An 11-month-old typically drinks about 24 ounces (roughly 700 to 800 milliliters) of breastmilk per day, though the exact amount varies depending on how much solid food they’re eating. At this age, breastmilk is still the primary source of nutrition, but solids are steadily filling a larger role in your baby’s diet.
Daily Intake and Feeding Sessions
Unlike formula, breastmilk intake is hard to measure precisely because most of it comes directly from the breast. Research on breastfed infants shows that milk intake gradually declines from around 4 months onward as complementary foods are introduced. By 12 months, some studies have recorded average breastmilk intake dropping significantly, though with enormous variation between babies. Some 11-month-olds still nurse enthusiastically six times a day, while others are more interested in table food and nurse only three or four times.
The CDC recommends feeding on demand at this age, meaning you follow your baby’s hunger cues rather than watching the clock. Most 11-month-olds settle into a pattern of three to five nursing sessions during the day, with each session lasting anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes depending on your baby’s efficiency and your milk flow.
If you’re pumping and bottle-feeding, a reasonable target is 3 to 4 bottles of 4 to 6 ounces each, adjusted based on how much solid food your baby eats at meals. Babies who are enthusiastic eaters at the table naturally drink a bit less milk, and that’s fine.
How Breastmilk and Solids Work Together
At 11 months, breastmilk and solid foods are partners, not competitors. Breastmilk remains the main source of nutrition through age 12 months, but solids are gradually taking on more of the caloric load. A practical way to think about it: breastmilk is still the foundation, and solid meals are built on top of it. By the time your baby turns one, solids and milk will be closer to equal contributors.
Breastmilk at this stage supplies fatty acids that support visual and cognitive development, along with immune factors that reduce infection risk. Solids fill in nutritional gaps, particularly for iron and zinc, which breastmilk alone can’t provide in sufficient quantities for older infants. A mix of both gives your baby the broadest nutritional coverage. If you notice your baby suddenly refusing solids and wanting to nurse constantly, or the reverse, it’s usually a short-lived phase tied to teething, illness, or a developmental leap.
What About Night Feedings?
Most 11-month-olds don’t need nighttime feedings to grow normally. They can get all their nutrition during the day. That said, breastfed babies at 10 to 12 months commonly still nurse zero to two times per night, and this falls within the normal range. If your baby is healthy and gaining weight appropriately, one nighttime feed is perfectly fine. It’s also fine to gently reduce to zero if you’re ready.
The key distinction is nutritional necessity versus comfort. At this age, night nursing is more often about soothing and habit than hunger. If you want to night wean, doing so gradually (dropping one feed at a time over a week or two) tends to go more smoothly than stopping abruptly.
Signs Your Baby Is Getting Enough
Since you can’t measure what comes out of the breast, you have to read the output instead. A well-fed 11-month-old produces at least six wet diapers per day. Fewer than six wet diapers suggests your baby may not be getting enough fluid. Other reassuring signs include steady weight gain at regular checkups, good energy and alertness during wake windows, and an interest in food and play.
Watch for early signs of dehydration if your baby is sick or nursing less than usual: fewer wet diapers, a dry mouth, or unusual fussiness. Severe dehydration, which shows up as only one to two wet diapers per day, sunken eyes, or lethargy, needs immediate medical attention.
Approaching the 12-Month Transition
You’re one month away from a milestone. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastmilk or formula (not cow’s milk) as the primary milk source until age one. After 12 months, whole cow’s milk becomes an option if you choose to introduce it. There’s no requirement to stop breastfeeding at one year. Many families continue well beyond that point, with breastmilk shifting from a primary food source to a supplemental one alongside a full diet of table foods.
If you plan to transition to cow’s milk, introducing it gradually over a couple of weeks after the first birthday helps your baby adjust to the taste and gives you a chance to watch for any digestive issues. If you plan to keep nursing, the shift is simpler: just continue offering the breast while letting your baby eat more solids at family meals. Either path works, and neither needs to happen on day one of month 12.