How much should a 6-month-old eat?

How much a 6-month-old drinks

Compared with 5 months: bigger, fewer bottles; the total stays the same until real meals arrive. For a baby of typical weight (17 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

Solids start; milk stays the main food. Around 6 months is when the AAP, WHO and NHS say solids begin. In the first weeks they're practice: half a spoonful or less to start (AAP). At first your baby still gets most of their nutrition from milk (AAP), so don't cut bottles to make room.

Iron first. Breast milk is low in iron and a baby's stores run down, so the AAP asks for foods with iron and zinc, such as meat or iron-fortified cereals, and ESPGHAN says all infants should get iron-rich foods.

Allergens early, not late. Waiting beyond 4–6 months doesn't prevent food allergy (AAP); ESPGHAN says allergenic foods may be introduced any time after 4 months. Babies with severe eczema or an egg allergy should see their doctor first, as peanut testing is recommended for them (AAP).

Water in a cup. From around 6 months you can offer a little water, 4–8 ounces (0.5–1 cup) a day at most (AAP), in an open or free-flow cup with meals (NHS). No juice before 12 months (AAP). More on water and tea.

Night feeds

Many 6-month-olds don't need a night feed; many still have one. The NHS says that for some babies between 6 months and a year night feeds may no longer be necessary. In a survey of 715 families with 6–12-month-olds, 61% still gave at least one milk feed at night, with no difference between breastfed and formula-fed babies (Brown 2015).

Breastfed babies: what to watch instead of ounces

Breastfed babies keep nursing on cue alongside meals, and there's no need to count. Breast milk remains a main source of nutrition through the first year, and the AAP and WHO support breastfeeding to 2 years or beyond for as long as you both wish.

Is my baby getting enough?

• Plenty of wet diapers and energy to play.
• Growth along their own curve: check with our growth percentile calculator.
• Interest in food and milk, and a baby who stops when full (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.

Hungry: reaches for or points to food, opens their mouth for the spoon, gets excited at the sight of food. Full: pushes food away, closes their mouth, turns their head (CDC). Let them stop; there's no need to finish the bottle or the bowl.

When to call the doctor

• Signs of dehydration: fewer wet diapers, a sunken soft spot, few or no tears, drowsiness (NHS).
• Refuses milk and food, vomits a lot, or seems in pain.
• Stops gaining weight or drops across curves on the growth chart.
• Breathing fast, pale or blotchy skin, or very hard to wake: emergency (NHS).

Trust your instinct: if your baby seems unwell, call, whatever the numbers say.

Questions

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