3 week old baby formula feeding amount
Formula Feeding FAQs: How Much and How Often (for Parents)
Whether you plan to formula feed your baby from the start, want to supplement your breast milk with formula, or are switching from breast milk to formula, you probably have questions.
Here are answers to some common questions about formula feeding.
How Often Should I Feed My Baby?
Newborns and young babies should be fed whenever they seem hungry. This is called on-demand feeding.
After the first few days of life, most healthy formula-fed newborns feed about every 2–3 hours. As they get bigger and their tummies can hold more milk, they usually eat about every 3–4 hours. As babies get older, they’ll settle into a more predictable feeding routine and go longer stretches at night without needing a bottle.
Talk to your doctor if you have concerns about feeding your baby, especially if your baby is very small, is not gaining weight, or was born early (prematurely).
How Can I Tell When My Baby Is Hungry?
Signs that babies are hungry include:
- moving their heads from side to side
- opening their mouths
- sticking out their tongues
- placing their hands, fingers, and fists to their mouths
- puckering their lips as if to suck
- nuzzling again their mothers' breasts
- showing the rooting reflex (when a baby moves its mouth in the direction of something that's stroking or touching its cheek)
Babies should be fed before they get upset and cry. Crying is a late sign of hunger. But every time your baby cries is not because of hunger. Sometimes babies just need to be cuddled or changed. Or they could be sick, tired, too hot or too cold, in pain, or have colic.
How Much Should My Baby Drink?
In the first few weeks, give 2- to 3-ounce (60- to 90-milliliter) bottles to your newborn. Give more or less depending on your baby’s hunger cues.
Here's a general look at how much your baby may be eating at different ages:
- On average, a newborn drinks about 1.5–3 ounces (45–90 milliliters) every 2–3 hours. This amount increases as your baby grows and can take more at each feeding.
- At about 2 months, your baby may drink about 4–5 ounces (120–150 milliliters) every 3–4 hours.
- At 4 months, your baby may drink about 4–6 ounces (120-180 milliliters) at each feeding, depending on how often they eat.
- By 6 months, your baby may drink 6–8 ounces (180–230 milliliters) about 4–5 times a day.
Watch for signs that your baby is hungry or full. Respond to these cues and let your baby stop when full. A baby who is full may suck with less enthusiasm, stop, or turn away from the bottle.
Why Does My Baby Seem Hungrier Than Usual?
As babies grow, they begin to eat more at each feeding and can go longer between feedings. Still, there may be times when your little one seems hungrier than usual.
Your baby may be going through a period of rapid growth (called a growth spurt). These can happen at any time, but in the early months are common at around:
- 7–14 days old
- between 3–6 weeks
- 4 months
- 6 months
During these times and whenever your baby seems especially hungry, follow their hunger cues and continue to feed on demand, increasing the amount of formula you give as needed.
Is My Baby Eating Enough?
At times, you may wonder whether your baby is getting enough nutrients for healthy growth and development.
Babies who get enough to eat seem satisfied after eating and are regularly peeing and pooping.
At your baby’s checkups, the doctor will review your baby’s growth chart, track your little one’s development, and answer any questions. Talk to your doctor if you have any concerns about your baby’s feeding and nutrition.
Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD
Date reviewed: November 2021
Amount and Schedule of Baby Formula Feedings
- In the first week after birth, babies should be eating no more than about 1 to 2 ounces (30 to 60 ml) per feed.
- During the first month, babies gradually eat more until they take 3 to 4 ounces (90 to 120 ml) per feed, amounting to 32 ounces per day. Formula-fed babies typically feed on a more regular schedule, such as every 3 or 4 hours. Breastfed babies usually take smaller, more frequent feedings than formula-fed infants.
If your baby sleeps longer than 4 to 5 hours during the first few weeks after birth and starts missing feedings, wake them up and offer a bottle.
By the end of the first month: Your baby will be up to at least 3 to 4 ounces (120 mL) per feeding, with a fairly predictable schedule of feedings about every 3 to 4 hours.
By 6 months: Your baby will consume 6 to 8 ounces (180–240 mL) at each of 4 or 5 feedings in 24 hours.
Formula feeding based on body weight
On average, your baby should take in about 2½ ounces (75 mL) of infant formula a day for every pound (453 g) of body weight. But they probably will regulate their intake from day to day to meet their own specific needs, so let them tell you when they've had enough. If they become fidgety or easily distracted during a feeding, they're probably finished. If they drain the bottle and continues smacking their lips, they might still be hungry.
There are high and low limits, however. If your baby consistently seems to want more or less than this, discuss it with your pediatrician.
Your baby should usually drink no more than an average of about 32 ounces (960 mL) of formula in 24 hours. Some babies have higher needs for sucking and may just want to suck on a pacifier after feeding.
On-demand feeding
Initially it is best to feed your formula-fed newborn a bottle on demand, or whenever they cry with hunger. As time passes, your baby will begin to develop a fairly regular timetable of their own. As you become familiar with their signals and needs, you'll be able to schedule their feedings around their routine.
Eating & sleeping patterns
Between 2 and 4 months of age (or when the baby weighs more than 12 lb. [5.4 kg]), most formula-fed babies no longer need a middle-of-the-night feedings. They're consuming more during the day, and their sleeping patterns have become more regular (although this varies considerably from baby to baby). Their stomach capacity has increased, too, which means they may go longer between daytime feedings—occasionally up to 4 or 5 hours at a time.
If your baby still seems to feed very frequently or consume larger amounts, try distracting them with play or with a pacifier. Sometimes patterns of obesity begin during infancy, so it is important not to overfeed your baby.
Getting to know your baby's feeding needs
The most important thing to remember, whether you breastfeed or bottlefeed, is that your baby's feeding needs are unique. No book―or website―can tell you precisely how much or how often they need to be fed or exactly how you should handle them during feedings. You will discover these things for yourself as you and your baby get to know each other.
More information
- How Often and How Much Should Your Baby Eat?
- Making Sure Your Baby is Getting Enough Milk
- Is Your Baby Hungry or Full? Responsive Feeding Explained (Video)
- Remedies for Spitty Babies
- Last Updated
- 5/16/2022
- Source
- Adapted from Caring for Your Baby and Young Child: Birth to Age 5 7th Edition (Copyright © 2019 American Academy of Pediatrics)
The information contained on this Web site should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician.
There may be variations in treatment that your pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances.
How much formula should a child eat?
02/11/2022 Reading time: 6 min 108641
Contents of the article
- How to tell if a child is full
- How much formula should a child eat per month
- How much formula should a baby eat at 2 months
- How much formula should a baby eat at 3 months
- Mixture Rate Chart
- What to do if the baby does not fill up with formula
A breastfed baby largely regulates the amount of food and the frequency of feeding.
In the first month of life, he receives breasts on demand, and then a more or less stable diet is developed naturally. If for some reason the baby is deprived of breast milk and receives milk formula, then a free feeding schedule is impossible. The child eats according to the schedule, and the mother has to adhere to the recommended regimen.
How to tell if a child is full
The signs that a child is full are universal: they are in a good mood, sound sleep, and regular stools.
If we consider not the momentary state of the child, but a longer period, then we need to monitor weight gain and skin condition. A baby who has enough nutrition will increase weight within the age norm - this will be assessed by the doctor during the control weighing. The baby's skin will be pink and firm.
Accordingly, a hungry child will worry, scream, cry, or may become lethargic and lethargic. He will rarely urinate and poop. A dry diaper for several hours is an alarming sign.
Over time, the baby will begin to lag behind in weight, his skin may become pale, dry.
But do not rush to give a supplement if the child has drunk the mixture and continues to grab the pacifier. Most likely, he ate, but did not satisfy the sucking reflex. Offer him a pacifier and watch for other signs: whether he will continue to worry, how his sleep will be. If you continue to doubt whether your baby is getting enough nutrition, check with your pediatrician.
How much formula should a child eat per month
A bottle-fed newborn should receive the mixture after 2.5-3 hours, that is, 8-10 times a day, including night feedings. The stomach of an infant in the first month of life is still too small to accommodate a large amount of food, so it is not recommended to take long night breaks between feedings at this age.
As for the volume of the mixture, it will depend not only on the age, but also on the weight of the baby.
In the first decade, that is, the first 10 days of life, the daily volume of the mixture is usually calculated as follows:
- if the baby's weight is less than 3 kg 200 g, then the number of days he lived is multiplied by 70;
- if the weight is more than 3 kg 200 g, then the age in days is multiplied by 80.
For example, a 6-day-old baby weighs 3 kg 400 g. Multiply 6 x 80 = 480 ml. We divide this volume by the number of feedings. Let's say you feed your baby 8 times, which means that in one feeding he should receive 60 ml of the mixture.
For a child older than 10 days, the formula calculation algorithm changes.
To calculate how much a child should eat mixtures in 1 month per day, you need to divide his body weight by 5. ⅕ of the child’s body weight is the daily amount of food.
For example, the same baby gained 4 kg by the 25th day of life. We divide 4 kg by 5, we get 800. Therefore, if the child continues to receive the mixture 8 times a day, then his single serving will be 100 g.
How much formula should a baby eat at 2 months
For a child of the second month of life, the same formula for calculating the mixture continues to operate: ⅕ of the weight is the daily volume. Divide by the number of feedings, we get a single serving.
In the third month, the number of feedings is reduced to 7-8. If the child ate 10 times, gradually transfer to 8 times, if 8, then to 7.
But when calculating how much a child should eat mixtures at 2 months and older, we use a different formula. The daily volume of the mixture should now be ⅙ of the child's weight. On average, this is 750 ml or more.
How much formula should a baby eat at 3 months
To determine how much a child should eat formula at 3 months, you need to divide his weight again by 6. For example, the weight of a child is 5 kg 400 g. Divide it by 6, we get a daily volume of 900 g.
The number of feedings at 3 months remains the same - 7-8 times. Let our conditional child eat 7 times a day. We divide 900 by 7, we get approximately 130 g of the mixture per feeding.
Mixture Rate Chart
For the convenience of selecting the volume of the mixture, depending on the age and weight of the child, you can use the following table *.
It contains average data, but since all children are different, the doctor should clarify the nutritional norm for a particular child.
| Child's age | The ratio of nutrition and body weight per day | Daily volume of the mixture in ml | Number of feedings |
|---|---|---|---|
| From 10 days to 2 months | 1/5 | 700-850 | 8-10 |
| 2-4 months | 1/6 | 750-900 | 7-8 |
| 4-6 months | 1/7 | 850-1000 | 6 |
| Second half of life (6-12 months) | 1/8-1/9 | 950-1100 | 5-6 |
What to do if the child does not fill up with formula
First of all, you need to understand by what signs you determined that the child did not eat enough. If he keeps asking for a bottle when he's finished formula, it doesn't necessarily mean he's hungry. Perhaps the child wants to continue the process itself, because the sucking reflex in children on artificial feeding is less satisfied than in children on breastfeeding.
If the baby starts to worry and cry much before the next feeding time, consider if the breaks between meals are too long. With pronounced "hungry" anxiety of the child, feed early, but the volume of the mixture should correspond to a single volume.
This is important!
It is impossible to make the mixture “thicker” for satiety, add more dry product than indicated in the instructions! This can lead to constipation and other health problems for the baby.
If the baby is not gaining weight well, often worries, sleeps poorly, consult a pediatrician.
At each preventive visit, the pediatrician weighs and then, taking into account also the age of the child and his state of health, the specialist must calculate the required volume of the mixture (or, if necessary, recommend another mixture).
We draw conclusions:
- The child is full of formula if he actively plays, sleeps soundly and goes to the toilet regularly.
- In a month, a child should eat a mixture per day in the amount of ⅕ of his weight, or 700-750 ml.
- At 2 months, the amount of formula is ⅙ of the baby's weight, or 750-800 ml per day.
- At 3 months, the ratio of body weight and the amount of the mixture remains - ⅙, which is approximately 800-850 ml.
- If you suspect your child is malnourished, seek medical advice.
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How much formula should be given to a child depending on age,
- Polina Aleksandrovna, when might a baby need powdered milk formula?
- There are several situations when a mother is physically unable to breastfeed her baby and switches to artificial or mixed feeding (covers the baby's nutritional needs partly from breast milk, partly from formula):
- Contraindications to breastfeeding by mother and / or child.
- Lack of milk is true hypogalactia.
- Psychological reasons why a mother is not ready to breastfeed.
- The child needs a special therapeutic milk formula.
- What determines the amount of formula that a child eats, and how to calculate how much formula a child needs?
- Often mothers think that the amount of formula depends only on age, but the weight of the child is also an important factor . Each age has its own formulas for calculating the mixture for one meal.
Important! The weight of children of the same age, especially the first months of life, can be radically different. Accordingly, the volume of the milk mixture for them will be different.
On mixed feeding, the total amount of milk nutrition per day that the child should consume depends on the amount of breast milk. The main part of the mother gives breast milk, and the amount that is not enough for the daily norm, replenishes, feeding the mixture.
- Let's talk about how much formula a child needs and what a baby can do at different periods of development. Let's start from the first days of the baby: how much formula should a newborn baby receive?
- The stomach of a newborn holds about 10 ml per feeding. With each subsequent day, the volume of the stomach and nutrition increases by 10 ml, that is, on the second day of life it is 20 ml, on the third - 30 ml, by the seventh day - 70 ml. Formula-fed baby receives power at intervals of three hours.
The volume of the mixture on artificial feeding up to 1 month:
- the amount of food per day is 500-700 ml,
- the number of feedings in one day is 8-10.
Read also
- how to calculate the nutrition of a newborn
HOW MUCH FORMULA SHOULD BE GIVED IN 1 MONTH
- By one month, the child has a feeding regimen.
By this age, the baby begins to open his eyes more often and fix his eyes on his mother, especially at the time of feeding (the distance at which the baby can focus his eyes is 20 cm, this is the distance from the mother’s chest to her eyes). Some babies gradually learn to hold their heads: it doesn’t work out completely, but they are already trying.
The volume of the mixture on artificial feeding from 1 to 2 months:
- the amount of food per day - 600-900 ml,
- the number of feedings in one day is 7-8.
HOW MUCH FORMULA DOES A 3 MONTH BABY NEED
- The baby continues to grow and gain weight. He raises his head more confidently. She can smile at her mother and start laughing closer to four months.
Volume formula formula fed 3 to 4 months:
- the amount of food per day - 750-950 ml,
- the number of feedings in one day is 6-7.
HOW MUCH FORMULA DOES A 4 MONTH BABY NEED
- The baby recognizes his mother very well. At this age, a “complex of revival” appears - when mom or dad, a close relative, comes into the room, the baby comes to life (begins to walk, move arms and legs). In physical development, this is the period of the first attempts to roll over, and some babies begin to roll over from their tummy to their back.
Volume formula formula fed 4 to 5 months:
- the amount of food per day - 850-1000 ml,
- the number of feedings in one day is 5-6.
HOW MUCH FORMULA DOES A 5 MONTHS BABY NEED
- The baby recognizes his mother very well. At this age, a “complex of revival” appears - when mom or dad, a close relative, comes into the room, the baby comes to life (begins to walk, move arms and legs). In physical development, this is the period of the first attempts to roll over, and some babies begin to roll over from their tummy to their back.
Volume formula formula fed 5 to 6 months:
- the amount of food per day - 850-1000 ml,
- the number of feedings in one day is 5-6.
RECOMMENDED AMOUNT OF BREAST-MILK SUBSTITUTE FOR BREAST-FEEDING
HOW MUCH FORMULA DOES A 6 MONTHS BABY NEED
- Some babies can crawl or are just learning to do so. Others follow a different scenario and learn to sit - they begin to sit down and hold in this position. Usually a child does one thing: either learns to sit and then begins to crawl, or begins to crawl and from this position begins to sit.
HOW MUCH FORMULA DOES A 6-12 MONTHS BABY NEED
- The baby becomes more mobile and can move wherever he wants. Begins to be interested in subjects that were previously inaccessible to him. Gradually preparing for walking - learned to crawl, began to get on his knees and then fully on his legs, move, holding the handles on the supports, then walk by one handle.
At about 12 months, the baby takes its first steps.
HOW MUCH FORMULA DOES A 12 MONTH BABY NEED
— The kid is mature enough and independent. There is an active development of walking, speech. The child becomes a smaller copy of an adult with his own desires and needs.
After 6 months, children receive complementary foods, and this happens differently for different babies, so it is not possible to specify the total amount of food for all. At this age, everything is calculated individually, and the amount of supplementary feeding with a mixture depends on the amount of complementary foods , which the child receives.
- How to work out the optimal frequency of feeding?
- It is advisable to focus on the indicators of the table. For example, on the packaging of each formula of the MAMAKO ® Premium mixture, there is a feeding table that is averagely suitable for babies of different ages.
If the child eats little and often, then this can become a problem at the stage of complementary feeding (the child gets used to eating every hour, but he will not be given complementary foods on demand). By the time complementary foods are introduced, it is desirable that the child has established 5 meals a day (maximum 6 meals a day), not counting night feedings.
How to determine how much formula your baby needs
- Polina Aleksandrovna, is it worth focusing on the behavior of the child and considering that his body "knows how best", or should we try to do everything clearly according to the standards?
“Parents need to follow the rules. If you know the norm of the amount of food, you can assess how much the child, following his desires, consumes this norm - whether he has enough, whether he eats less or asks for food in excess. If you focus only on the wishes of the child, you will not be able to assess how normal the situation is.
Usually, if the baby does not eat enough food, he does not gain weight and is slightly behind in development. Nothing good comes out of this, just like if a child goes over the norm. We must try to stay within the norm. However, sometimes it is permissible to deviate from the rules for a short time (the baby is sick and has a poor appetite).
- How to understand that the child has enough formula and does not need to try to supplement?
- According to the signs that are noticeable to the mother or that can be assessed:
- behavior - the child is calm, active, in a good mood - he is unlikely to be malnourished;
- appearance — the child gains weight well or, conversely, began to look thinner;
- weighing - if the child gains weight and height within the normal range, we can say that the food is sufficient
See also
- what to do if the baby is not gaining weight well
— How does underfeeding manifest itself?
- Underfeeding is primarily manifested by the behavior of the child - he becomes whiny, irritable, can be constantly excited.
Outwardly, it is noticeable that the child is not gaining weight well or has lost weight.
Important! The child is constantly lethargic and sleepy, there are long breaks between feedings - this may indicate extreme underfeeding and is a reason to see a doctor.
— How is overfeeding manifested?
- If overfeeding is one-time, then most often the child spits up an excessive amount of formula milk or breast milk. If a child is regularly fed more than normal, then the main indicator of overfeeding will be excessive weight gain - growth will continue to increase evenly, but the weight will not correspond to growth.
— Polina Aleksandrovna, is it possible to distinguish a child's anxiety from hunger from other problems?
- It is necessary to objectively assess at what time the child is worried.
- If a child is anxious 2.5 hours after feeding, it can be assumed that he cannot stand the three-hour interval between feedings and is hungry before the due date.
- If the child is worried 15-20 minutes after feeding, then most likely the reason is not hunger. Wet diaper, wants to sleep, high body temperature, environmental conditions become uncomfortable, tired of lying on one side and wants to roll over - you always need to evaluate the situation objectively.
Advice to mom: at the first worry of the child, you should not assume that he is hungry and try to feed him. The reasons for concern can be varied.
MAMACO ® 1 Premium with 2'-FL Human Milk Oligosaccharides is an important step in the evolution of baby nutrition.
- How to supplement if the child does not eat his norm for feeding?
- First you need to determine whether the norm is adequate for the age and weight of the child.
Mothers think that a child needs one amount of food, but according to his weight, it may be less. If the child is undernourished and there is insufficient weight gain and growth, then it makes sense to supplement him during sleep, add night feedings.
Feeding around dreams is feeding during sleep, when the baby is not awake and cannot stop eating.
— What to do if the child has eaten his norm and continues to ask for food?
- A child who has eaten his norm and is worried, most likely, is not so acutely hungry that he should be supplemented. Try to distract the baby, switch his attention and see how he behaves further. At the same time, you need to be sure of the relevance of the nutritional norm calculated for the child, and always check it for compliance with the age and weight of the baby.
At each age, each child has his own rate of consumption of milk formula. How many milliliters of the mixture a child should eat, the doctor calculates, taking into account the age and weight of your baby.
