Can a bf 9m old partially-weaned baby be left for 18 hours with just water and food?

[StarlightMcKenzie]

What would be the best way of doing this?

If it was less time I would just give the odd cows milk substitute.

The problem is made worse by the fact that on Monday I am leaving him for 12 hours with no milk, and then following that with Tuesday for 18 hours.

WWYD?

Will he not drink any other milk at all?

I would think it would be fine - lots of food and drink he likes and be prepared to make up for it overnight.

Well I've tried cows milk but he's not keen at all. DH will have him and knows to keep his water and snacks up.

I have no idea why this has concerned me all of a sudden. I've known about this for ages.

What about expressing if you don't want to use formula?

Well, most guidelines I've read state that babies up to 12 months need at least 500ml of formula/breast milk every day/per 24hrs as milk is still their main feed as it has all the required nutrients.

Formula is sweeter than cow's milk and more nutritious for him. Get your DH to offer it in a cup if he's not used to a bottle, at 9 months he will manage.

X post......

There is just no way that between now and 6'oclock tomorrow morning when I first leave I can get anything like he drinks.

It takes about 20 minuts to get about 5ml and by then my arms are aching.

I don't like formula for many reasons but I wouldn't be adverse to it, though I'm not sure it is any different to cows milk in that ds won't know what the frig dh is trying to make him drink

Are you bf? If so why don't you express so he can have some in a cup or a bottle? It's an awfully long time with no milk and he may not have enough calories from his food to see him through 12 or 18 hours.

Oh right. DH can try formula then. He'll have to go out tomorrow and find some.

DS has never had bottles but drinks water out of a cup so that should be okay.

Yes bfing. I would need at least a week to express even half a cup I'm sure.

I think it will be fine - but I'd make sure there is a lot of yoghurt/cheese in his diet those days, and maybe try to express a bit anyway, so he does have some milk available to him. And leave some cartons of formula just in case. He will live. the person looking after him might suffer a bit though :o

can you try expressing whilst he is feeding on the other side - I don't get much when expressing normally, but found I got more when DD was feeding.

Get DH to buy a couple of aptamil ready made cartons, DS will either drink it or not. He wont come to any harm at all if he just has water & 'food'. Some babies wean themselves before 9m & refuse any substitutes - 18 hours is not going to hurt him one bit!

I could never express either. Will your DS eat porridge or weetabix for breakfast? You can make that up with 100ml of milk. Offer milk in a cup, even cocoa/chocolate milk will be fine for a day.

Ah good idea about the yoghurts. Yep. That should work well. Especially the stupid baby sugary ones.

No. I can't express whilst feeding because I hand express (pumps get zilch) and I need two hands to do it so can't hold a baby.

For breakfast he has oats with milk and banana or apple usually.

Chocolate milk. Blimey. He won't want me back

I'm glad you posted this, I am leaving 6.5 month old tomorrow for the day, with no milk.
I did express a pot and knocked it over!!!!!

My mum is coming, I am scared about telling her there is no milk, but am feeling a bit reassured that he is not going to implode by not having any.

Thanks everyone. Hope he'll be okay.

It's actually a babysitter that will be dealing with him at the end as my dh will be having him for 2 days but then meeting me at the end of the second and goodness knows what the babysitter will do with him.

I had loads of trouble getting DS to drink cow's milk once I stopped breastfeeding (he was a bit older than 9 months though) and sweetened cow's milk/cocoa was necessary for a while

A 6 month old is going to need some kind of milk for a day Girl.

Dd2 is 10 months and I've just gone back to work, even though she has a ff off me at 7pm she refuses to drink it for anyone else, she clearly thinks they are trying to poison her .

My point being she goes all day on water and food if I'm not there, downside she still bfs 2-3 hundred times at night. You'll be fine.

DD was ebf and refused cows milk, but would at 10 months eventually have Aptimil or similar. It didn't kill do her any harm, contrary to my irrational fears, and meant she was much calmer and fuller for DH/ GPs on rare occasions she had to be left for long periods. After hours and hours without milk hunger overcame fussiness about the origin of the milk! Formula tastes much more like breast milk. I would get DH to a supermarket tomorrow, try some premixed bottles if easiest, and get a couple of different cups and bottles to try him on. I think 18 hours with no milk at 9 months is best avoided unless told so by a doctor due to I'll health etc (though obviously nothing terrible will happen, he might just be peckish and grumpy! Yoghurt, porridge etc a good alternative if all milk fails).

I cosleep so happy to feed through the night.

Well, I will BF him before I leave about 9 and hope to be back by 3 Maja, so not a full day.