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: 6–8 oz (180–240 ml) of formula, 3–4 times a day.
- Per day: about 14–28 oz (400–800 ml).
- At night: usually none.
- Breastfed: nurse on cue, and watch diapers and growth, not ounces.
- The real test: plenty of wet diapers, growth along their own curve and a baby who is content after feeds.
How much a 9- or 10-month-old drinks
| Per feed | Feeds a day | Per day | Night feeds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Formula | 6–8 oz (180–240 ml) | 3–4 | 14–28 oz (400–800 ml) | usually none |
Compared with 7–8 months: a bottle fewer for many babies, and milk now follows food rather than the other way round. The ranges are wide on purpose: a baby who eats well drinks less milk. US guidance (AAP) keeps milk generous through the first year; the NHS expects about 600 ml (20 oz) a day at 7–9 months and about 400 ml (14 oz) at 10–12 months for formula-fed babies. Night feeds are a typical picture, not a target: babies vary a lot.
What's different at this age
Food leads, milk follows. The Czech national guide suggests 3–4 meals a day at 9–11 months and bigger pieces from 9 months to train chewing (SZÚ). The NHS expects milk to fall to about 400 ml (14 oz) a day by 10–12 months for formula-fed babies; US guidance stays higher. If your baby eats well, the lower end is fine; if meals are still small, the higher end is.
From bottle to cup. The AAP suggests the switch be finished sometime between 12 and 18 months; moving one bottle at a time to a cup now makes that easy. Once your baby is 1, the NHS says bottles should be discouraged.
Night feeds
Most 9–10-month-olds don't need milk at night, though some still take a feed (Brown 2015). If night feeds stay, keep them short and calm; your pediatrician can help if they seem to replace daytime eating.
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
How much formula for a 9 month old?
Usually 3–4 bottles of 6–8 ounces, about 20 to 28 ounces a day while meals are growing; the NHS figure for 7–9 months is around 600 ml (20 oz).
How much formula for a 10 month old?
About 14 to 24 ounces (400–720 ml) once three meals are established; the NHS says about 400 ml (14 oz) by 10–12 months.
When should my baby stop using a bottle?
The AAP suggests moving from bottle to cup sometime between 12 and 18 months, starting the cup around 6 months.
Can my 9 month old drink cow's milk?
As a drink, not before 12 months (AAP, NHS). A little in cooking or with cereal is fine from around 6 months (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
- AAP, HealthyChildren.org: Starting Solid Foods
- World Health Organization: Infant and young child feeding (fact sheet)
- Státní zdravotní ústav and Laktační liga (Czech National Institute of Public Health): Kojení, všechno, co potřebujete vědět (2023)
- NHS: Your baby's first solid foods
- AAP, HealthyChildren.org: Discontinuing the Bottle
- NHS: Drinks and cups for babies and young children
- AAP, HealthyChildren.org: Why Formula Instead of Cow's Milk?
- Brown A., Harries V., Infant sleep and night feeding patterns during later infancy, Breastfeeding Medicine 2015
- World Health Organization: Child Growth Standards, weight-for-age (the typical weights)
Spotted a mistake or an outdated figure? Write to [email protected].