Sample Schedules for a Formula Fed Baby

Get sample schedules from newborn to 12 month old baby schedule. These are all schedules used by formula-fed babies.

baby eating from a bottle

Sample schedules used by real babies are always helpful for you to know if your baby is on track or not.

Sample schedules help you to see what is typical, what is not, and what goals you can work toward with your own baby.

I have a lot of sample schedules on this blog, but none of them are dedicated to formula-fed babies.

This post shares sample routines of only babies who ate formula.

Scroll down below the sample schedules to get some schedule tips for your baby.

Sample Schedules for Baby

These schedules were submitted by real moms who read this blog. Thank you to all who contributed! If you have a schedule to add, please leave it in the comments.

These sample schedules can help you get your infant on a solid formula-feeding schedule.

Newborn Feeding Schedule

3:00 AM Feed
6:00 AM Feed
9:00 AM Feed
12:00 PM Feed
3:00 PM Feed
6:00 PM Feed
9:00 PM Feed
12:00 AM Feed

7:00 dwt, bottle, diaper
7:45 sleep
10:00 bottle, diaper
10:45 sleep
1:00 bottle, diaper
1:45 sleep
4:00 bottle, diaper
4:45 sleep
6:30 bottle, diaper
7:00 bedtime

7:00 AM Feeding, diaper change, waketime
7:50 AM Nap
9:30 AM Feeding, diaper change, waketime
10:20 AM Nap
12:00 PM Feeding, diaper change, waketime
12:50 PM Nap
2:30 PM Feeding, diaper change, waketime
3:20 PM Nap
5:00 PM Feeding, diaper change, waketime
5:50 PM Nap
8:00 PM Feeding, diaper change, waketime
8:30 PM Bedtime
11:00 PM Dream feed (late evening feeding)
Night feeds as needed

6:00 AM Feed
9:00 AM Feed
12:00 PM Feed
3:00 PM Feed
6:00 PM Feed
9:00 PM Feed
4-6 ounces of formula per feeding

8am DWT
11am feed
2pm feed
5pm feed
8pm feed then bed
typically has 2 nighttime feeds

7
10
1
4
6
8:30

7:00 DWT, bottle, diaper
7:45 sleep
10:00 bottle, diaper
10:45 sleep
1:00 bottle, diaper
1:45 sleep
4:00 bottle, diaper
4:45 sleep
6:45 bottle, diaper
7:00 bedtime
let baby wake in night

6:30 – DWT/ bottle
8:00 – Nap (this is a longer wake time due to getting sisters up and ready for school/daycare)
10:00 – bottle
11:00 – Nap
1:00 – bottle
2:00 – Nap
4:00 – bottle
5:30 – 6:00 catnap(We are flexible with this time as we try to time it so we can have family dinner)
7:00 – bath
7:30 – bottle and crib
10:30/11 – dreamfeed

7 – ew
8 – nap
9:30 – ew
10:30 – nap
12 – ew
1 – nap
3 – ew
4:15 – nap
5:30 – ew, then bedtime routine
7 -e/sleep
10 – dreamfeed

Find more sample schedules here:

3 Month Old Feeding Schedule

730 feed
9 nap
1030 feed
12 nap
1330 feed
15 nap
1630 feed
18-1845 catnap/Wake time/bath
1930 feed
2000 bed

Wake up 7 or 730🍼 7:30
😴 9
🍼 1030
😴12
🍼130
😴3
🍼430
😴6
🍼730
🛁 930
🍼945
😴bedtime 10

8- 🍼
10-11:30- 😴
11:30- 🍼
1:30-3- 😴
3- 🍼
5-6- 😴
6- 🍼
8- Bedtime Routine 🍼
8:30- 😴😴😴

7 feed
10:30 feed
2 feed
5:30 feed (sometimes 6 because I pick her up from daycare in the middle of her nap and she falls asleep again when we get home)
8-8:30 feed

7:30
11:00
2:30
5:30
7:00

7:00 dwt, bottle
8:30 nap
10:30 bottle
12:00 nap
2:00 bottle
3:30 nap
5:00 bottle
6:45 bottle
7:00 bedtime

DWT – 7am feed
8am – nap
10 am – feed
11 am – nap
12.30pm/1pm – feed
2 pm – nap
3.30 – feed
4.30pm – nap
5.30pm – feed. Bath and bed routine (sometimes I feed him here if he seems hungry… But sometimes not)
7pm – bed for the night
10.15pmish… Dreamfeed

7:00 – Wake for day
4oz bottle
Diaper change
7:45 – nap
10:00 – wake
4oz bottle
Change
Run errands (if needed)
10:45 – Nap
1:00 – Wake
4oz bottle
Change
One on one time with mom
1:50 – Nap
4:00 – Wake
Change
Play on playmat
5:00 – Nap (often in the Moby, sometimes in crib)
5:30 – Dinner with family
This time of day is always a dice roll… Sometimes baby is napping in crib, sometimes he sits in the swing near the table, sometimes dad and I take turns eating and walking with baby 🤣
6:30 – Wake from nap (if needed)
Change
Bedtime routine
4oz bottle
7:00pm – Bed for the night
10:00pm – Dreamfeed 4oz bottle
(Depending on baby, this feed may or may not still be happening)

Find more sample schedules for this age here: Sample Babywise Schedules: The Fourth Month

4 Month Old Feeding Schedule

6:20 wake, change
6:45 feed 6 ounces
8:30 nap
9:45 change, feed 5 ounces
11:30 nap
13:00 change, feed 3 ounces
14:30 nap
16:00 change, feed 5 ounces
17:00 nap
19:00 feed 6 ounces, bath
20:00 sleep

7 AM feed 5 oz
8:45 AM nap
10:30 AM feed 5-6 oz
12:30 PM nap
2/2:30 PM feed 5 oz
4/4:30 PM cat nap
5:00 PM feed 4 oz
7:00 PM feed 5-6 oz then bedtime
10/10:30 PM Dream feed 3-4 oz depending on what she ate over the course of the day

6.00 wake and feed
8.30 nap
9.15 wake
10.00 feed
11.30 nape
14.00 feed
15.15 nap
16.15 wake
18.00 bath
18.20/18.30 feed
19.00 (latest 19.30) bed

6.00 give meds
7.00 wake and feed 5-7oz
8.30/9.00 nap
10.00 feed 3-4oz
11.00/11.30 nap
13.00 feed 6-7oz
14.00 nap
16.00 feed 6oz
17.00-17.45 nap
18.00 meds
18.30 bath
18.50 feed 6-7oz
Asleep by 19.30 usually

8:00 up and eat
9:15 nap
12 up and eat/plus cereal
1:20 nap
3:45 up and eat
4 nap
5:15 up and eat
6:45-7 eat and bed
10:30 dream feed

Find more sample schedules for this age here: Babywise Sample Schedules: The Fifth Month

5 Month Old Feeding Schedule

6:45 DWT/bottle
8:30 Nap
10:15 Bottle
12:00 Nap
1:45 Bottle
2:30 Nap
4:00 Bottle
6:15 Bath
6:30 Bottle
6:45 Bed
Naps were all over the place on daycare days!

7 DWT
830-1030 nap
1215-2 nap
345/4-445/5 nap
7 bed

7am feed
9-10:30 nap
10:30 feed
12:30-2:00 nap
2:00 feed
4-4:30 nap
5:00 feed
7:30 feed
7:30 bedtime

7:00 dwt/ bottle
9:30 nap
11:00 bottle
1:30 nap
3:00 bottle
4:30-5:00 cat nap
7:00 bottle, bedtime

7:00am – Wake for day
6-8oz bottle (depending on which baby)
Change
Play on baby gym
7:50am – Nap
10:30am – Wake
Change
6-8oz bottle
Play in exersaucer
11:30am – Nap
1:30pm – Wake
6-8oz bottle
Change
One on one time with mom
3:30pm – Wake
6-8oz bottle
Walk
4:30pm – Cat nap
5:30pm – Dinner with family
6:30 – start bed time routine
6-8oz bottle
7:00pm Bed for the night

Find more sample schedules for this age here: Babywise Sample Schedules: The Sixth Month

6 Month Old Feeding Schedule

6:30 wake, change
7:00 breakfast
9:30 change
10:00 nap
12:00 change, lunch
14:00 nap
16:30 change, snack
19:00 change, feed
20:00 sleep

7:00 AM Breakfast, waketime
9:00 AM Nap
11:00 AM Feeding, waketime
1:00 PM Nap
3:00 PM Feeding, waketime
5:00 PM Catnap
6:00 PM Feeding, waketime
8:00 PM Feeding, bedtime

Find more sample schedules for this age here: Babywise Sample Schedules: The Seventh Month

7 Month Old Feeding Schedule

6:30 wake, change
7:00 breakfast
9:30 change
10:00 nap
12:00 change, lunch
14:00 nap
16:30 change, snack
19:00 change, feed
20:00 sleep

7:00 AM Feed
10:30 AM Feed
2:00 PM Feed
5:30 PM Feed
8:00 PM Feed then bed

7am – DWT – 8oz. bottle
8am – solids
Btwn. 9 & 11 – nap
11am – 8oz. bottle
12pm – solids
Btwn. 1 & 3 – nap
3pm – 8oz. bottle
5:30pm – solids
7pm – 8oz. bottle/bed

7:00 feed 6 oz
11:30 feed 6 oz
4:00 feed 6 oz
7:30 feed 6 oz & bed

7 DWT bottle and solids
9-11 nap
11 bottle and solids
1/1:15-3:00 nap
3:00 bottle and solids
5-5:30 catnap if needed
7 bottle then bedtime
Milk at 7/11/3/7

Find more sample schedules for this age here: Babywise Sample Schedules: The Eighth Month

8 Month Old Feeding Schedule

6:30 wake, change
7:00 breakfast
9:30 change
10:00 nap
12:00 change, lunch
14:00 nap
16:30 change, snack
19:00 change, feed
20:00 sleep

7:00 Wake and bottle
9:30 Nap
11:00 Wake and bottle. Solid foods
1:30 Bottle
2:00 Nap
4:00 Wake and solids
6:30 Bottle
7:00 Bedtime

Find more sample schedules for this age here: Babywise Sample Schedules: The Ninth Month

9 Month Old Feeding Schedule

6:30 wake, change
7:00 breakfast
9:30 change
10:00 nap
12:00 change, lunch
14:00 nap
16:30 change, snack
19:00 change, feed
20:00 sleep

7:00am Wake for day
Change
4oz bottle
Solids (cereal and fruit)
Play on mat/in living room (depending if baby is crawling)
8:30am – Nap
11:00am – Wake
Change 
4oz bottle
11:30 – Lunch with family
Veggies and finger food
1:00pm – Nap
3:00-3:30pm – wake
Change
4oz bottle
5:30pm – Dinner
Veggies and finger food
6:30pm – Bedtime routine
6oz bottle
Bed for the night

Find more sample schedules for this age here: Babywise Sample Schedules: The Tenth Month

10 Month Old Feeding Schedule

6:30 wake, change
7:00 breakfast
9:30 change
10:00 nap
12:00 change, lunch
14:00 nap
16:30 change, snack
19:00 change, feed
20:00 sleep

7 AM Feed
11 AM Feed
4 PM Feed
7 PM Feed

Find more sample schedules for this age here: Babywise Sample Schedules: The Eleventh Month

11 Month Old Feeding Schedule

6:30 wake, change
7:00 breakfast
9:30 change
10:00 nap
12:00 change, lunch
14:00 nap
16:30 change, snack
19:00 change, feed
20:00 sleep

Find more sample schedules for this age here: Babywise Sample Schedules: The Twelfth Month

12 Month Old Feeding Schedule

7:00 wake
7:30 breakfast
13:00 lunch
15:00 nap
18:00 dinner
20:00 sleep

Find more schedules for this age range here: Babywise Sample Schedules: 12-15 Months Old

Follow Hunger Cues

Whenever you are following a baby routine or schedule, you want to be aware of hunger cues. A baby has growth spurts several times throughout the first year, even when formula-fed.

>>>Read: Baby Growth Spurts: Everything You Need To Know

Babies will also increase the number of ounces they take per feeding, as you may have noticed if you glanced through the entire year of schedules above. Your baby will have times you need to increase the number of ounces per bottle.

Common hunger cues include licking lips, rooting, bringing the fist to the face, and crying. For more help with hunger cues, see Hunger Cues: How To Know if Baby Is Hungry.

Remember, it isn’t just breastfeeding babies who have growth spurts or need milk amounts increased.

Have a Solid Sleep Routine

These sample schedules are a good guide. The feeding part of a routine is very important.

So is the sleep part.

Part of having a solid routine is to think of it as a sleep schedule as much as a feeding schedule.

Have a consistent sleep routine for your baby. This might include swaddling, white noise, a story, and lullabies. See Sleep Routine Ideas to Get Your Baby Sleeping Well for more.

Understand the Sleep Hierarchy

While we ideally want to keep an eat/wake/sleep cycle and have baby sleeping independently in her own bed, it is important to understand your sleep goals and the hierarchy of those goals.

This is especially true in the newborn stage. It is okay to turn to something like a swing to help baby sleep better if needed.

>>>My Sleep Hierarchy For Newborns

Watch Growth and Wet Diapers

An excellent way to make sure baby is getting enough to eat is to check wet diapers and watch growth. Baby should follow a steady growth curve.

Bottle-fed babies should have consistent growth and a regular number of wet and dirty diapers just as breastfed babies do.

I have a post dedicated to how many ounces a day a baby should eat:

>>>Read: How Many Ounces Should Baby Drink in a Day

Track the Schedule

I highly recommend you take notes of your daily routine so you know what works and what doesn’t.

I used this book of logs to track things for my kiddos. It was invaluable to me and really helped me get my kids on the solid, predictable schedules they were on.

The Babywise Mom Book of Logs eBook cover
Discount

Conclusion

These sample schedules and tips can help you get your baby on a great schedule. Most formula-fed babies can move to a 4 hour schedule at a younger age than breastfed babies, but that isn’t always the case. Always follow your baby’s individual needs and cues.

Related Posts

Formula fed baby schedules

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