HeyFiniBottle feeding amounts by age: table and rule of thumb
Short answer: as a rule of thumb a baby needs about 150 ml of milk per kilogram of body weight per day, up to roughly one liter. A 4 kg baby drinks about 600 ml, spread over six to eight bottles. The table below gives guide values, your baby decides the amount.
The rule of thumb: 150 ml per kilogram
The simplest sum: weight in kilograms times 150 gives the daily amount in milliliters. A 3.5 kg baby comes to about 525 ml a day, a 5 kg baby to 750 ml. From about 6 to 7 kg the amount levels off at around 900 to 1000 ml, hardly any baby needs more. In ounces: about 2.5 oz per pound of body weight per day.
Divide the daily amount by the number of feeds. In the first weeks that is seven to eight, later five to six. The instructions on your formula pack take precedence, and your pediatrician knows your baby.
The table: bottle amounts by age
Guide values for infant formula, rounded. Some babies drink noticeably less per feed and feed more often instead. That is fine.
| Age | Per bottle | Feeds | Per day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | 30 to 70 ml (1 to 2.5 oz) | 7 to 8 | rises daily |
| Weeks 2 to 4 | 60 to 100 ml (2 to 3.5 oz) | 6 to 8 | 450 to 650 ml |
| 1 to 2 months | 90 to 130 ml (3 to 4.5 oz) | 6 to 7 | 600 to 800 ml |
| 3 to 4 months | 130 to 180 ml (4.5 to 6 oz) | 5 to 6 | 750 to 950 ml |
| 5 to 6 months | 170 to 220 ml (6 to 7.5 oz) | 4 to 5 | 850 to 1000 ml |
| 7 to 9 months | 180 to 240 ml (6 to 8 oz) | 3 to 4, plus solids | 600 to 850 ml |
| 10 to 12 months | 180 to 240 ml (6 to 8 oz) | 2 to 3, plus solids | 400 to 600 ml |
With solids the milk amount drops step by step, each solid meal replaces a bottle. Milk still stays the most important food in the first year.
How to tell the amount is right
Not by the empty bottle. A baby that is full turns its head away, lets go of the teat, plays with it or falls asleep. Then that is it, even if 40 ml are left. A baby that searches after the bottle, smacks its lips and puts a fist in its mouth is still hungry, then give 20 to 30 ml more next time.
The surest signs are the same as with breastfeeding: diapers and weight. Five to six wet diapers a day and a curve that keeps rising. Spitting up after a feed is normal as long as the baby is content and gaining.
What you do differently with a bottle than with the breast
Feed slowly. Hold the bottle fairly horizontal so the milk does not run by itself, and pause every few minutes. That way the baby notices when it is full and swallows less air. This is called paced bottle feeding.
Never push. No twisting the teat, no waking up so the rest gets finished. And nothing in the bottle except milk: no cereal, no sugar, no tea.
Leftovers go. Prepared formula that has stood for an hour is thrown away. Breast milk from a bottle the baby has already drunk from, too.
How HeyFini keeps count
You log every bottle with amount and kind, with one tap or by saying "120 ml bottle". The app shows the daily total and deducts pumped milk from your stash automatically. After a week you see in Today vs. Normal whether your baby drank less today than usual, and the prediction tells you when the next bottle is due.
This article does not replace medical advice. The dosing on the pack and your pediatrician's advice always come first.
Related
- Cluster feeding in the evening: why your baby wants to feed nonstop
- How often should a newborn breastfeed?
- Starting solids: when, what and what to avoid
Frequently asked questions
My baby drinks less than the table says. Is that bad?
As long as they are content, have five to six wet diapers a day and are gaining, no. Some babies drink small amounts and feed more often. If the weight curve drops or there are clearly fewer diapers, ask your pediatrician.
Can I skip the night bottle?
Not in the first weeks, the baby needs feeds at night too. Later the baby decides: if they sleep through and gain well during the day, nobody has to wake them.
How much breast milk goes in the bottle?
For pumped breast milk the same guide values apply as for formula. Start with a little less, many breastfed babies drink smaller amounts from a bottle and feed more often.
Sources: Feeding amounts: German network Gesund ins Leben, infant nutrition recommendations; Nutrition Committee of the German Society of Pediatrics (DGKJ); manufacturers' dosing instructions; paced bottle feeding: NHS Start for Life.