What Should be Ideal Milk Intake for 0-1 Year Babies, Infants?

Created by Puja Sharma Vasisht Updated on Feb 01, 2020

Milk is the first food of all babies but at times there is a lot of confusion related to it. Which milk is best for the child? How much should be given? When to wean off milk? Given all these dilemmas, here is a guide to help you in feeding milk to your child. Ever confused about how much milk to give to your child, or when to switch from formula to animal milk etc? Then our milk guide here will clear all your doubts. Read to know all the whens, how much, and whys of the milk.
Milk Intake for Babies
Ever confused about how much milk to give to your child, or when to switch from formula to animal milk etc? Then our milk guide here will clear all your doubts. Read to know all the whens, how much, and whys of the milk.
Which Milk to Start With?
Breast milk is the best option for your baby. It has all the nutrients required for your baby’s optimal growth. For proper lactation, take a balanced diet with a focus on foods like masoor dal, eggs, fish, paneer, Dalia, bajra, almonds, walnuts, peanuts, sesame or til seeds. Also, foods like jeera, ajwain, dry ginger powder, are galactagogues are known to help in milk production. Read: Right milk option for newborn
All options are there if you need to supplement the breastmilk diet of the baby, then some other options are:
- Formula Milk - These are prepared from animal milk only, which is then modified to match closely the nutrient content of breast milk. These are fortified with iron, which is missing in animal milk.
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Fresh Animal Milk - It can be given to an infant on doctor’s advice. Only if the baby is unable to digest it, then the milk is diluted in the ratio of 3:1 using boiled water. If giving this to baby, please take the advice of your pediatrician on supplements of both iron and vitamin C. Also, ensure of the hygiene and authenticity factor of the doodhwala you will be sourcing the milk from. Unless and until advised so, avoid cow’s milk as certain components (lactoglobulin and serum albumin) may cause allergy in some infants. Read more: How Beneficial Cow Milk for Newborn?
- Pasteurized Packaged Milk- The only difference between fresh animal milk and pasteurized milk is of hygiene. You are sure it is safe since it has been pasteurized. But having said all this, remember breastmilk is the best milk for your baby.
How to Feed the Other Milk?
The traditional method of feeding with ‘Katori’ and ‘spoon’ is more hygienic than bottles and helps in avoiding nipple confusion common with bottle feeding. Proper cleaning and sterilization (boiled for 20 minutes) of utensils is a must.
How Much to Feed?
If you are breastfeeding and eating well then you may lactate up to (600-850 ml in a day )which is sufficient for the infant. For successful breastfeeding, it has to be according to the demand of the infant. The steady gain of weight and height of your baby is an indicator of this. If the child is given top feed, the amount of feed has to be given according to the weight of the baby. The amounts suggested are for a minimum of two weeks old baby. Dr.Bhasin, HOD at BLK, suggests 100ml milk per kg body weight of the baby for the entire day. So if the child weighs 3kgs then you need to feed him around 300ml milk/day. The amount of milk calculated according to the weight of the child can be distributed in 8-12 feeds per day.
Again the steady gain of weight and height of your baby is an indicator that your child is being sufficiently fed on top feed.
Milk Intake Baby Beyond 6 months
After 6 months neither, breast or other milk can meet the baby’s growing needs. You have to start with weaning foods. So, you may give a maximum of 500-700 ml of milk apart from other solids (weaning) foods you have started. Follow a pattern of giving milk feeds alternating with solid feeds through the day.
Milk Intake For One Year Child
You may give milk between 400 ml to 650 ml maximum per day. Any more milk than this would interfere with your child’s appetite for other foods.
Milk After 2 years & beyond
Once your child has picked other solid foods habits that belong to the family diet, around 500 ml of milk (that is two glasses) should be sufficient for your child. [Read - When to Think Stop Bottle-Feeding a 1-3 aged child?]
What To Do If the Child Refuses the Milk?
You may flavor the milk with natural flavors of elaichi, dates, Kesar. Milk supplements available can be used after 2 years of age. You may also offer fruit shakes, smoothies for better acceptance. Other alternatives for milk would be curd/yogurt, paneer/cheese, soymilk/tofu, etc.
Disclaimer: Breastfeeding is recommended exclusively for 6 months. Then minimum you should breastfeed your baby for 2 years and ideally as long as you can.
This content has been checked & validated by Doctors and Experts of the parentune Expert panel. Our panel consists of Neonatologist, Gynecologist, Peadiatrician, Nutritionist, Child Counselor, Education & Learning Expert, Physiotherapist, Learning disability Expert and Developmental Pead.








| Dec 01, 2015
@Rasmi, Hi, you may read the following blog https://www.parentune.com/parent-blog/5-healthy-alternatives-to-milk/519




| Dec 10, 2015
Hi My son is 2 months and off late he has not been feeding well from my left side. Im not sure if im positioning him correctly. However he feeds for about 15mins from my right side per feed. I'm worried that he might not be getting enough. He has been wetting 6-8 cloth nappies in a day but I think that's because it's been due to the weather being cold. I try to express and feed him by spoon but he doesn't take in enough Pls advise





| Jan 29, 2016
Dear Puja pls guide my 4month old son suddenly refusing to Take bottle feed which earlier he used to drink properly . I am feeding him combination of my breast milk with Lactogen 1. What should I do so that he starts takin formula again... Pls give me some suggestions

| Jan 29, 2016
@Sushmita, Hi, ideally if your are lactating enough, you should avoid giving top feed. Top feed dilutes the benefits of breastfeeding and may cause nipple confusion and is not very hygienic. If need be, you can use sterilised bowl and spoon to feed the formula milk.



| Jun 06, 2016
Hi my baby is 1 year 4 months old. His weight is 7. 3 kg. My paediatrician has told me to give pediasure 2 scoops with pasteusturised milk morning 100 ml n evening 100 ml. In between I breastfeed him... 2- 3 times. How wil i know how much quantity he is drinking ? & i give him 3 time meals...







| Oct 18, 2016
My baby is 9months 3week old and weighing 7. 4. I am giving cow milk in 3:1 ratio which is 3. 8 percent fat. Do I need to do any changes in milk consumption or is this fine? one more thing is he immediately goes to potty (stool) after his every meal. So doctor suggested me to give milk at least 60 ml per day. Do I need to increase it or is that enough? I am confused why he is going potty for every feed. Is this depend on milk?? Please let know I am not getting any required responses from none of them.

| Oct 27, 2016
Hi my daughter is 6months old and doesnt take bottle atall.. somtmes she drinks frm bottle at ngt while sleeping only and tht to very often . Shes totlly deprndnt on my milk .. i hav strted givng her milk wth suji n parle g biscuit.. she somtmes olso drnk milk frm spoon .. wht shud i do as whn im out its too difclt to feed brstmilk.. in wht frm can i offr hr milk so tht her intke of milk increases.. i was gvng cpw milk earlier bt she used to do pottu while drkng so i hd swtched to tonnd milk now.. is it tht she s unable to dgst cow mill right now.. ?? I hv tried difrnt bottles aswell





| May 25, 2017
mera beta 1yr 3 mnth ka h waise to wo 1. 5 lit milk deti hu + juice + daliya khichdi with vegies n one banana per day deti hu . aur daal rice kabhi daal me roti mash krke bhi deti hu . dry fruits NH deti ..plz bataye ki Maine usko kya du kaise du. plz reply jarur kre

| Jun 02, 2017
Hello all, I am mother of 17 months old son. I prefer videos too when it comes to parenting tips, easy for me to understand and execute. Please find below the similar video on Tips on feeding. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEwsDfe6Qfw To view more similar videos, use babystep iPhone app or visit https://babystep.tv Hope it will help. Cheers !! Sonia


| Jul 09, 2017
Hi puja... I have question. When I m in India I use to my baby for fresh animal milk she having a skin rashes with cow milk I use to give a buffalo milk or amul milk now I m in Malaysia here I didn't found any buffalo milk here's packed milk like nestle full cream milk Dutch lady milk having cow milk so difficult to give her please help me what can I do. ???
