How Much Milk Should My 6-Month-Old Have?
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For the last six months, your baby has been on an eat-sleep-repeat cycle, and you’ve been more than happy to oblige. But now, things are slowly changing, as far as the “eating” part is concerned. Babies need milk — this is a given, but how much milk does your baby require at six months? The needs of your baby change from time to time, and keeping up with it can be a bit of a challenge. By the time your baby is six months old, you tend to slowly incorporate solids as well, so what happens to the milk intake? Do you increase it, or decrease it? You’re probably in a dilemma, and don’t know what to do, which is why we’re here! Let’s help you figure out just how much milk your little one needs when they’ve hit the six-month milestone!
In This Article
How To Tell If Your Baby Is Getting Enough?
Before we dive into how much milk your baby needs, let’s see if the overall intake, be it milk, baby formula, or solids, is enough for your child:
You want a healthy baby, but how do you know if your baby is getting enough food or even too much of it? You do this by tracking your baby’s growth. There are two ways to figure out if your baby is overfed or underfed. One, you assess your baby’s growth chart, and two, you peek into your baby’s diaper.
When you pay a visit to the pediatrician, check the growth chart to see how much and in what areas your baby has progressed. Ideally, the pediatrician will check your baby’s weight, height, and head circumference. If there has been too much of an increase since the last visit, the chances are that you have been overfeeding your child. However, if there is little to no progress from the previous time you checked the growth chart, the chances are that your baby is underfed (1).
Having a look into your baby’s diaper is not the most pleasant thing to do, but it is important. If the diaper is dirty and wet, you know that there is an intake of nutrition, and it is moving in and out of your baby’s system. Keep a tab on the number of diapers you have to change daily as well. This can indicate whether or not your baby is getting enough food. With the right amount of milk or formula intake, your baby should need an average of five to six diaper changes a day, two of which are due to pooping (2).
So How Much Milk Is Required For My Baby?
Between the ages of one to six months, your baby should have around twenty-five ounces (or 750 mL) of milk daily. You don’t have to go by the book as each baby has a different requirement. However, try to stick between an intake of nineteen to thirty ounces, which is 570 mL to 900 mL, to be on the safe side. If your baby hasn’t started on solids yet, then here is something you need to know — give your baby two to two and a half ounces of baby formula per pound of their body weight daily (3).
When breastfeeding, you cannot measure how much milk your baby is consuming, but you can know how many feedings your baby needs a day. Typically for a six-month-old, three to four feeding sessions should suffice. However, if you’re only bottle feeding your baby, then an average of six feeding sessions per day is enough, with each feeding consisting of eight ounces of milk (4).
What If My Baby Has Started Solids?
By six months of age, most babies slowly start with solids. However, they still continue with breastfeeding or bottle-feeding as well. You will have to watch out for your baby’s feeding cues and balance both solids and milk intake accordingly. Since your baby is just starting with solids, consider milk to be their primary source of nutrition while you slowly incorporate solids into the diet. You will have to talk to your pediatrician to find the right balance, as each baby’s needs are different (5).
Pat yourself on the back — your baby has turned six months, and you’ve done a great job so far! But your little one’s food intake has started to change, and it’s not going to be the last time it’s changing. Therefore, before making any changes to your baby’s diet, talk to your pediatrician. What are your thoughts on this? Has your baby’s feeding habits changed? Let us know in the comments below!
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