How much milk a baby should take is one of the most common new-parent questions, and the answer is reassuringly simple: it scales with weight, and babies are good at managing it themselves.
The weight-based rule
Early-infant intake tracks body weight at roughly 150 mL/kg/day, slightly higher in the newborn weeks and lower once solids begin. Because the rule scales with weight, it holds up as the baby grows.
Feeds, not just totals
The daily total gets divided across feeds, and the number of feeds falls as the baby grows — newborns may take 8–12 small feeds, older infants fewer, larger ones. The per-feed number follows from both.
Reading the real signals
Growth spurts raise demand temporarily, and appetite varies daily. Weight trend and wet-diaper counts are the objective signs of adequate intake; the numbers here are a baseline to compare against, not a target to force.
Frequently asked questions
A common guideline is about 150 mL per kg of body weight per day for babies under six months. A 5 kg baby would need roughly 750 mL across the day.
Divide the daily total by the number of feeds. At 8 feeds a day, a 750 mL daily intake is about 94 mL per feed.
Babies regulate their own intake well. Steady weight gain and regular wet diapers are the best signs everything is on track — let appetite lead.