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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

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Original poster

Express or formula? for one night only?

12 replies

hazchem · 14/11/2011 15:07

i'm going to my work Christmas party in a few weeks time. I'll probably stay for a few hours so will get home about 9pm. My partner will be looking after our 9 month old DS. I'm just not sure what to do about milk? I have up til now only breastfeed DS directly.

I'm wondering if I should try to express some milk to leave for him. I've not ever done it before and am unsure about what I would need to express. How much would i need to leave for him? do i need storage bags?
Or should I get formula. then which do i buy? how much?

I'm confused about it all. The last time I had the option of a night out I sort of freaked out at the thought of doing something other then just breastfeeding him so I just didn't go. I'd love to go to this as it is the last thing event for the company I'll go to as I am leaving to be a full time mum.

Thanks

OP posts:

MigGril · 14/11/2011 16:16

Personaly I'd try and express. Kellymom has a good calculator to work out how much you would need to leave. www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/milkcalc.html

The other option is leaving a carton of formula, you can get these indivudual so only need to get one or two.

The reasion why I'd chose expressed milk is as you DS is 9months and never had formula then he may not take it as it does tast very different to BM. This maynot be the case but it would be worth trying him with formula first before you go out to see if he will take it. You'd probably need to get some one else to do this though as he's unlikly to take it from you.

BertieBotts · 14/11/2011 16:36

Absolutely up to you! If you don't mind him having formula then just get a carton of the ready made stuff. "from birth" or "from 6 months" is fine. That would probably be the simplest option. I wouldn't worry about trying it beforehand, if he doesn't like it, he will be perfectly fine with some water or solids. It's only a few hours! :)

If you don't want to give him formula then you could express. I'd start ASAP because you can freeze the milk and it means you're not under pressure to produce enough on a deadline. Do you have bottles? If not then storage bags will probably work out cheapest. You do need at least one bottle to attach the bags to though because they don't go directly onto a pump. If you express at the same time every day then while you might not get much out the first few times, it will stimulate more milk production for that time the next day.

A full bottle is 8oz, it's unlikely you'll need that much, probably 5 or 6 if that - he might not even want any, especially if you feed before you go out.

I found it hard to express after 8 months ish and barely got anything out. But I was trying to do it at short notice, so over a few days might work a lot better.

BertieBotts · 14/11/2011 16:37

Oh and it's usual to only be able to get a maximum of 1 or 2 oz out at a time, even once you've built up from the few mm you will get at first.

MigGril · 14/11/2011 17:02

8oz is a LOT of milk for a BF baby, the average feed is normaly only around 4oz.

Formula needs to increase in volune as a baby gets bigger but BM changes in consitancy so volume doesn't change as much.

Original poster

hazchem · 14/11/2011 17:02

Thanks. Maybe it would be a good idea to try out the expressing thing as I guess I might want to go out again at some stage of my life!
I think i maybe should have given it a go earlier.

OP posts:

MigGril · 14/11/2011 17:07

Hazchem, how long will you be out? Another option is to feed before you go a baby at this age should be able to go 4hours between feeds (ok not all do but most will) and just leave some milk just in case.

He woun't starve if your out for a few hours. Your DH may not have a fun evening but if it's just every now and again it should't do your DS any harm, he can have some daddy bonding time.

BertieBotts · 14/11/2011 17:24

Ah okay, I didn't know that. I don't think I ever left DS with a bottle after 8 months. Once he was a year he just had cow's milk if he wanted anything.

I don't think it makes a difference if you express earlier or not. IME as well breastfed babies just "get" that mum has milk but others don't and often they will just happily go without even in situations where they would usually want it, e.g. for sleeps etc. Although as I said DS was older. But a lot of 9 month olds go to nursery and have no milk during the day at all, but just feed when they get home, first thing in the morning and at night and then at normal at weekends.

Original poster

hazchem · 14/11/2011 19:46

MigGril I'll probably be away from him for about 4-5hours all up. It more that it's the evening and he would normally feed at say 5ish have dinner about 6 ish feed again at 7ish have a cruise around then feed again at about 8ish and then hopefully feed again about 9:30 10ish.

BertieBotts i'm sure it's more my worry that he will stave. and i probably feel a bit guilty that after feeding him for 8 months i think well fuck it i want a drink you have a bottle!

A friend is going to let me try out her pump and I guess i'll see if i get the hang of it.

OP posts:

BertieBotts · 14/11/2011 23:18

I think it's quite normal for breastfed children to feed a lot in the evening, it's unlikely he would have the same amount of bottle feeds. Are you going straight from work? If not you could feed him at 5ish, then he'd have his dinner and DH can see how it goes whether he gets cranky at 7/8ish, offer the bottle, or just some distraction, or even some snacky food, fruit or yoghurt or toast or something. I think he's more likely to want the milk when he's sleepy though. For the other in betweeny feeds they tend to be more likely to leave it when you're not there.

Of course all babies are different though!

flamegirl77 · 15/11/2011 02:32

You might want to try getting your DH to offer EBM feeds in advance to get your DS used to a bottle. If he hasn't had one before there's a chance he may refuse it. You might even prefer to go straight to a cup. Have a good time on your night out!

Original poster

hazchem · 15/11/2011 08:17

It all makes so much sense when someone else says it!

might try the EBM thing on weekend. I think we will go for a cup if only so i don't spend an hour in boots agonising over which bottle. (i'm sure i never used to be this indecisive)

now what am i going to wear?

OP posts:

SirBoobAlot · 15/11/2011 09:15

Would def opt for expressing, so at least the taste is familiar. Try in advance so he can get used to it.

Would say though - ever cautious! - my DS refused milk from anything other than the breast from around 6 months, so it may be worth planning for something like that just in case. How far away is the office party? If you had to, whilst it might not be preferable, would you be able to feed him before bed, and then leave?

Not trying to throw a spanner into the works, just cover every possibility.

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