Bottle Feeding Calculator
Estimate formula amounts from one week to six months, with separate guidance for newborns, older babies and expressed milk.
From the end of the first week until around six months, a rough guide for formula-fed babies is 150–200ml of first infant formula per kilogram of body weight over 24 hours. Actual intake varies from baby to baby.
Health professionals recommend responsive or on-demand feeding. Offer a feed when your baby shows hunger cues, let them pause and never force them to finish a bottle.
Important notes
- The result is a rough guide, not a daily target or feeding schedule
- Premature, unwell or poorly growing babies need individual professional advice
- Make powdered formula one feed at a time using NHS preparation guidance
- Throw away formula left in the bottle after a feed
Calculate your baby's needs
Use your baby's own recent pattern. This is not a recommended schedule.
Responsive feeding and formula safety
- Feed when your baby shows hunger cues rather than following a strict clock schedule.
- Hold the bottle almost horizontal, allow pauses and stop when your baby shows they have had enough.
- For powdered formula, make one feed at a time with freshly boiled tap water cooled for no more than 30 minutes, so it remains at least 70°C.
- Always use the exact water-to-powder ratio on the formula packaging and discard leftovers after a feed.
Watch for hunger cues
Rather than watching the clock, look for signs your baby is hungry:
Crying is a late hunger cue — try to feed before baby gets too upset
Signs your baby is full
Never force your baby to finish a bottle. They're full when they:
Want to track your baby's feeds?
Try our Feeding Tracker