Tracking Your Baby’s Formula Intake

If your baby is alert, steadily gaining weight, and having regular wet nappies, there’s usually no need to measure every millilitre of formula. In most cases, following your baby’s natural hunger and fullness cues is the best guide.

And remember, for breastfed babies, it’s not possible to measure exact intake—and that’s completely normal and expected.

When Should You Track Formula Intake?

There are times when tracking how much formula your baby drinks can be helpful, including when:

• A healthcare professional has recommended it due to medical or feeding concerns. 
• You're feeling uncertain or need reassurance about how much your baby is drinking.
• You have concerns about your baby's health, such as slow weight gain, low appetite, dehydration, or signs of illness.
• Your baby is in the newborn stage, and you're still learning their feeding patterns.
• You’d like to better understand or discuss feeding patterns with your GP, child health nurse, or lactation consultant.

Tracking doesn’t need to be ongoing—just enough to support informed, confident decisions about your baby’s feeding.

Tracking Formula Intake 

How to Calculate Formula Intake 

The most accurate way to measure what your baby drinks at each feed is by using this simple formula:

Formula Made: Powder + Water ➡️ How Much Does It Really Make?

When you mix formula powder with water, the final volume is slightly more than the water added. This is due to the added volume from the powder.

Examples:

1 scoop powder (7.5 g) + 50 mL water → ~55 mL formula milk

3 scoops powder (22.5g) + 150 mL water → ~165 mL formula milk

Tip: Check your formula label for details, because this varies slightly between products.

Use Bottle Markings to Determine Intake

Baby bottles have volume markings, which make it simple to track feeds:

Step 1: Record the volume of prepared formula milk before feeding
Step 2: Check the leftover volume after feeding
Step 3: Subtract to find out how much was consumed

Where to keep tracking records?

Choose a method that suits your routine:

• A baby tracking app
• A printable paper chart
• Notes on your phone
• A basic spreadsheet

Final Tips for Feeding Confidence

• Use a responsive feeding approach—watch and respond to your baby’s hunger and fullness cues

• Don’t pressure your baby to finish every bottle—this can lead to bottle refusal or aversion

• Look for plenty of wet nappies each day as a sign your baby is well hydrated

• Schedule regular check-ups with your GP or child health nurse to monitor your baby’s growth and development

If you ever have concerns about your baby’s feeding speak with a healthcare professional. Support and reassurance are always available.