👶 First-Year Numbers Reference
Feeding, sleep and growth in one table, computed by the same feeding, sleep and growthtools this site runs. Feeding volumes are anchored to the growth tool’s own median weight for each age.
| Age | Median weight | Milk / day | Feeds | Per feed | Total sleep | Night | Naps | Wake window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 mo | 4.5 kg | 675 ml 22.8 oz | 7 | 96 ml | 14–17 h | 8–9 h | 4–6 | 0.75–1 h |
| 2 mo | 5.6 kg | 840 ml 28.4 oz | 6 | 140 ml | 14–16 h | 8–10 h | 3–5 | 1–1.75 h |
| 3 mo | 6.4 kg | 960 ml 32.5 oz | 6 | 160 ml | 14–16 h | 8–10 h | 3–5 | 1–1.75 h |
| 4 mo | 6.4 kg | 960 ml 32.5 oz | 5 | 192 ml | 13–15 h | 10–11 h | 3 | 1.75–2.5 h |
| 6 mo solids started | 7.9 kg | 960 ml 32.5 oz | 4 | 240 ml | 13–15 h | 10–11 h | 3 | 1.75–2.5 h |
| 9 mo solids started | 8.9 kg | 960 ml 32.5 oz | 4 | 240 ml | 12–15 h | 10–12 h | 2–3 | 2.5–3 h |
| 12 mo solids started | 9.6 kg | 960 ml 32.5 oz | 4 | 240 ml | 12–15 h | 11–12 h | 2 | 3–4 h |
Reading the table
Total sleep barely moves; the distribution moves enormously. Across the year the total falls only from 14–17 hours to 12–15. Meanwhile night sleep climbs from 8–9 to 11–12 hours and naps fall from 4–6 to 2–2. Babies do not sleep much less — they sleep at a different time.
The wake window is the number that changes days. It grows from 0.75–1 hours to 3–4. Keeping a baby up past it makes settling harder rather than easier, which is why a difficult nap is more often a timing problem than a technique one.
Milk plateaus before solids start. The daily figure reaches its cap around 3 months, and from six months solids begin and it becomes an upper guide rather than a target. A baby taking less milk while eating more and still growing is doing exactly what should happen.
What this table cannot do.It cannot tell you whether your baby is well. Every figure is a population average, the ranges are wide because healthy babies differ, and a single measurement matters far less than a trend on your paediatrician’s own chart. It also says nothing about howa baby should be put down — safe sleep is separate and not negotiable. See the infant safety guide, and take anything about your own child from your midwife, health visitor or paediatrician.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the daily milk figure stop increasing?
Because the feeding guide caps near 960 ml (about 32 oz) a day — the ceiling most guidance gives for formula intake. On these reference weights that cap is reached around 3 months. Beyond it the answer to a hungry baby stops being more milk, and from six months solids begin and the figure becomes an upper guide rather than a target.
Does a baby sleep much less as they get older?
Barely. Total sleep falls only from 14–17 hours to 12–15 across the year. What changes enormously is the distribution: night sleep climbs from 8–9 hours to 11–12, while naps fall from 4–6 to 2–2. That consolidation is the change parents actually feel.
Does this table tell me whether my baby is normal?
No. Every figure is a population average or a reference band, and the ranges are wide because healthy babies genuinely differ. A single measurement is the least informative kind — your paediatrician's own chart, which plots the trend over time, is what matters. This is orientation for understanding what the numbers mean, not an assessment of any child.
Does the sleep column say anything about how to put a baby down?
Nothing at all, and that distinction matters. This table is about when and how much. Safe-sleep guidance — on the back for every sleep, on a firm flat surface designed for infant sleep, nothing loose in the sleep space, room-sharing without bed-sharing in the early months — is separate, carries real evidence, and is not modified by any timing on this page.