A baby feeding chart and formula calculator in mL and oz
This baby feeding chart and formula milk calculator answers the question every new parent asks at 3 am: how much should my baby drink? Enter your baby’s age and weight and it shows a daily range, the amount per feed for the number of feeds your baby actually takes, and the average gap between feeds — in millilitres or ounces.
The numbers come from published guidance rather than a formula maker’s tin: the NHS rule of thumb of 150–200 mL of formula per kilogram of body weight a day from the end of the first week to six months, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) average of about 2½ oz per pound with a ceiling of 32 oz a day, and the CDC’s advice for the first days. Below the calculator is a feeding chart by age you can screenshot.
It is a guide, not a target. Babies have hungry days and sleepy days, and responsive feeding — offering when your baby shows hunger cues and stopping when they turn away — matters more than the exact millilitres.
How to use the Baby Feeding Chart & Formula Calculator
- Choose your baby’s age; the usual number of feeds fills in and you can change it.
- Enter your baby’s weight in kg or lb (from the last weigh-in).
- Set Feeds in 24 hours to what your baby really has.
- If you also breastfeed, pick Combination and enter how many feeds are formula.
- Read the daily range and the amount per feed, in mL or oz.
Baby Feeding Chart & Formula Calculator features
Two published methods
NHS 150–200 mL per kg a day and the AAP 75 mL (2½ oz) per lb a day, side by side, with the AAP 960 mL (32 oz) ceiling applied.
Per-feed amounts
The daily range divided by your baby’s own number of feeds, with the average gap in hours.
Newborn and older-baby rules
Small 30–60 mL feeds in the first week; after six months, milk feeds alongside solid food.
Combination feeding
Works out the formula only for the bottles you give, leaving breastfeeds on demand.
mL or oz, kg or lb
Switch any time; your choices are remembered in this browser.
How the formula amount is worked out
From about one week to six months: daily formula = weight in kg × 150 to 200 mL (NHS). The AAP’s version is about 2½ oz per pound, which is 75 mL per lb or about 165 mL per kg — inside the NHS range. Either way, the AAP says a baby should usually drink no more than about 32 oz (960 mL) in 24 hours, so the top of the range is capped there.
Worked example: a 5 kg baby at 3 months: 5 × 150 = 750 mL and 5 × 200 = 1,000 mL, capped at 960 mL. With 6 feeds a day that is 125–160 mL (about 4–5½ oz) per bottle. The AAP average is 5 × 165 = about 825 mL a day.
After six months, weight is no longer used: solid food gradually takes over, so the chart follows the AAP’s 180–240 mL (6–8 oz) per feed at 6 months and the NHS pattern of about 4 milk feeds at 7–9 months and about 3 at 10–12 months.
Breastfeeding and combination feeding
You cannot see how much a breastfed baby drinks, and you do not need to. Breastfed babies feed on demand — often 8 to 12 times in 24 hours in the early weeks — and the same signs tell you it is working: plenty of wet and dirty nappies, a contented baby after most feeds, and weight gain at check-ups. Pumped breast milk in a bottle can follow the same per-feed amounts as formula as a rough guide.
If you give some bottles of formula, choose Combination: the tool multiplies the per-feed amount by the number of formula feeds only. A health visitor, midwife or lactation consultant can help if you want to protect your supply.
Getting the bottle right
- Make up formula exactly as the tin says, using the scoop provided. Extra or fewer scoops are unsafe.
- Bottle scales often treat 1 oz as 30 mL; the tool converts with the US fluid ounce (29.6 mL).
- Hold your baby fairly upright and pace the feed, letting them pause; stop when they turn away or push the teat out.
- Watch for hunger cues (rooting, sucking fists) rather than the clock. Crying is a late sign of hunger.
- Track growth with the child growth percentile calculator; for premature babies use the corrected age.
Baby Feeding Chart & Formula Calculator FAQ
How many mL of formula should a newborn have?
In the first days, about 30–60 mL (1–2 oz) every 2–3 hours, 8 to 12 times in 24 hours (CDC, AAP). By the end of the first week most babies need about 150–200 mL per kg a day, so a 3.5 kg baby takes roughly 525–700 mL a day.
How do I use the baby feeding chart by age?
Find your baby’s age in the chart under the calculator to see a typical amount per feed and number of feeds, then enter the weight above for a personal daily range.
My baby wants more than the chart says. Is that a problem?
Not usually — growth spurts make babies hungrier for a few days. If your baby regularly wants much more than 960 mL (32 oz) a day, or vomits a lot after feeds, ask your health visitor or paediatrician.
Is this formula milk calculator right for premature babies?
Premature and unwell babies often have their own feeding plan from the neonatal team, sometimes with higher amounts per kg. Follow that plan.
When can my baby have cows’ milk?
Cows’ milk can be used in cooking from about 6 months, and whole cows’ milk can be the main drink from 12 months (NHS, WHO). Before that, breast milk or infant formula is the main drink.
Is this medical advice?
No. It is general information from published guidance, as of October 2026. Your paediatrician, midwife or health visitor knows your baby — ask them, and get urgent help for warning signs.