Tools · Nutrition
Baby Feeding Schedule Generator: Milk and Solids by Age
Enter your baby's age (0–24 months), feeding type and wake-up time to get an example feeding day: milk feeds, ml per feed and, from 6 months, solid meals.
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This article is for general information and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult your pediatrician or doctor about your child.
Sources: WHO, CDC, AAP and NHS guidance. Recommendations differ between countries — for local advice see the NHS or CDC.
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Enter your baby's age and this morning's wake-up time to build an example feeding day.
An example day, not a timetable to enforce. Breastfeeding is on demand, and every baby feeds differently. Nothing here is stored or sent anywhere. Your midwife, health visitor or doctor can tell you what is right for your baby, especially if they were born early.
How the example day is built
- Enter your baby's age in whole months, choose breast, formula or both, and set this morning's wake-up time.
- Under about 6 months the day is milk feeds only, spaced using the NHS and AAP figures below. Where a source gives no number (for example for a breastfed baby of 3 months), the tool says so and shows an on-demand example instead of inventing a count.
- From about 6 months solid meals are added following the NHS stages: a first small offering, then 3 meals a day, then 3 meals and up to 2 snacks from 12 months.
- For formula-fed babies the ml per feed come from the AAP by age. Add your baby's weight (1 to 5 months) to also see the NHS range of 150–200 ml per kg a day, shared across the feeds.
To work out the daily amount from your baby's weight, use the formula and milk intake calculator. To check the signs that a baby is ready for solids, use the solid foods readiness checker.
What the health sources say (averages and reference points, not a pass or fail)
- NHS: newborns tend to breastfeed at least 8 times a day (24 hours) for the first few weeks; let your baby guide how often and how long they feed. Cluster feeding usually happens in the first 3 to 4 months.
- AAP: breastfed newborns usually nurse about every 2 hours from the start of one feed to the next, so 10–12 sessions in 24 hours is the norm, and feeds space out slowly.
- AAP: most bottle-fed newborns eat every 2 to 3 hours, with 8 feeds in 24 hours the usual minimum; about 30–60 ml per feed in the first week, 90–120 ml per feed every 3 to 4 hours by the end of the first month, and 180–240 ml at each of 4 or 5 feeds in 24 hours by 6 months.
- NHS Wales: from the end of the first week most babies need around 150 to 200 ml of formula per kilo a day until 6 months. AAP: about 75 ml per pound (roughly 165 ml per kg) a day, usually no more than about 960 ml in 24 hours.
- NHS: solid foods start around 6 months, small amounts before the usual milk feed. From about 7 months, 3 meals a day plus around 4 milk feeds (formula around 600 ml a day). From about 10 months, 3 meals plus around 3 milk feeds (formula around 400 ml a day). From 12 months, 3 meals plus up to 2 snacks.
- AAP: one-year-olds need about 1,000 calories across three meals and two snacks, although appetite often drops after the first birthday.
If your baby was born early, has a medical condition or you have any concern about feeding or weight gain, talk to your health visitor, midwife or doctor. This tool does not diagnose anything.
Related: Formula & milk intake calculator · Solid foods readiness checker · Newborn feeding frequency · How to introduce solid foods · Is my baby getting enough milk?
Frequently asked questions
How often should a newborn be fed?
The NHS says newborns tend to breastfeed at least 8 times a day (24 hours) for the first few weeks, and may want to feed more and for longer at night. The AAP says breastfed newborns usually nurse about every 2 hours from the start of one feed to the start of the next, so 10–12 sessions in 24 hours is the norm, and that feeds space out slowly over time. For bottle-fed newborns the AAP says most eat every 2 to 3 hours, with 8 feeds in 24 hours generally recommended as the minimum. Let your baby guide you: the NHS says it is impossible to breastfeed your baby too much.
How many ml should a baby drink per feed?
For formula-fed babies the AAP gives these reference points: no more than about 30–60 ml (1–2 oz) per feed in the first week, 90–120 ml (3–4 oz) per feed by the end of the first month, and 180–240 ml (6–8 oz) at each of 4 or 5 feeds in 24 hours by 6 months. Another way to see it is by weight: NHS Wales says that from the end of the first week most babies need around 150 to 200 ml per kilo of body weight a day until 6 months, and the AAP gives about 75 ml per pound (around 165 ml per kg) with a usual maximum of about 960 ml in 24 hours. These are averages and babies regulate their own intake, so let them show you when they have had enough.
Is this a schedule I have to follow?
No. Breastfeeding is on demand, and the NHS advises feeding when your baby shows hunger cues rather than waiting for crying, which is the last sign. The AAP says that no book or website can tell you precisely how much or how often your baby needs to be fed, and that bottle-fed babies develop a fairly regular timetable of their own as time passes. The times this tool shows are an example of how the sourced frequencies could look across a day.
When do babies start solids, and how many meals a day?
The NHS says to start around 6 months, with a few teaspoons or pieces before the usual milk feed, and that babies do not need 3 meals a day at first. From about 7 months the NHS describes a move towards 3 meals a day (breakfast, lunch and tea) alongside around 4 milk feeds, with formula-fed babies needing around 600 ml of milk a day as a guide. From about 10 months it describes 3 meals and around 3 milk feeds (formula around 400 ml a day), and from 12 months 3 meals plus up to 2 snacks. Breastfed babies adapt their milk to how much they eat.
Should I wake my baby for a feed?
For bottle-fed babies the AAP says that if your baby sleeps longer than 4 to 5 hours during the first few weeks after birth and starts missing feeds, you should wake them and offer a bottle. This page does not give a waking rule for breastfed babies. If you are worried about how often your baby feeds or about their weight gain, speak to your midwife, health visitor or doctor.
What does the day look like at one year?
The NHS says that from 12 months your child will be eating 3 meals a day containing a variety of foods and may also need 2 healthy snacks between meals. The AAP says one-year-olds need about 1,000 calories divided among three meals and two snacks, but that appetite often drops sharply after the first birthday and eating can be erratic from one day to the next. It advises encouraging, not pressuring, your child.
Sources: NHS: How to breastfeed (frequency of feeds) · NHS: Bottle feeding your baby · NHS Wales 111: Formula milk, common questions · NHS: Your baby's first solid foods · AAP HealthyChildren.org: How Often and How Much Should Your Baby Eat? (updated 2 April 2024) · AAP HealthyChildren.org: Amount and Schedule of Baby Formula Feedings (updated 16 May 2022) · AAP HealthyChildren.org: When Can Babies Start Solid Foods? · AAP HealthyChildren.org: Feeding & Nutrition Tips: Your 1-Year-Old
Log each feed in one tap. Whispie logs feeds in one tap (breast side and duration, bottle ml, solids) and shows the time since the last feed, so you do not have to keep a list. The next feed time is free for your first 3 active days, then Whispie Premium.
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