Formula Feeding Schedule for Babies 4 to 6 Months Old
- May 14, 2012
- by Melissa Lawrence
Hello Mothers!
Your little baby is getting bigger with every passing day! Now that they are 4 to 6 months old, it is actually becoming easier to predict how much she will eat on a predictable formula feeding schedule. Check with your doctor if this newborn feeding schedule will work for you and your baby!
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Formula Feeding Amount
When your baby is 4-6 months old, the general guideline is between 6 to 8 oz. of formula per feeding. There is also a mathematical formula to follow based on your baby’s weight in order to calculate the amount of food your infant needs per feed. I’ve put this up on a graphic for you! Remember that these are just ballpark figures and really depends on your baby’s own weight gain and development.
Baby Sleep Schedule
Once you have a set feeding schedule down, your baby’s sleep schedule should also become much more routine! This is great news for moms looking to sneak in the extra sleep. Generally, your baby should be getting ready for a nap around 2.5 hours after each feeding. With this schedule in mind, your baby will be taking morning, afternoon, and shorter, later naps.
Baby Feeding and Sleeping Schedule: Formula-Fed 4 to 6-Month-Old
We love schedules at CloudMom! Here is my guide to getting your 4 to 6-month-old bottle fed baby into a nice daily feeding and sleeping routine that allows you to get some things done, especially if you have older children. I didn’t give formula to my babies at this stage, but I’ve adapted some of the principles that really worked for me and that apply to both formula fed and breastfed babies. Hope this works for you!
At this stage, your baby will likely be eating every four hours, between 6-8 ounces per feeding. You can also multiply your baby’s weight by 2.5 and divide by the number of feedings per day to get an approximate amount (14 lb. baby x 2.5/5 feedings per day =7 ounces per feeding).
Of course, every baby is going to eat and grow at a different rate, but these ballpark figures can help you estimate early on.
Most babies at this stage are napping 3 times a day and eating 5 times a day. I recommend putting your baby down to sleep around two hours after each of your feedings begin. So here’s a typical day, with a 7 a.m. first feeding:
Feeding and Sleeping Schedule:
7 a.m. – 1st Feed
9:30 a.m. – Nap (1.5 hours)
11 a.m. – 2nd Feed
1:30 p.m. – Nap (1.5 hours)
3 p.m. – 3rd Feeding
6 p.m. – Little Nap (1 hour)
7 p.m. – 4th Feeding
8/8:30 p.m. – Bedtime
11 p.m. – 5th feeding (directly back to bed)
Some people do begin to introduce solids before 6 months old, so make sure to watch my video about that and you can just incorporate the solid feedings either before or after the bottles using this schedule. Good luck!
I hope you found this video on newborn scheduling helpful! Any comments on feedings and naps? Comment below!
Comments
Beatrice2
testing the commenting before launch!
Help with a schedule
I have a 6 month old who is formula fed and is eating solids. She is a fussy eater between the bottle and food. Somedays I can get 4 bites of solids and other days all of the 3 tablespoon of oatmeal veg and fruit. She drinks from 4-5 ounces of formula she has 4 bottles a day. She stil wakes at night for a bottle around 2 am on average . I need help . I want her to eat better so she can sleep through the night . Suggestions ? What type of schedule should she be on ?
Emgyy Reyes
My baby weighs 7.2 kgs as of Dec18,2015, yesterday he just turned 4mos, I just want to know how many ounce of formula milk he need to consume per day. 🙂