It is best to follow the baby’s lead and use paced bottle feeding practice.¹ Volume needs will change from feeding to feeding, from day to day, and from baby to baby. Learning a baby’s unique communication style is an important part of the early bonding process.

General Guidelines²

For babies weighing 2.5 kg or more

• 150 ml milk per kg of body weight per day
• Divide the total into 8 feeds, and give 3-hourly

For babies who weigh less than 2.5 kg (Low-birth-weight)

• Start with 60 ml per kg of body weight
• Increase the total volume by 20 ml per kg per day, until the baby is taking a total of 200 ml per kg per day
• Divide the total into 8-12 feeds, to feed every 2-3 hours
• Continue until the baby weighs 1,800 g or more, and is fully breastfeeding

Check the baby’s 24-hour intake. The size of individual feeds may vary.

The below calculator³ can be used as a guideline for babies that are receiving feeding from an at-the-breast system, a cup, or a bottle. Again, always follow your baby’s hunger and satiation cues

Calculate the approximate amount of milk needed in 24 hours⁴

Baby's Weight lbs	Intake gr	oz	ml	Ounces/feeding (if 8/day)
5lbs	2265 gr	13.0 oz	390 ml	1.6 oz
5lbs 8oz	2491 gr	14.3 oz	429 ml	1.8 oz
6lbs	2718 gr	15.5 oz	467 ml	1.9 oz
6lbs 8oz	2944 gr	16.9 oz	507 ml	2.1 oz
7lbs	3171 gr	18.3 oz	546 ml	2.3 oz
7lbs 8oz	3397 gr	19.5 oz	584 ml	2.4 oz
8lbs	3600 gr	21.3 oz	639 ml	2.7 oz
8lbs 8oz	3850 gr	22.3 oz	664 ml	2.8 oz
9lbs	4000 gr	24.0 oz	720 ml	3.0 oz
9lbs 8oz	4303 gr	24.8 oz	741 ml	3.1 oz
10lbs	4500 gr	26.7 oz	801 ml	3.3 oz
10lbs 8oz	4756 gr	27.3 oz	819 ml	3.4 oz
11lbs	4900 gr	29.3 oz	879 ml	3.7 oz
11lbs 8oz	5209 gr	29.9 oz	897 ml	3.7 oz
12lbs	5400 gr	32.0 oz	960 ml	4.0 oz
12lbs 8oz	5662 gr	32.5 oz	976 ml	4.1 oz
13lbs	5889 gr	33.8 oz	1015 ml	4.2 oz
13lbs 8oz	6115 gr	35.0 oz	1053 ml	4.4 oz
14lbs	6400 gr	37.3 oz	1119 ml	4.7 oz
14lbs 8oz	6704 gr	38.5 oz	1155 ml	4.8 oz
15lbs	6795 gr	39.0 oz	1172 ml	4.9 oz
15lbs 8oz	7021 gr	40.3 oz	1210 ml	5.0 oz
16lbs	7300 gr	42.7 oz	1280 ml	5.3 oz

Next: Can donated milk be reused?

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1. How do I feed the milk to my baby? ↩︎
2. WHO/UNICEF – Breastfeeding Counselling A Training Course ↩︎
3. A Baby’s Best Start Nursing Center – Amount of milk needed by baby in 24 hours ↩︎
4. These are approximate amounts. Follow your baby’s cues first.
   Oz/feeding = oz/day divided by the number of feedings.
   Example: A 9lb 8oz baby needs 24.8 oz/day. If feeding 8 times a day: 24.8 divided by 8 equals 3.1 oz/feeding. If feeding a baby breastmilk with a bottle, place the calculated amount of milk per serving in separate bottles.
   Daycare:
   Use the chart to calculate how much to take to daycare for the day.
   Example: A 9lb 8oz baby needs +/-24.8 oz/day or 3.1 oz/feeding.
   If daycare requires 3 feedings or 9.3 oz/day or 3.1 oz/bottle/day.
   Pump 9.3 oz at work for the next day at daycare, or use frozen or refrigerated milk. ↩︎