7 to 12 months how much and how often? (Back to work help)

[missknows]

Actual question in bold, rest is extra info :-)

Well officially I have been back at work 2 weeks already but as I'm a teacher I now have 6 weeks off ;-)

From September my mum will be having our baby 2 days a week while I work. Baby will be 7.5 months old. Can you tell me how much milk (breast or formula) your baby takes/took roughly and how often at 7 months through until I can give cows milk?

I am still intending on breastfeeding when she wakes and before she goes to bed but need an idea of how much a typical baby needs during the day. Solids are going well so far but no reduction in milk that I am aware of yet- still feeding 3 hourly, 4 now and again.

For what it's worth- the 4 days I have been back to work so far I fed upon waking, husband gave her a bottle 3 hours later, 3 hours later he brought her to me during lunch to feed, 3 hours later he gave her a bottle again, then I fed her before bed.

She only seems to take about 2/3 ounces of expressed milk though, whether that's because that's all she takes each feed during the day or because it isn't directly from the breast I don't know. She will have a MASSIVE feed during the night still too.

Any tips appreciated- this post is a lot longer than I expected it to be!

[ilovepowerhoop]

at 8 months ds had 4 milk feeds per day 7, 11, 3, 7 (roughly). Cant remember how much they took in the bottle but a minimum of 20oz of milk is recommended per day from 6-12 months.

[leedy]

I went back to work a bit later than that, more like 10 months with DS1 (even later with DS2) - at that stage baby was feeding in the morning, had an expressed bottle (3/4oz or so) around lunchtime, fed when I got in from work, then bedtime (and usually a night feed). Does that help?

I seem to remember with both boys that solids intake ramped up a lot around 9 months or so and they dropped at least one feed by themselves so possibly baby will still need an extra mid morning bottle at 7.5 months.

[missknows]

Thank you both. I know all babies are different but just trying to get some averages so I have a heads up of what to prepare for.

[CityDweller]

DD had three, quickly dropping to two during the day at that age (I went back to work when she was 8.5 mo). So at 8.5 mo it was something like 10, 1, 4. But she dropped the lunchtime one within a month and just did mid-morning and mid-afternoon. She then dropped those (in that I stopped sending her with expressed milk to cm) at 12 mo without batting an eyelid (she just had more water/ snacks instead). I never bothered 'switching her to cows milk' as I've continued to bf first thing and bedtime and she has plenty of other calcium in her diet (cheese, yoghurt, etc).

[OhTheHugeManatee]

DD is 9 months and feeds on waking, about 2ish and bedtime. She's recently (mostly) dropped the 11am feed in favour of a morning snack.

[YBR]

I went back to work when DD2 was 6.5 mo, and now at 8mo I bf her morning and evening and she gets bottles of formula from DH during the day. We make up 6oz but sometimes she'll take only 4oz.
She's taken to weaning well and sleeps through most nights, if that makes a difference.

I can't face expressing at work, and don't feel DD2 has to be exclusively given BM, so cut down BF before returning to work.
Works for us - sample of 1.

[missknows]

Thank you all. I've found the last 2 days she has only fed twice during the day so has cut herself down already.

(As well as first thing upon waking, before bed and once in the night so 5 in total)

This means I will only hopefully need to pump once at work to cover the 2 feeds she will need away from me.