Infant Formula Feeding Volume Calculator
How much formula a baby needs per day and per feed from weight and age (150–200 mL/kg/day in the early months), feeds per day, scoops and water per bottle, calories delivered and how many tins a month.
How it works
Daily volume = 150–200 mL/kg (2 weeks to 6 months; less in the first days and after solids start), capped near 1,200 mL; per feed = daily ÷ feeds; powder = volume ÷ mL per scoop × scoop weight
Formula-fed babies from about two weeks to six months take roughly 150 mL per kilogram a day, with hungry or fast-growing babies up to 200 — so a 4.5 kg six-week-old drinks around 700–900 mL spread over six to eight feeds. Intake climbs quickly in the first week from a few millilitres per feed, and after six months milk volume levels off at about 600–900 mL as solids take over. These are averages to plan bottles and shopping around, not targets: babies should be fed responsively, offered a little more than they usually take and allowed to stop when they turn away. Bottles are made up to the nearest scoop because a level scoop per 30 mL (or as the tin states) keeps the concentration right; extra powder overloads the kidneys, extra water starves. Steady weight gain along the growth curve, not the number of millilitres, is the real check.
Worked example
A 4.5 kg baby at six weeks: 675–900 mL a day, about 96–129 mL over seven feeds, so 120 mL bottles (4 scoops in 120 mL of water) every 3½ hours — roughly 450 kcal a day and 100 g of powder, so about 3.7 tins of 800 g a month.
Frequently asked questions
My baby takes much less/more than this — is that a problem?
Not if weight gain and nappies are normal. Appetite varies with growth spurts and illness; discuss with a health visitor or paediatrician if the baby is consistently far outside the range or gaining poorly.
Should I wake the baby for feeds?
In the first two weeks, or if weight gain is slow or jaundice is present, feed at least every 3–4 hours; a thriving older baby can be left to sleep.
Related calculators
Educational tool for clinicians and carers — not a prescription. Always confirm doses against the product label, local formulary and the child’s actual weight, and consult a doctor or pharmacist before giving medicine to a child.