have started to introduce some FF, but confused how much - help please?

[curlyLJ]

I have EBF my DD for 6 months and now I have decided that I want to introduce some FF in the day - mostly because she is just too damn distracted when I try to feed anywhere but her darkened room, and it's stressing me out to feed her in public, but also in prep for going back to work...

I have also started to introduce solids and she is currently having some for breakfast and dinner, but none at lunch 'til next week.

I have brought in 1 7oz bottle at around 12.30ish this week, which she is taking OK. I am not sure how to bring in the rest, eg how many hours to roughly space between FFs, and how many she will need per day.

I would like to continue to BF first thing in the morning and last thing at night. Will she need 3 FFs in between, say 9ish, 12.30ish and 4ish? I don't want to under/over feed her and obviously up until now she has been in charge of how much she takes so I haven't a clue! Her weight gain has really slowed down over the last 2 months though, she has dropped a couple of centiles (probably because of the reason mentioned above - she isn't feeding well when out and about) so I am hoping this will help.

Can someone offer some advice please?

Hi Usually its a feed first thing in morning. Solid breakfast an hour later. Then a milk feed mid morning. This can be either before or after morning nap. Then solid lunch. Then a milk feed mid afternoon. like 3pm ish. Then solid tea at 4.30-5pm. And finally a milk feed at bed time.

Obviously while she's not taking great quantities of solids you may want to offer some milk after the solids.
Also if your doing the milk in a cup be aware that it takes a few weeks for then to take any great quantity from it.

I wouldn't worry about over feeding. It shouldn't really be possible. She'll only take what she needs.

Hope this makes sense.

thanks bumbums but that's fine once she is established on 3 meals a day, but at the moment we are in the very early stages of weaning so milk is still the main source of her nutrition.

At present, she wakes some time between 7 and 8, has a BF then some porridge about 9am. I put her down for her morning nap about 10ish, usually with a small BF to help her settle. I have then been giving the 7oz bottle when she is hungry, usually around 12.30 as she isn't currently having solids for lunch. So I guess she needs another bottle about 4ish.

I can make the feed right before her nap into a FF and then if she has this lunchtime bottle for now, is it likely she will just drop it once she is having a 'proper' lunch?
will she just take what else she needs from breast first thing and at bedtime?

Its up to you what you offer offer her when. Think of what the end goal is as well as what she is capable of taking.
Some children love their milk and will carry on having it for ages where as others are happy to drop the milk once they're taking lots of solids.