all shift how much a baby wants in a single day. The best signs that feeding is going well are steady weight gain and enough wet diapers, not whether your baby finished a bottle.

Baby Feeding Chart by Age (Birth to 12 Months)

Use this baby feeding chart to see how much breast milk or formula babies typically take at each stage, how many feeds fit into a day, and when solid foods enter the picture. Breast milk amounts are approximate, since milk taken directly at the breast cannot be measured, so the number of nursing sessions matters more than ounces in the early weeks.

Age	Breast milk (per feed)	Formula (per feed / per day)	Solid foods
Days 1–2	About 0.5 oz per feed, 8–12 nursing sessions	About 0.5–1 oz per feed, at least 8 feeds	None
Weeks 1–2	About 1 oz per feed, 10–12 sessions	1–2 oz per feed, every 2–3 hours	None
1 month	Increasing, roughly 2–3 oz per feed	2–4 oz per feed, 6–8 feeds a day	None
2 months	Roughly 3–4 oz per feed	5–6 oz per feed, 5–6 feeds a day	None
3–5 months	Roughly 3–4 oz per feed	6–7 oz per feed, 5–6 feeds a day	None (not before 4 months)
6 months	About 4 oz per feed	6–8 oz per feed, 4–5 feeds a day	Start solids: 1–2 spoonfuls, once or twice a day
7–9 months	About 4–4.5 oz per feed	7–8 oz per feed, about 24–32 oz a day	2–3 solid meals a day, a few tablespoons each
10–12 months	About 4–4.5 oz per feed	7–8 oz per feed, about 24 oz a day	3 meals plus snacks; more textures and finger foods

A quick way to sanity check formula: most babies take about 2.5 ounces of formula per pound of body weight over 24 hours, and most should not average more than about 32 ounces of formula in a day. If your baby seems to want much more than that, talk with your pediatrician instead of simply adding ounces.

How Much Breast Milk by Age

Breastfed newborns usually nurse every two hours or so, which works out to roughly 10 to 12 sessions in 24 hours in the first weeks. Most breastfed babies take about 1 ounce per feed early on, and that amount rises slowly, topping out around 4.5 ounces per feed near a baby’s first birthday. Unlike formula, breast milk intake regulates itself well: as long as your baby is latching, swallowing, and having enough wet diapers, you rarely need to count ounces.

Feedings space out gradually as your baby’s stomach grows, but this is a slow process, and frequent feeding in the early weeks is normal and helps build your milk supply. For pumped milk in a bottle, follow the same cues rather than pushing your baby to finish, since bottles can be emptied faster than a baby would nurse. For newborn specifics, see our guides on how much a newborn should eat and the newborn feeding schedule.

How Much Formula by Age

Formula-fed newborns typically eat every two to three hours, with at least eight feeds in 24 hours. Babies may take only half an ounce per feed in the first day or two, then move to 1 to 2 ounces at each feeding. By the end of the first month most babies take at least 3 to 4 ounces every three to four hours, and by around 2 months many take 5 to 6 ounces at five or six feeds a day.

From 3 to 5 months, 6 to 7 ounces per feed is common, and by 6 months many babies take 6 to 8 ounces at four or five feeds a day. Bottle-fed babies can be easier to overfeed than breastfed babies, because a bottle takes less effort, so it is better to offer a little less and add more if your baby is still hungry. If you are just getting started with bottles, our guide on introducing a bottle walks through pacing and cues. Once solids ramp up, formula amounts naturally taper, and you can read more about when babies stop drinking formula toward the end of the first year.

When and How to Start Solid Foods

Solid foods usually begin around 6 months of age, and never before 4 months. Before that, breast milk or formula provides all the nutrition your baby needs, and a baby’s mouth and digestive system are not ready for spoon feeding. Starting too early is linked to poorer feeding experiences and extra weight gain, so it is worth waiting for real readiness rather than a calendar date.

Signs your baby is ready for solids include: sitting up with little or no support, holding their head steady, reaching for food and bringing objects to their mouth, opening their mouth when food comes near, and keeping food in their mouth instead of pushing it out with the tongue. Start with small amounts once or twice a day and build up gradually. You can offer smooth purees on a spoon or soft finger foods through baby-led weaning; both are fine, and many families do a mix. For portion ideas as solids grow, see how much baby food an 8-month-old needs.

Through the whole first year, breast milk or formula stays the main source of nutrition. Solids are complementary at this stage, adding new flavors, textures, and practice rather than replacing milk. Offer a wide variety of healthy foods and expect that a baby may need to try a new food many times before accepting it.

Foods and Drinks to Avoid in the First Year

A few items are off the menu until your baby’s first birthday for safety reasons:

• Honey: can cause infant botulism, so avoid it in any form, including baked goods, before 12 months.
• Cow’s milk as a main drink: breast milk or formula should be the primary milk for the first year; ask your pediatrician before switching.
• Fruit juice under 1 year: not recommended; if introduced later, use 100% juice, limit to 4 to 6 ounces a day, and never put it in a bottle.
• Choking hazards: whole grapes, nuts, popcorn, hard raw vegetables, and other small round or hard foods; cut foods small and soft.
• Added salt and sugar: skip them in baby foods, since early high intakes are linked to unhealthy patterns later.

Water is not needed in the first 6 months, since breast milk and formula supply plenty of fluid. Small sips of water can be offered in a cup once solids begin around 6 months. For the details, see our guide on when babies can drink water.

Signs Your Baby Is Getting Enough

Rather than watching the chart, watch your baby. In the first few days a baby should have 2 to 3 wet diapers a day, rising to at least 5 to 6 wet diapers a day after the first 4 to 5 days. By the fourth day, most babies have at least four stools a day, though stool frequency varies more than wet diapers.

At checkups your pediatrician plots weight on a growth chart, and a baby who stays in a healthy growth pattern is very likely getting enough to eat. A content baby who feeds well, has plenty of wet diapers, and grows along their curve is doing fine, even if the ounces do not match a chart exactly.

Hunger and Fullness Cues

Feeding on demand works best when you learn your baby’s early hunger cues, because crying is a late sign that can make it harder for a baby to settle and eat. Common early cues include:

• Licking the lips or smacking
• Sticking the tongue out
• Rooting, or turning the head and opening the mouth in search of the breast or bottle
• Bringing hands to the mouth repeatedly
• Fussiness or sucking on everything nearby

Fullness looks like slowing down, turning away, closing the mouth, or losing interest. Not every cry means hunger, and babies also suck for comfort, so a baby who just ate may simply want to be held or changed. Following these cues, rather than pushing a bottle or the clock, helps prevent both underfeeding and overfeeding.

When to Talk to Your Pediatrician

Check in with your pediatrician if your baby regularly wants far more or far less than the ranges here, is not gaining weight, has fewer wet diapers than expected, or seems hungry all the time even after full feeds. Babies born early or with medical conditions may need scheduled feedings and closer follow-up, so do not wait too long between feeds if weight gain is a concern, even if it means gently waking your baby.

This chart is a general guide, not medical advice. Your pediatrician knows your baby’s growth curve and history and can tailor amounts, timing, and the move to solids to your child.

Frequently Asked Questions