Feeding a baby is stressful. You're exhausted. You're staring at a tiny human who can't speak, wondering if that last ounce was enough or if they're going to wake up screaming in twenty minutes because their stomach is still empty. Honestly, the question of how much milk do infants drink is rarely answered with a single, satisfying number.
Every baby is a different "build."
One infant might be a "snacker," taking in two ounces every two hours like clockwork. Another might be a "tanker," guzzling six ounces and then passing out for a five-hour stretch. If you are looking for a rigid schedule, you probably won't find one that actually works for your specific kid. But there are physiological limits and biological norms we can look at to keep you from losing your mind.
The First Week: It’s Smaller Than You Think
Newborns have tiny stomachs. On day one, an infant’s stomach is roughly the size of a cherry or a large marble. It can only hold about 5 to 7 milliliters. That is barely a teaspoon.
By day three? It’s more like a walnut.
Because the capacity is so low, they have to eat constantly. We are talking 8 to 12 times in a 24-hour period. If you’re breastfeeding, this is when colostrum—that "liquid gold"—is doing the heavy lifting. It’s concentrated. It’s thick. It’s exactly what they need even if it looks like they are barely getting anything. If you are using formula, you’ll notice they might only take half an ounce or an ounce at a time. Don't force it. Pushing a newborn to finish a two-ounce bottle when their stomach is the size of a grape is a recipe for a massive spit-up session.
Calculating the Daily Intake
Once you get past that first week and the "honeymoon phase" of sleepiness wears off, the volume jumps. A general rule of thumb that pediatricians, like those at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), often cite is based on weight.
Most infants need about 2.5 ounces of formula or breast milk for every pound of body weight.
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So, if your baby weighs 10 pounds, they’re likely looking for around 25 ounces in a 24-hour window. But wait. This isn't a math test. Some days they'll want 20, and some days they’ll want 30 because they are hitting a growth spurt and their brain is firing off signals to build more bone and fat. Growth spurts typically hit at two weeks, three weeks, six weeks, three months, and six months. During these windows, the "how much milk do infants drink" question gets thrown out the window. They will be "cluster feeding."
Cluster feeding is basically the baby's way of ordering a larger shipment for the coming days. It’s exhausting. It’s normal.
The Breast Milk vs. Formula Variable
There is a slight nuance in volume between breastfed and formula-fed babies that people often miss.
Breast milk changes its caloric density. As a baby gets older, the milk actually becomes more nutrient-dense. This means a 6-month-old might drink the same 4 to 5 ounces of breast milk that they drank at 3 months, but the milk itself has leveled up. Formula doesn't do that. It’s static. Consequently, formula-fed babies often increase their volume more significantly over time compared to breastfed babies.
By the time an infant is 4 to 6 months old, most are taking in about 4 to 8 ounces per feeding. If they’re hitting 32 ounces of formula a day, that’s usually the "ceiling." Pediatricians generally don't want to see babies consistently drinking much more than 32 ounces of formula in a day because it can displace the iron they'll eventually need from solids, or it might just be a sign they are using the bottle for comfort rather than hunger.
Signs Your Baby Is Actually Full
Forget the bottle lines for a second. Look at the baby.
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A hungry baby is "tense." Their fists are clenched. They might be rooting or sucking on their hands. A full baby? They do what lactation consultants call "milk drunk." Their hands open up. Their limbs go limp. They might turn their head away from the nipple or start falling asleep mid-suck.
If your baby is gaining weight and producing at least 6 heavy wet diapers a day, they are getting enough. The scale at the pediatrician's office is the ultimate truth-teller here. If the curve is heading upward, the specific ounce count matters a whole lot less than your anxiety tells you it does.
When Solids Enter the Equation
At around 6 months, things get messy. Literally.
You start introducing purees or baby-led weaning foods, but milk remains the primary source of nutrition until age one. This is a common trap. Parents see their baby eat a whole jar of sweet potatoes and think, "Oh, they don't need as much milk now." Actually, they do.
Milk still provides the bulk of the fat and protein needed for brain development. You might see the total volume of how much milk do infants drink dip slightly, perhaps from 30 ounces down to 24 or 25 ounces, as solids become a bigger part of their day. But if the milk intake drops off a cliff, you might want to scale back on the solids. Food under one is mostly for fun and sensory development; milk is the fuel.
The Night Feedings: Why They Still Happen
Sleep training experts often talk about "night weaning," but biologically, many infants still need a caloric "top-off" overnight until they are 6 to 9 months old. Some even longer.
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A "dream feed"—where you gently feed the baby right before you go to bed while they are still half-asleep—can sometimes help pack in those extra ounces so everyone gets a longer stretch of shut-eye. However, every baby's metabolism is different. A baby who is extremely active during the day, rolling and crawling, might actually need more night calories than a more sedentary infant.
Summary of Actionable Steps
- Track the Diapers, Not Just the Ounces: If you have 6+ wet diapers and the urine is pale, the volume is likely fine.
- Respect the Refusal: If the baby turns away, stop. Overfeeding can lead to unnecessary discomfort and reflux issues.
- Adjust for Growth Spurts: Expect a 48-hour period of "constant eating" every few weeks. It’s not a supply issue; it’s a growth phase.
- Watch for Weight Gain: Use your well-visit checks to ensure the baby is staying on their own unique growth curve.
- Normalize the Range: Accept that 24 to 32 ounces is a massive range, and your baby might land anywhere in there depending on the day.
- Consult the Pros: If your baby is lethargic, isn't wetting diapers, or seems genuinely distressed after every feed, call your pediatrician to rule out reflux or a protein sensitivity.
Feeding is a rhythm you learn over months, not a set of instructions you master in a day. Trust the baby's cues more than the marks on the side of the plastic bottle.