BF/formula/cows milk......

[Sparrowlegs248]

Just wondering what happens when you stop bf? DS is 11 wks old and so far ebf. I will go back to work 3 days a week when he is 9 months and full time sob when he is 13 months.

I have read a thread below about using a cup/bottle, expressing or formula etc. But I honestly have no idea what a babys needs are.

Wil he be eating proper meals with a milk top up by 9 months? When do you just give cows milk?
I dont know yet how i will geel about stopping bf, whether i will want to stop before going back to work or not.

[mintbiscuit]

I went back to work when ds2 was 10 months. Went back part time at first (3 days a week). Ds was bf but did not take a bottle or formula. I fed him in the morning, after work and bedtime (he was still having a night feed too at this age). I never expressed. He was a really good eater so I sent him in with lots of calcium rich foods for those days at nursery. For the other days I just breastfed as normal (maybe offering a few more feeds than usual to keep up supply).

[NickyEds]

Wil he be eating proper meals with a milk top up by 9 months?-Maybe.Maybe not! My ds was having 3 meals a day and 3 bottles a day (I'd stopped bf by then). My nephew who was ebf had no milk at all during the day from 8 months, he wouldn't take bottles or f so made up for it in the evenings and during the night. Some of my friends ebf babies were still feeding several times a day when their mums were home and not at all when they were in nursery. Your supply will be very robust by then so should adjust to your schedule.
When do you just give cows milk? At 1 you can give cows milk as their "main milk" if you want, obviously you won't need to if you're still bf. If you're ff you can switch if you want and most people do because cows milk is easier, cheaper and you don't have to sterilise.

[Sparrowlegs248]

Thank you both! Totally clueless here.

[daluze]

As above posters said, you can't predict how much solids you baby will take at 9 months. It is considered that main nutrition comes from milk until they are 1, but some babies are really good eaters by 9 months. In my experience, most babies at that age are fine few days a week in childcare without milk even if they don't take bottle/formula. They make up for it at other times. Try not to worry about it now - it is still far away and you'll figure out closer to time!