How much milk should a 10 month old drink at daytime feeds?

[Absofruitly]

My ten month old DS has been BF since birth, with the occasional foray into formula top-ups in his first couple of weeks and if someone else is looking after him for more than a couple of hours. I currently BF four times a day: wake-up (6am), mid-morning, mid-afternoon (before naps) and bedtime (7pm). I will be going back to work soon and want to cut those four feeds down to just two: the wake-up and bedtime ones. I find it hard to express so the daytime feeds will be formula until he turns 1yr and can have cow's milk.

What I would like to know is how much formula a 10 month old, who is eating three meals a day plus snacks (rice cakes/fruit) between meals, will need for mid-morning and mid-afternoon feeds? My DH has tried to give him formula on the odd occasion previously when I have had to go into work for the odd day, but is always unsure how much of the bottle to fill. Is there a chart anywhere of how much milk to give vs age, or weight? Or do you guys have any recommendations from your own experience?

[shellbelle2]

Hi Absofruitly, I have DD of 9 months. She is of average size/weight and takes 4 X 6oz bottles of formula a day comfortably with her solid food. I would therefore suggest starting with 2 X 6oz bottles of formula and see how it goes. If your DS constantly drains his bottles over a few days then up the quantity but remember it will probably affect your BF as it won't take your son long to decide that a bottle is far easier to take than working at breast feeding. This transition might mark the beginning of the end of BF. Each baby is however different all 3 of mine chose the bottle over the breast at different times. DS 1 at 5 months, DS 2 at nearly 9 months and DD at just 4 months. You have done really well to BF for 10 months

[weasle]

hi. my 10 mo is bf and is hardly feeding at all in the day. he'd much rather have food or water in a beaker or just look around. i'm not sure whether to try him with formula or not in the day - is he having enough with just bedtime and morning (and the night-time ones!)?

i returned to work for a bit when he was 7mo and he has always had his daytime milk in a tommee tippee beaker at the childminder's, not a bottle to avoid the problem of prefering bottle to breast (which my ds1 did at 4mo)

good luck with your return to work

[Absofruitly]

Thank you shelle and weasle for your replies. I will let DH know of your recommendation of 6 oz feeds twice a day to start off with and will also tell him to give the beaker a go. DS has a little water with his meals from a beaker so he is familiar with drinking from one. I wouldn't like him to get the breast or bottle confusion thing going as I do want to continue with the bedtime and waking breastfeeds for as long as he wants me to. Apart from anything, he usually wakes between 5:30-6:00 in the morning and I am far too lazy to get up at that time so bringing him into bed for a nice leisurely feed delays having to get up and face the increasingly dark mornings!