Thinking about formula feeding your baby? Whether you’re planning to use formula exclusively or alongside breastfeeding, our guide answers the most common questions parents have. Here’s what you’ll discover:
How much formula to feed your infant, including NHS-recommended daily amounts based on weight. By the end of a baby’s first week, they will need about 150 to 200 ml of milk per kilogram of their weight each day until they reach six months old. Every baby is unique, so the amount may vary from one baby to the next.
How often should a newborn feed on formula, with guidance on feeding cues and schedules.
The difference between powdered and ready-to-feed formula, and which one might suit your needs.
Safe preparation tips, bottle sterilising advice and how to store formula properly.
With our formula feeding chart, NHS-backed tips and practical advice, you’ll feel more confident and informed when bottle feeding your baby.
What Is Formula Milk?
Formula milk, also known as infant formula or sometimes just ‘formula’, is a substitute for breast milk that can be used either as an alternative to breastfeeding or as a way of supplementing it.
Formula is usually (but not always) made from cow’s milk, which is specially processed to make it suitable for babies to drink. Remember: Children under 1 year old can’t digest unprocessed cow’s milk.
Formula milk contains all the nutrients your baby needs to grow and develop, but it does lack some of the additional health benefits of breast milk, such as protection from infection.
How you decide to feed your little one is a personal choice that depends on many factors unique to you. If you plan to formula feed, however, you might still want to express your first milk – colostrum – and feed this to your baby for the first few days before introducing the formula.
Colostrum is not only packed full of nutrients; it has lots of other health benefits, such as boosting your baby’s immune system, improving digestion and helping regulate blood sugar.
Choosing the Best Formula for Your Baby
When you first enter a shop or pharmacy that sells infant formula, you may find the wide array of boxes and packets on display a bit overwhelming. There are numerous brands and types of formula available, which can make it challenging to choose the right one.
Don’t let this confuse you: just be sure to read the label carefully. Newborns should be given what is called 'first infant formula' (usually labelled 'suitable for newborns') until they are at least 6 months old, unless your doctor or midwife advises otherwise.
Experts also advise sticking to this type of formula until your baby is at least around 1 year old. After that, you can start giving your baby (pasteurised) cow’s milk to drink.
Ready-to-Feed Formula or Powdered Formula?
Infant formula milk comes in two forms:
Powdered formula. Formula milk powder is typically the most economical option to purchase and requires less storage space. However, there is a catch: you need to mix it with water before using it. Since formula milk powder is not sterile, it’s important to prepare each feed just before you use it.
Ready-to-feed formula. This formula is already in liquid form and is sold in sealed cartons or plastic bottles. It is sterile, meaning it can be stored and used directly from the bottle, although the feeding equipment must be sterilised before each use. However, there are some downsides: it tends to be more expensive, takes up more cupboard space, and can spoil quickly once the bottle is opened.
Alternative Formulas
First infant formula is usually best for your baby, but in rarer cases, your doctor or health visitor may suggest an alternative.
Although most of these types are available ‘off-the-shelf’ in supermarkets or pharmacies, many are only recommended for use under medical supervision. Always check with your midwife, health visitor or doctor before switching from first infant formula, especially in the first six months.
Examples of alternative formulas include:
Anti-reflux (‘staydown’) formula. This type of formula milk is thicker, to help prevent severe cases of reflux or gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) and may be recommended to you if other measures (such as frequent burping or upright feeding) don’t seem to be working. This kind of formula is only recommended for use under medical supervision.
Lactose-free formula. Some babies have difficulty digesting lactose (the natural sugar found in milk). Lactose intolerance is not an allergy, but it may cause symptoms like colicky crying, diarrhoea, tummy ache and wind. Lactose-free formula could help, but should only be used under medical supervision. Tell your health visitor or doctor if you suspect your baby has a lactose intolerance.
Hypoallergenic formula. If your baby is diagnosed with an allergy to cow’s milk, your doctor can prescribe a special infant formula with fully hydrolysed (broken down) proteins.
Soya formula. Made from soya beans, this is sometimes recommended as an alternative for babies with a cow’s milk intolerance. However, there are concerns about whether the phytoestrogens (similar to the hormone oestrogen) in soya beans could affect babies’ development. Only use soya formula if your doctor or health visitor has prescribed or recommended it.
Goat’s milk formula. This is produced to the same nutritional standards as cow’s milk formula but from goat’s milk. It can’t be used as an alternative for babies with a cow’s milk intolerance because the proteins found in goat’s milk are very similar to cow’s milk protein.
Comfort formula. Comfort formula contains partially broken-down (hydrolysed) proteins, which are claimed to improve digestion and alleviate issues like colic or constipation. However, there is no medical evidence to support this claim. If you have concerns about your child's digestion and are considering this type of formula, it's best to consult your doctor or midwife first.
Formulas for babies older than 6 months. These include ‘follow on’ formula, ‘good night milk’ and ‘growing up’ or ‘toddler milk’ (for babies older than 1 year). Experts usually advise sticking to first infant formula until your little one is fully weaned, so it’s best to ask your health visitor or doctor for personalised advice before trying out any new type of formula marketed for older babies or toddlers.
Water and Formula
It is recommended to use freshly boiled tap water to mix with your formula powder. Avoid bottled water, as it is not considered sterile and may contain salt or sulphate.
Additionally, do not use artificially softened water or water that has been boiled multiple times. Make sure the water is freshly boiled and allowed to cool for no more than 30 minutes, ensuring it reaches a temperature of at least 70 degrees Celsius to effectively kill any bacteria.
How Much Formula to Feed Your Infant
Your newborn baby only needs small amounts of formula in the first few days – after all, their tummy is still very small, but it’s growing all the time.
Just to give you an idea of how small your newborn’s stomach is, and how fast it grows:
On day one, it’s about the size of a cherry and holds around 5-7 millilitres
On day three, it’s the size of a walnut, with room for 22-27 millilitres of formula or breastmilk
After one week, it’s grown to the size of an apricot and can hold about 45-60 millilitres at a time
After one month, your baby’s stomach is about the size of a large egg, with a capacity of 80-150 millilitres.
From after the first week until around 6 months old (when your baby starts weaning), your little one may need around 150 to 200 millilitres of formula milk a day for every kilogram of body weight.
So, for example, a 1-month-old baby weighing around 4 kilograms might need between 600 and 800 millilitres of formula a day, spread over several feeds.
Check out our baby formula feeding chart (based on NHS recommendations) for a general guide on how much formula to feed your infant each day, depending on their body weight:
Remember, all babies are different, and so are their appetites! In practice, though, once your child settles into a feeding pattern and you get to know their feeding cues, you’ll probably find it natural to increase the quantity of formula gradually in response to demand.
How to Be Sure Your Baby Is Getting Enough Formula
Rather than strictly following a formula feeding chart to decide how many ounces or millilitres a baby should eat at a given age or weight, experts advise feeding ‘on demand’ in response to the feeding cues listed below.
As long as your little one is gaining weight normally and producing enough wet nappies, you can be pretty certain they’re getting enough formula.
From the first few days after being born, it’s normal to see around six heavy nappies, soaked with pale or clear urine, every day.
Your baby will usually be weighed a few times in the first 10 days after birth, and then once a month after that – at monthly health and development reviews – until the age of 6 months.
During the health and development reviews, your health visitor and/or doctor will use growth charts to keep track of your baby’s growth and weight gain.
These visits are also a great opportunity for you to ask questions or discuss any concerns you might have. But if you’re ever concerned about whether your baby is eating enough, you can always turn to your midwife or doctor between the scheduled visits.
How Often Should Your Newborn Feed on Formula? Follow Your Baby’s Lead
Feed your baby whenever they show signs of being hungry. These signs are known as ‘feeding cues’, and they can include:
Moving the head from side to side (rooting)
Lifting or bobbing the head
Sucking on a finger, fist or blanket (or anything else within reach)
Drooling
Licking or smacking the lips
Crying (this is a late sign – it’s often easier to feed your baby if you can spot the earlier feeding cues in time).
How to Tell When Your Baby Is Full
Breastfed babies usually just stop feeding when they’re full, but milk comes out of the feeding bottle’s teat more easily than out of a breast. When the formula touches the back of your baby’s throat, it triggers the swallowing reflex.
This means it is possible to overfeed your baby with a bottle, so it’s important to recognise when they’re full. A good way of doing this is called ‘paced feeding’ or ‘pacing’:
Let your baby pause every few sucks – gently withdraw the bottle and see if they want to stop
This could also be a good time to burp your baby, especially if they spit up formula, or seem windy or uncomfortable
Only start feeding again if your baby draws the teat back into their mouth
Don’t push the teat into your baby’s mouth or try feeding if your baby turns their head away.
If you’re using powdered milk, follow the seven steps below to make up a feed. Always read the manufacturer’s instructions carefully and ask your midwife or health visitor if there’s anything you’re not sure about.
Always make the formula just before you need to use it and don’t reuse any formula milk that’s been left over from a previous feed.
Make sure the surfaces you’re using are cleaned and disinfected, and the feeding bottle and accessories are also cleaned and sterilised.
Boil at least 1 litre of fresh tap (not bottled) water in a kettle, then leave it to cool for no more than 30 minutes (so it stays above 70 degrees Celsius – this is hot enough to kill any germs that might still be in the bottle).
Stand the bottle on the disinfected surface, and – following the manufacturer’s instructions – pour the correct amount of hot water from the kettle into the bottle. Be careful to check the water level.
Again, following the manufacturer’s instructions carefully, use the scoop supplied with the formula to add the powder to the water in the bottle. Don’t forget to level off each scoop of powder with a clean, dry knife or the provided leveller.
Insert the teat into its retaining ring (following the instructions supplied with the feeding bottle) and screw it on.
Put the cap over the teat and shake the bottle until all the powder is dissolved.
Cool the bottle under cold running water (with the cap on) or leave it to stand in a bowl of cold water.
Test the temperature of the formula by dripping some onto the inside of your wrist – it should be warm or cool, but not hot.
Storing and Transporting Formula Milk
Powdered formula milk isn’t sterile, so only make up a feed just before using it and throw away any formula that’s left over after a feed.
If you need to feed your baby while you’re out and about, it helps to take
the amount of formula powder you need for a feed, measured out into a small, clean and dry, airtight container
a clean vacuum flask containing just-boiled tap water (the flask will keep the water at over 70 degrees Celsius for several hours)
an empty, sterilised feeding bottle with the teat, retaining ring and cap.
When you need to make up a feed, follow the steps above. Don’t forget to cool the formula and check the temperature on the inside of your wrist before feeding it to your baby.
Transporting and Storing a Made-Up Feed
Sometimes, transporting a made-up feed might be the only option (for example, if you need to take a feed to nursery school). In this case, make up the formula at home, cool it in cold water and then cool it further in the back of the fridge for at least an hour before transporting it.
Made-up formula stored in a fridge should be used as soon as possible, but within a maximum of 24 hours.
Move the made-up formula from the fridge to a cool bag with ice packs just before leaving the house and use it within four hours (or two hours if you don’t have ice packs).
Feeding isn’t just about nutrition – it’s also a chance for social interaction and bonding with your baby. So, sit comfortably, make eye contact and cherish these moments of closeness with your little one.
Just because you’re bottle-feeding doesn’t mean you and your baby have to miss out on plenty of skin-to-skin contact. Holding your little one close against your skin is not only good for bonding, but it also has a calming effect and helps regulate their breathing and body temperature.
Here’s a brief guide to bottle-feeding your baby:
Hold your baby upright in a comfortable, neutral position. Your infant shouldn’t need to tilt or turn their head to reach the bottle
Hold the bottle almost horizontal to the ground, tilted just enough to fill the teat with the formula
Brush your baby’s lips with the teat, and your child will usually open their mouth wide and put out their tongue
Help your baby to draw the teat into their mouth
Pace the feed by pausing occasionally to see if your baby is still hungry
Check for air bubbles rising up in the formula. If no bubbles appear, a vacuum may have formed in the teat. This can stop the formula from flowing. Break the vacuum by gently moving the teat sideways in your baby’s mouth
If your infant seems restless or uncomfortable, have a ‘burping break’ before seeing if they want any more milk
Never feed your baby lying down, to avoid the risk of choking. Babies should never be left unattended while feeding or allowed to fall asleep with a bottle in their mouth.
More Things You Should Know About Formula Feeding
Here are a few more important things to keep in mind about formula feeding:
Hand washing. Always wash your hands thoroughly before preparing a feed to prevent spreading bacteria to your baby.
Sterilising feeding equipment. All bottles, teats, and feeding equipment must be sterilised before each use until your baby is at least 12 months old. You can do this by using a steriliser, boiling the equipment for at least 10 minutes, or using a sterilising solution. Simply washing with hot water and soap is not enough for young babies.
Heating formula. Never use a microwave to warm up formula as it can cause hot spots that may burn your baby’s mouth. Instead, place the bottle in a jug of warm water and test the temperature on the inside of your wrist before feeding.
Feeding position. Hold your baby in a semi-upright position, supporting their head so they can breathe and swallow comfortably. Tilt the bottle so the teat is full of milk to help reduce the amount of air your baby swallows.
Storing and throwing out formula. If you're preparing feeds in advance, cool them quickly and store them in the back of the fridge for up to 24 hours. Once a feed has started, it must be used within 2 hours. If your baby doesn’t finish it within that time, throw it away.
FAQS AT A GLANCE
‘First infant formula’ is the only type of formula milk suitable for a newborn baby, unless your doctor or midwife advises you otherwise. Experts advise sticking with this kind of formula until your infant is fully weaned.
Formula milk is usually made of cow’s milk (or sometimes goat’s milk) that has been specially processed to make it suitable for young babies. Other formulas (e.g. soya-based formula) should only be used on the advice of your doctor or health visitor.
Powdered formula milk should only be made up just before use. If it’s kept in a fridge, made-up formula should be used within 24 hours at the very most.
The Bottom Line
We hope our formula feeding guide takes some of the guesswork out of formula milk and bottle feeding. And remember, the secret ingredient isn’t in the bottle: the love and care you put into feeding and caring for your baby is what makes those feeding sessions so special for you and your little one.
Aside from feeding, one of the other things you’ll be doing plenty of is changing your little one’s nappy. After all, that formula has to go somewhere! Get rewarded for all those nappy changes by downloading the Pampers Club app to receive discounts on all your Pampers purchases.
How we wrote this article
The information in this article is based on the expert advice found in trusted medical and government sources, such as the National Health Service (NHS). You can find a full list of sources used for this article below. The content on this page should not replace professional medical advice. Always consult medical professionals for full diagnosis and treatment.
