Moving from BM to FM - help needed

[PDog]

I am going back to work soon and my 8mo DD will be going to nursery. I would like to continue bf morning and night but will not be around for 3 days out of 7 so DD needs to have some formula (not practical to express at work).

DD currently has 5 main feeds a days plus a few extras when I feed her to sleep so I need to cut this down to 2 feeds by mid-September.

Spoke to HV and she said start at lunchtime and work outwards so today I offered DD a 7oz bottle after her dinner. She wasn't that interested and kept turning her head for boob (DH says she does with EBM when I have left her before) so only had about 20mls. Using cartons of Aptamil as I am lazy have no idea how to make up a bottle.

So, for those that have done something similar:

1. Did you offer bottle before or after solids?

1. How long did it take for your LO to cotton on and actually drink from bottle?

1. Did you have any more success with a cup?

1. How long will my supply take to even out? DD has been very sporadic with night awakenings over the past month so seem to have tons of milk.

DD is a crap sleeper and particularly not great with naps. We either nap on the move or feed to sleep so am a bit worried when I won't be able to do this anymore. Any tips for getting them to sleep without boob? Prob need to post in the sleep section don't I?

Thanks

just to address point about naps -
DS bfed to sleep until he was about 18m i think, every time EXCEPT at nursery where they never had a problem! they work some magic i think
What are the initials of the one shes going to? If you want to say? Mine go to SF

You could just let her have water at nursery for the three days you work? Is she having food? Try a sippy cup maybe?

Thanks SPB that helps re the naps. It is one of the main things I am worried about as she is rubbish at getting to sleep without assistance. Although she is not napping much at all at the minute, with or without boob.

She is going to KF, near the hospital.

Morloth - If I did that, I am assuming she would just 'catch up' when she saw me? Would I still be able to feed her on the days I am not at work or would my supply reduce?

She is having food, BLW so some days she eats loads and others not so much. Tried her with her sippy cup today but she was a bit confused as she usually just has water from it. Bought a new sippy cup today to try just for milk so will see how that goes.

I was hoping that she would reduce her feeds herself in favour of snacks and maybe just keep her lunchtime feed so it wouldn't be as much of an issue if she refused milk at nursery. There is still time as she doesn't start until September but I am too pfb scared to carry on bf and hope it all works out.

Your boobs are pretty clever. DS1 started nursery 2 days a week at 8 months - he just had food at nursery and a sippy cup with water. My boobs were pretty full by the end of the day but not uncomfortable and he would feed as soon as we got home (or sometimes in the car at nursery).

He had feeds through the day when I wasn't working so no problems with supply.

I kept feeding till 18mths so it worked out fine.

With my DD I went back to work at 6 months. We started weaning onto solids at 5 months and by 6 months she was eating fruit and veggie puree with baby rice twice a day. By that point she was having maybe 5 x BF a day and not really drinking anything else.

She had a couple of settling in sessions at the nursery.

I left her with:
1 x avent bottle of formula
1 x sippy cup of formula
1 x sippy cup of water
1 x avent bottle of water

The first time I left her (only for a few hours) they called me as it they couldn't get her to drink anything at all. On the second day they said she drank a couple of oz of milk from the bottle.

I didn't start cutting down BF until 3 days before I was due back. On days 1-3 cut out mid morning feeds. On day 4 I went to work, was a bit full by the end of the day by manageable. By day 6 was down to morning and night. On day 7 I was at home with her and she happily drank from the bottle for me.

The solids were at 8.30am and 4.30pm. So half way between milk.

DS2 now 4 months. I am going back to work mid October and am not going to worry about this until I go back. I expect that for the first few days I'll have to express milk at lunchtime. So far though he happily drinks milk (EBM) from a bottle.

My dc2 was only bf morning and bedtime at 8 months, not out of necessity, just that's how it turned out, she was eating 3 good meals with plenty of protein and dropped the daytime feeds. So you could try to get her to eat more solids rather than having formula. I couldn't get dc2 to take a bottle(at about 10 or 11 months) until I tried first thing in the morning.

Thanks. Haven't had any joy today. She does drink water so no worries about her getting dehydrated (in fact she is a little bit obsessed with drinking water sometimes). I will maybe just carry on bf and leave the nursery with some milk so it is there if she wants it.