Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Back to work: wean off BF or use a cup (or both)??

11 replies

londondee · 29/09/2014 22:44

Hi

Been reading with interest the questions on this section. Wondering if there are any suggestions for my situation.

DD will be 12 months when I return to work. She will be looked after my her father and a childminder for one day so I need a solution that works for everyone.

She's exclusively breastfed now. I want to avoid using bottles if at all possible. Id planned to limit BF to morning and evening, giving her cows milk In a beaker during the day but I'm now a bit worried that she's just not going to be up to speed with drinking from a beaker by then. She's 10minths now and use of a beaker seems very far off Grin

Thanks for comments

OP posts:
Writemove · 29/09/2014 22:53

My ds is 11 months and I went back to work three weeks ago. I bf morning and night. During the day he has solids and water from a free flow sippy cup.

The breastfeeding counsellor said that nutritionally he didn't need the cows milk. If it was a habit to get him to sleep for a nap them no harm, but no benefit either. He gets the nutrients from bf.

I really enjoy the feeds now. It makes me feel close to him after a busy day at work. He feeds longer and sleeps better now.

hollie84 · 29/09/2014 22:57

I doubt she'll need cow's milk in the day at 1 year old, just breastfeed when you're together and she can have food and water otherwise.

Does she not use a cup for water now though?

MsBug · 29/09/2014 23:04

I went back to work when dd was 12 months old. She was having an afternoon bf until she was 11 months but it was really just to get her to have her nap - she would only take a little bit of milk before dropping off. Before I went back we got her into the habit of sometimes going to sleep without a feed ( by rocking her or pushing her in her buggy).

At nursery she had water in a sippy cup and only had milk in the morning and evenings.

Original poster
londondee · 29/09/2014 23:07

Hollie84 no she doesn't really have any water... I can't remember whether my other DD was using cups at this stage. I stopped BF at 7 months with her and I think she had bottles for water and milk

OP posts:
Original poster
londondee · 29/09/2014 23:08

Thanks for the info on milk during the day. I guess that makes sense that as long as child is getting enough nutrition from food including high calcium products like cheese and yoghurt then actually no need to supplement with cows milk during the day

OP posts:
hollie84 · 29/09/2014 23:09

I think babies need water in a cup once they are on solids really. Mine both have from 6 months.

waddleandtoddle · 29/09/2014 23:13

I went to work a little earlier with LO being 7 months. I bf mornings and night and that was plenty. Initially I expressed for roughly 2 weeks, but learned my milk wasn't really being used as he was happy with very very very mild apple juice along with solids. The morning and evening feeds did become longer for me though - I suppose I adapted to his needs. Double up your pads though and take spares to work as I got a lot of surprise let down!!! Nuby do a beaker with a short rubber straw for 9 month olds, which I suppose replicates a nipple and I found that cup a very good transition to beaker.

AnythingNotEverything · 29/09/2014 23:13

How many feeds does she have during the day? I found that DD only gets thirsty once the thirst quenching-ness of her morning feed disappears after lunch. She drinks a lot more in the afternoon than the morning, and only feeds morning and night now at 11 months.

Has she ever taken anything from a sippy cup?

Cows milk isn't meant to sustain them. It's just a drink once they're on good solid meals, just like ribs to you or I. And it's about 90% water so pretty good for them.

Original poster
londondee · 29/09/2014 23:31

Thanks waddleandtoddle I will check out that nuby cup. And for suggestion of extra pads (although I've just chucked out my old ones Blush) - that makes sense as changing feedibg pattern is likely to result in odd letdown whilst body gets used to it.

AnythingnotEverything, she's demand fed but usually has about 4 feeds during the day (about 7am and then before naps), then 2 at night (I know, I know Shock). She seems to have about the same amount At each feed. Actually I thought she'd be sleeping thru by now but her sleeping habits are the same as when she was about 4 months old

OP posts:
AnythingNotEverything · 30/09/2014 07:31

*it is, obviously, not ribs.

OP I suspect she'll manage on milk morning and night on days when your not around. If water is offered she'll take what she needs.

Original poster
londondee · 01/10/2014 19:58

Thanks all . I tried her on sippy cup today and she's got the hang of it (two weeks ago was throwing it rather than drinking from it...) so will give water and start to cut down on number of feeds per day In preparation for return to work

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page