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How Many Cans Of Formula Per Month: Important Factors To Consider

how many cans of formula per month

Formula-fed babies are dependent upon cans of formula to sustain health and development. 

Knowing how much formula to purchase if you’re trying to stock up for a month or any period depends on several things, but being able to figure out this number can help you to be prepared for the next formula shortage, financial issues, and those pesky everyday hitches to our plans that make it difficult to get to the store to purchase infant formula.

In this article, we will break down how many cans of formula per month you will need and a breakdown of how many cans of formula you will need per week.

We’ll explain how to figure out this number, as it will be different for each family.

Why should you figure out how many cans of formula per month?

It may be a good idea to figure out how many cans of formula per month, week, etc. 

With all the planning, scheduling, and preparation you need to have anything ready when you have a baby, you may think that planning anything unnecessary isn’t worth your time.

While it’s not absolutely necessary or mandatory to figure out how much you need to buy a month ahead of time for your formula-feeding baby, it certainly can help.

Consider taking the time to figure out just how many cans of formula per month you will need based on the following reasons:

how many cans of formula per month

1. Formula shortages

Infant formula recalls have been one of the issues in the US in the last couple of years. Baby formulas have been challenging to find, and when they get restocked, they get bought up almost immediately.

Powdered formula was being stockpiled by parents who could find it, and even concentrated liquid formula was being hoarded.

Doctors advised parents to be flexible about prepared formula, including being willing to mix formula cans with liquid formula.

Many US areas still exist where the formula needed in communities can’t be found.

Knowing how much baby formula you need, how many cans of formula, or how much concentrated liquid formula can help you to prepare for a shortage if there is another one or if your community or area is still dealing with the aftermath of the last shortage.

Your baby’s growth and your baby’s weight are dependent upon getting that nutrition.

2. Having trouble producing breast milk

Suppose you intend to breastfeed your newborn baby, and you’re having issues with milk production or getting your milk in. In that case, you may have to have your baby on a supplemental feeding schedule using baby products for formula-fed babies, even though you plan to switch to breastfeeding eventually.

Knowing how much formula you need will help you avoid purchasing too much or too little.

It will also help you prepare ahead of time so that you can find the best formula for you to supplement along with breastfeeding.

3. Creating a budget

Buying more formula than you need isn’t going to benefit your growing baby, but it can certainly impact your bank account.

Baby formula, especially the large cans, can be costly. Buying too many cans per month means you are potentially wasting money and taking baby formula from other parents who may need it for their babies.

If you are like many families and have a monthly budget, knowing how many cans of formula per month you will need will help you set aside the finances required to purchase them.

4. For daycare

The daycare facility does not provide baby formula if you return to work and need daycare for your little one. Most parents must send baby formulas for the facility and staff to keep and dole out daily.

Knowing how many cans of formula you need to send for a set period will help ensure your baby has the required formula at daycare and won’t ever have to go without it.

If the formula changes due to dietary needs, you may even be able to donate the rest of the previous brand you sent to another baby who may need more food.

How many cans of formula per month

Many parents who want to calculate the amount of formula they’ll need for their babies need help figuring out where to start.

There’s more than the cost involved and the planning of where to purchase the baby formula. Several other factors determine the amount of formula a baby will need.

When trying to figure out the amount of formula you will need per month for formula-fed babies, the following are factors to consider:

1. Baby’s age

Your baby’s age has much to do with how much formula they must consume daily. You can find the amount of formula recommended for each age level online and even on the back of the formula cans, but this should only be used as a rough guide.

Knowing how many ounces of formula is recommended for a baby of six months of age, for example, is a good starting point, but you may feed your baby a bit more or less than that.

2. How much formula per bottle

Formula-fed babies are fairly predictable for periods in how many ounces of formula they consume in each bottle.

This cuts down on the bottle’s waste and allows you to determine how many cans of formula per month you will need.

Knowing how much formula per feeding is a great place to start when budgeting for a monthly supply of baby formula.

3. How many feedings per day

If you already have a feeding schedule, you have a count of how many bottles you go through each day with your baby. If you don’t have a feeding schedule, consider creating one.

This schedule will make it much easier to calculate how many cans of formula per month you will need to buy, and it will also give you a daily guide to ensure you don’t miss a feeding or nap time. 

If something were to occur that would require a caregiver for a day, you could provide this schedule so that your baby’s routine continued to stay the same.

How many ounces of formula in a can

Each type of formula has a specified amount of formula in the can. 

Knowing how many ounces you use in each can is a number you will need when plugging the numbers into the equation.

You don’t have to purchase a formula to get this number. You can get online and look up the specific formula you need for your kids, and it should tell you how many ounces are in each can.

You can also look at the store where you buy your baby formula regularly or ask your doctor for that information at your next appointment.

how many cans of formula per month

Do the math

Hopefully, you’ve got a pretty good idea of all the numbers you’ll need to figure out how many cans of formula you will need.

The following is how you do the math that will get you to the right amount of ounces and, therefore, cans of formula per month you will need.

How many ounces per bottle x how many bottles per day

First, determine how many ounces per bottle your baby will consume over the next month. If that number is expected to go up within the next month, it’s best to round up.

For example, newborns only consume a couple of ounces per bottle, but that number very quickly shoots up at this stage as they grow older.

Then, multiply that number by how many bottles per day your baby consumes. If you aren’t sure how many night feedings may occur, round up on that number as well.

This will get you a total ounce count per 24 hours.

You will then need to multiply this total by however many days are in the month, be it 28, 30, or 31.

This will give you the total number of ounces you’ll need for the month.

Divide the total ounces needed by the number of ounces in a can of formula

The large number you are left with may look daunting, but the next step will put it all into a better focus.

Take that large number, and divide it by the number of ounces per can of formula. This will give you a much smaller number and tell you how many cans of formula per month you will need for your little one.

You may purchase one extra can if your little one hits a growth spurt and decides to drink a lot more than what you’re used to feeding them. 

They need the extra nutrients when they hit these spurts.

How many cans of baby formula per week?

If you decide to work up a budget or plan for formula feeding that goes by the week rather than a month, it’s the same process, just with smaller numbers.

You multiply the number of ounces of formula per feeding by the number of bottles your little one consumes daily.

Then multiply that number by seven (seven days a week), and then divide that number by the number of ounces in the cans of baby formula.

Determining how many cans of formula per month

When calculating the number of cans of formula you will need for your baby, your final thoughts may rest on knowing that you can always run out and get another can if it seems like you are running low. 

If there is a shortage in your area, you can try contacting your doctor to see if resources are available to get more.

Hopefully, however, you will get the math correct, and you won’t be thrown any curve balls by your baby when it comes to feeding habits. 

Just be sure to redo all your math when your baby starts to eat more per bottle.

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