Any harm in using follow-on milk for occasional feeds for 9month?

[ToBeAChadsman]

9mo DD is still breastfed. We're planning on leaving her with PIL for the evening on Saturday and hoping she'll stay asleep but I need to leave some milk just in case she wakes before we're back. Was planning to express but it's been too long and I'm struggling to get more than a drop out, so I guess it's time to try an occasional formula feed.

I want to buy ready made, and with DS I stuck to first milk at this stage, but I'm wondering if it would be less wasteful to buy a bottle of follow on milk so I can reseal it and keep trying DD with it over a couple of days. I know follow on isn't necessary, is just a marketing con, etc, but is there actually any harm in it for an occasional feed?

Sorry, title should read 9mo - blame autocorrect.

Does dd sleep through the night without a feed? I would either keep trying to express or give her the baby formula milk.

No, she doesn't - what difference does that make?

I don't have time to keep expressing when there's actually nothing coming out (and I have a baby and a 4yo to look after).

Can I ask why you think it would be less wasteful to use follow-on rather than first stage? As far as I am aware, I would think they need to be used up in the same amount of time (i.e. you couldn't keep a carton of follow-on milk open longer than first stage milk).
I can't see much (if anything) to be gained from using follow-on rather than first stage, so I'd use first stage.

I'm also not sure what the advantage of follow on milk over first milk would be. They come in the same size bottles.

Because the follow on comes in bottles with lids, rather than cartons like infant milk. But I guess I could seal the cartons. How long is it recommended to keep them in the fridge once open?

Cow and gate and aptamil first formula come in bottles with lids

I seem to remember Hipp milk (which I used for DS and I'd prefer to use again given we usually drink organic milk) coming only in cartons for infant milk, but in bottles for follow on. But I haven't looked in the formula aisle for 3 years so please correct me if I'm wrong!

Thanks Marmite - maybe I'll just try one of those instead then.

I think follow on would be fine, I stopped breastfeeding at 10 months with DD1 and switched to those HIPP 500ml bottles which I think is what you're talking about?

You can get first stage formula in the large bottles. From memory they don't last long once opened, 1 or 2 days. You'd be better with cartons or a tub.
If DD has never tried follow on I wouldn't let the first time be Saturday while you're away - I tried the follow on with my FF DS (same brand as 1st stage) and he had an upset stomach for a few days

You can get first stage formula in 1 litre bottles too

Once opened and kept in the fridge the 1 litre bottles are OK for 48 hours. I think the smaller cartons are only ok once opened for 24 hours

The follow on milk is suitable from 6 months onwards isn't it?

I hope not! I have to leave my 10 month old this overnight this weekend and I've never been a prolific expresser. I have some breast milk but not sure if it's enough so I've bought 3 bottles of aptamil as a back up.

The aptamil follow on in my cupboard says it needs to be used or thrown away within 24 hours. if she doesn't use it I was planning on putting it in her porridge over a couple of days.

Do you mean the 1 year+ formula? I would not use that. But the 6 month + stuff would be perfectly fine. There is nothing wrong with follow on, it's not that dissimilar from first milk.

Follow on is a bit harder to digest and has more iron in it than first milk so can cause constipation. I would probably say to try first milk as it is whey based rather than casein based like follow on milk

Thanks demented and ohidoliketobe - that's the sort of thing I was wondering about. I'll stick to first milk then. (And I'll try it a couple of times before Saturday too.)

And thanks everyone else for the info about bottle sizes and how long they'll keep.