A 5-month-old typically drinks 28 to 32 ounces of breast milk or formula per day, spread across four to six feedings. That works out to roughly 6 to 8 ounces per feeding, though some sessions will be longer and others shorter. The exact amount varies based on your baby’s weight, whether they’ve started solids, and their individual appetite.
Daily Totals for Formula-Fed Babies
The standard guideline from the American Academy of Pediatrics is about 2.5 ounces of formula per pound of body weight per day. So a 15-pound baby would need roughly 37.5 ounces by that math, but there’s a practical ceiling: most babies should take no more than about 32 ounces of formula in 24 hours. At 5 months, most infants land in that 28 to 32 ounce range naturally.
That daily total is usually split into four to six bottles. Some babies prefer smaller, more frequent feedings of 5 to 6 ounces, while others consolidate into fewer, larger bottles closer to 7 or 8 ounces. Both patterns are normal. Babies generally take what they need at each feeding and stop when they’re full, so rigid scheduling matters less than paying attention to your baby’s cues.
Daily Totals for Breastfed Babies
Breastfed 5-month-olds typically nurse about six to seven times in 24 hours. Because you can’t measure ounces at the breast the way you can with a bottle, the best indicator that your baby is getting enough is steady weight gain and plenty of wet diapers (at least six per day).
If you’re pumping and bottle-feeding breast milk, the volume is similar to formula: most breastfed babies consume 24 to 32 ounces per day at this age. Breast milk intake stays relatively stable from about one month through six months, unlike formula intake, which gradually increases with weight during the early months and then plateaus.
How Solids Affect Milk Intake
Some families start introducing solid foods around 5 months, though many pediatricians recommend waiting until closer to 6 months. If your baby has started solids, those first tastes of pureed food are tiny, often just a tablespoon or two per sitting. At this stage, solids are for practice, not nutrition. Breast milk or formula remains the primary source of calories and nutrients.
You won’t see a meaningful drop in milk volume yet. That shift happens gradually over the coming months. Between 7 and 9 months, most babies still drink 30 to 32 ounces per day even as solid food portions grow. By 10 to 12 months, daily milk intake typically decreases to 24 to 30 ounces as solid meals become more substantial.
How to Tell If Your Baby Is Hungry or Full
At 5 months, babies communicate hunger and fullness through body language rather than words, and the signals are surprisingly consistent. Hunger cues include putting hands to their mouth, turning their head toward the breast or bottle, and smacking or licking their lips. Clenched fists are another early sign that your baby is ready to eat.
Fullness looks like the opposite: relaxed, open hands, a closed mouth, and turning away from the breast or bottle. Pushing the nipple out with their tongue or losing interest mid-feed are also signs your baby has had enough. Trying to coax a full baby into finishing a bottle can contribute to overfeeding patterns, so it’s worth trusting these signals even if there’s an ounce or two left.
Night Feedings at 5 Months
Many 5-month-olds still wake once or twice at night to eat, and that’s completely normal during the first year. As babies get older, they naturally wake less often for nighttime feeds. For formula-fed babies, phasing out night feeds is generally reasonable to consider starting around 6 months. Breastfed babies often continue nighttime nursing longer, with weaning from night feeds typically appropriate around 12 months for healthy infants.
If your baby is drinking the full 28 to 32 ounces during the day and gaining weight on track, nighttime feeds may be more about comfort than hunger. At 5 months, babies typically gain about 1.25 pounds per month. Your pediatrician can confirm whether your baby’s growth curve supports stretching nighttime intervals.
Signs Your Baby Needs More (or Less)
A baby consistently draining every bottle and still showing hunger cues afterward may need a slight increase in volume per feeding. On the other hand, a baby who routinely leaves an ounce or more in the bottle is telling you the portions are too large. Adjusting by an ounce at a time is a practical approach.
Weight gain that tracks steadily along a growth curve is the most reliable sign that intake is on target. Sudden jumps or drops in how much your baby wants to eat are common during growth spurts, teething, or minor illnesses and usually resolve within a few days. A baby who seems persistently unsatisfied after feedings or who is losing weight warrants a conversation with your pediatrician, but day-to-day fluctuations in appetite are a normal part of infant feeding.