Feeding your baby formula

How do you choose a formula for your baby?

Breast milk is the best food for babies in the first year of life. But not all moms breastfeed. If you’re not breastfeeding, you can feed your baby formula. There are three kinds of formula:  

1. Ready-to-use liquid formula. You pour this formula right into your baby’s bottle.
2. Concentrated liquid formula. You add water to this liquid formula before giving it to your baby.
3. Powdered formula (also called dry formula). You add water to the powder before giving it to your baby. Use the scoop that comes with the formula to measure the right amount.

Most formula is made with cow milk. Babies born preterm (before 37 weeks of pregnancy) or with health conditions, like a milk allergy or galactosemia, they may need specialized formula like a soy-based or hypoallergenic formula. Talk to your baby’s healthcare provider about the right formula for your baby.

When you find a formula that your baby likes, use only that brand. Avoid switching between brands. Call your baby’s provider if your baby has gas, a rash, diarrhea or is vomiting. These may be signs that a different formula is needed.

Most infant formula is fortified with vitamins and nutrients that help your baby grow and develop, like vitamin D and iron. Vitamin D helps make your baby’s bones and teeth strong and helps prevent a bone disease called rickets. Iron helps keep your baby’s blood healthy. Use formula that is fortified with iron.

How do you know when your baby is ready to eat?

Feed your baby when they’re hungry. This is called on-demand or responsive feeding. Most newborns eat every 2 to 3 hours, or 8 to 12 times over 24 hours, but each baby is different. Feeding patterns may change as your baby grows.

Look for and learn your baby’s feeding cues, such as:

• Rooting (turning their head toward something that touches their cheek or mouth).
• Sucking movements or sounds
• Putting their hand to their mouth
• Clenching hands
• Opening their mouth, sticking out their tongue and closing their mouth
• Crying (a late hunger cue)

Newborns eat about 2 to 3 ounces of formula every 3 to 4 hours. If your newborn sleeps longer than 4 to 5 hours at a time, wake them to feed. By the end of the first month, babies can eat at least 4 ounces about every 4 hours. By 6 months old, they eat 6 to 8 ounces four or five times a day.

Signs that your baby is full include:

• Slowing down or stopping feeding.
• Spitting out the bottle, closing their mouth, or turning their head away. 
• They fall asleep or get distracted easily.
• Relaxing their body and opening their fists.

To make nighttime feedings easier, keep your baby’s crib in your room near your bed so your baby’s nearby during the night. The American Academy of Pediatrics (also called AAP) recommends room-sharing but not bed-sharing (not sleeping in the same bed) for the first year of your baby’s life but at least for the first 6 months.

How do you know if your baby is getting enough to eat?

Your baby is eating enough if your baby:

• Is gaining weight. Your baby’s provider checks your baby’s weight at each well-baby visit. You can track your baby’s weight, too.
• Is making two to three wet diapers each day in the first few days after birth, and six to eight wet diapers 4 to 5 days after birth.  If you’re worried that your baby’s not getting enough to eat, tell your baby’s provider.

How can you make sure your baby’s formula is safe?

Here’s how to safely get your baby’s formula ready:

• Use only infant formula that’s been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). For your baby’s safety, homemade formula and formulas from other countries are not recommended. Don’t use formula that’s made for toddlers until your baby is 1 year old.
• Wash your hands before you get the formula ready.
• Follow the directions on the formula package. Most infant formulas need to be used within 1 month after opening the container. Check the "use by" date on the package to make sure it’s not too old to use. Write the date you open the formula on the container to help you remember when to stop using it. 
• If you use a powdered formula, use only the scoop that comes with the formula and follow the instructions on the container. Ask your baby's provider what kind of water to use (tap water from a faucet or bottled water). Use the right amount of formula and water. Too much water may keep your baby from getting the right amount of nutrients they need. Too little water may cause diarrhea or dehydration (when your baby doesn’t have enough water in their body). Don’t add extra water to the formula.
• You don’t need to clean the outside of the formula container. If you want to clean the container, use a disinfecting wipe or paper towel sprayed with disinfectant to clean the outside before you open it for the first time.  Don’t put the container underwater. Make sure it’s completely dry before you open it. 
• Store powdered formula in a cool, dry place with the lid tightly closed.
• Infant formula doesn’t need to be warmed.  If you warm it up, never use a microwave. To warm it up, place the bottle in warm running water or use a bottle warmer. 

Here’s how to store prepared formula:

• If your baby doesn’t drink all the formula in their bottle within 1 hour, throw it away. Give them a new bottle of fresh formula at their next feeding.
• Use prepared formula within 2 hours.  If you don’t use it right away, you can store prepared formula in the refrigerator for 24 hours (1 day).
• You can store opened ready-made or mixed concentrated formula covered in the refrigerator for 48 hours (2 days).  

Here’s how to make sure bottles and nipples are clean and safe for your baby:

• Before first use, sterilize bottles and nipples by boiling them in water for 5 minutes.
• Wash your hands before you get a bottle ready for your baby.
• Make sure to separate all the bottle parts before you wash them.  Scrub nipples in hot, soapy water and rinse them with clean water. You also can boil them for 5 minutes.
• Wash bottles in hot, soapy water and rinse them with clean water. Or you can wash them in a dishwasher that has hot water and a hot drying cycle.
• After every feeding, wash bottles, nipples and anything you use to prepare the formula in hot soapy water.
• Air-dry bottles and nipples.  Don’t use a dish towel to rub or pat dry.

When you feed your baby, tip the bottle to keep the nipple full of milk. Put the nipple in your baby's mouth. Never prop the bottle or put your baby to bed with a bottle; doing these things may make your baby choke.

When can you start feeding your baby solid foods?

Most babies are ready to start solid food when they double their birthweight and weigh about 13 pounds. This usually is about 4 to 6 months of age.

Look for cues that your baby is ready for solid food. They may be ready if:

• They can sit up in a feeding seat and hold their head up with good control.
• They open their mouths and reach for your food.
• They can move food from a spoon into their mouth.

More information

American Academy of Pediatrics

Last reviewed: November, 2025