The rule of thumb
About 2.5 oz per pound a day, up to about 32 oz
Newborns take 1–2 oz per feed, 8–12 times a day. At 1 month that's about 3–4 oz a bottle, at 2 months 4–5 oz, at 4–5 months 5–7 oz. The calculator works it out for your baby's exact age and weight; the full chart by month is below.
Your day and night feeding rhythm
- Per feed: 6–7 oz (180–200 ml) of formula, 5 times a day.
- Per day: about 28–32 oz (840–950 ml).
- At night: 0–1 feeds, varies a lot.
- Breastfed: nurse on cue, and watch diapers and growth, not ounces; a pumped bottle is about 3–4 oz (90–120 ml).
- The real test: plenty of wet diapers, growth along their own curve and a baby who is content after feeds.
How much a 5-month-old drinks
| Per feed | Feeds a day | Per day | Night feeds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Formula | 6–7 oz (180–200 ml) | 5 | 28–32 oz (840–950 ml) | 0–1 |
| Breast milk in a bottle | 3–4 oz (90–120 ml) | 6–8 | about 25 oz (750 ml), typically 19–30 oz | 0–1 |
Compared with 4 months: an ounce more per bottle, about 5 bottles, the same daily total. For a baby of typical weight (16 lb, WHO median). A heavier baby drinks a little more, a lighter one a little less: about 2½ oz per pound a day (about 165 ml per kg), rarely more than about 32 oz (960 ml) in 24 hours (AAP). The calculator above does it for your baby's weight. Night feeds are a typical picture, not a target: babies vary a lot.
What's different at this age
Is your baby getting ready for solids? The NHS lists three signs that show up together, usually around 6 months: they can stay sitting and hold their head steady, they can coordinate eyes, hands and mouth to pick food up and bring it to their mouth, and they swallow food rather than pushing it back out. The AAP adds watching you eat and reaching for your food. Chewing fists and waking at night more are not signs of readiness.
Still no water needed. Breast milk or formula covers your baby's thirst. The AAP suggests offering a little water from about 6 months. See water and tea for babies.
Night feeds
Many 5-month-olds sleep through without a feed; others still have one. In the Henderson study, by 5 months half of the babies slept from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. (Henderson 2010), which also means half didn't. If your baby still takes a full bottle at night and is growing well, that's normal.
Breastfed babies: what to watch instead of ounces
At the breast there is nothing to count, and you don't need to. Breastfed babies feed on cue, typically 8–12 times a day in the early months (AAP); in one study of 1–6-month-olds the range was 6 to 18 feeds a day, and how often a baby fed said nothing about how much milk their mother made (Kent 2006). Watch the signs below instead. For a bottle of pumped milk, plan on about 25 ounces (750 ml) a day divided by the number of feeds: this amount hardly changes from 1 to 6 months (KellyMom).
Is my baby getting enough?
- Wet diapers: 6 or more a day, pale and not smelly (AAP).
- Growth along their own curve on the WHO charts (AAP). Our growth percentile calculator shows where your baby sits; the curve matters more than the number.
- Content after most feeds: relaxed hands, settled for a while (CDC).
Hungry or full? Paced bottle feeding
Hungry: hands to mouth, turning toward the breast or bottle, puckering, smacking or licking lips, clenched hands (CDC). Crying is a late sign. Full: closes their mouth, turns away from the breast or bottle, relaxes their hands (CDC).
Paced bottle feeding lets your baby set the speed: hold them fairly upright, keep the bottle closer to horizontal so milk flows only while they suck, and pause every few minutes (Kassing 2002). The NHS puts it simply: be guided by your baby, give them plenty of time and don't force them to finish. Leftover milk means it worked.
When to call the doctor
- Fever of 100.4 °F (38 °C) or more under 3 months: call right away (AAP).
- Signs of dehydration: fewer wet diapers, a sunken soft spot, few or no tears, drowsiness (NHS).
- Vomiting a lot, forcefully, or a baby who seems in pain (NHS).
- Wants to eat all the time, even when full, or has trouble gaining weight (AAP).
Trust your instinct: if your baby seems unwell, call, whatever the numbers say.
Questions
How much formula for a 5 month old?
About 6 to 7 ounces (180–200 ml) per bottle, usually 5 times a day, 28 to 32 ounces (840–950 ml) in 24 hours.
Is my 5 month old ready for solids?
Look for all three signs together: sitting with a steady head, picking food up and bringing it to their mouth, and swallowing rather than pushing food back out (NHS). Most babies get there around 6 months.
Can a 5 month old drink water?
It isn't needed: milk covers thirst. Water starts around 6 months, a few sips with meals (AAP). In very hot weather, a formula-fed baby under 6 months may be offered sips of cooled boiled water (NHS).
Feeding by age
All ages: the baby feeding chart · the full feeding calculator · how to prepare formula safely · water and tea
Same age: weight percentiles · wake windows and naps
Sources
- American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org: Amount and Schedule of Baby Formula Feedings
- AAP, HealthyChildren.org: How Often and How Much Should Your Baby Eat?
- CDC: How Much and How Often to Feed Infant Formula
- NHS: Bottle feeding advice
- AAP, HealthyChildren.org: How to Tell if Your Breastfed Baby is Getting Enough Milk
- CDC: Signs Your Child is Hungry or Full
- Kassing D., Bottle-feeding as a tool to reinforce breastfeeding, Journal of Human Lactation 2002 (paced bottle feeding)
- NHS: Dehydration
- Kent J.C. et al., Volume and frequency of breastfeedings and fat content of breast milk throughout the day, Pediatrics 2006
- KellyMom: How much expressed milk will my baby need?
- NHS: Your baby's first solid foods
- AAP, HealthyChildren.org: Starting Solid Foods
- AAP, HealthyChildren.org: Recommended Drinks for Children Age 5 & Younger
- NHS: Drinks and cups for babies and young children
- Henderson J.M.T. et al., Sleeping through the night: the consolidation of self-regulated sleep across the first year of life, Pediatrics 2010
- AAP, HealthyChildren.org: Fever and Your Baby
- World Health Organization: Child Growth Standards, weight-for-age (the typical weights)
Spotted a mistake or an outdated figure? Write to [email protected].