How much milk - mix fed 6.5 month old

[MollyDaydream]

I'm going back to work in a couple of weeks so trying to get my 6.5 month old on to formula in the day. I'll still breastfeed morning, her bedtime and my bedtime. Not sure how much or how often for formula though, what do others do?
Yesterday I tried formula mid morning and mid afternoon and she only had 2oz each time.
Today I didn't offer any til early afternoon and she had 4oz.
How many bottles are ff babies having at this age, is one in the day enough? She is a good eater and on 3 meals.

I am sorry to say it really depends on the baby! I found when I was mix feeding DS that he was treating the bottle same way as the breast and so it was very unpredictable and on demand. Now he is solely bottle fed (at 9 months) he feeds more regularly but for him he has 5 bottles of 5oz (6am, 8.30am, 11.30am, 2.30pm, 7pm) whereas I know my friend's babies who have been bottle fed from the start have only 2/3 bottles a day (one at breakfast, maybe one at lunch, and one at bed)

The formula carton says 4 8oz feeds at 6 months and 3 7oz feeds at 7 months. I'm also struggling to find the time for bottles between meals and naps!

It completely depends on the baby. I would aim to offer as many bottles as you currently do breastfeeds. Then the amount is really just a guess. It’s better to make too much and have it go to waste than not make enough. My first was on bottles at that age and was having probably 5-6 a day (plus 1-2 overnight).

Yeah Sorry Molly the cartons say that as a guide but my DS can't even handle 8oz in one go now coming up to 10 months. Most my DS ever drank in one go at 6.5 months was 5oz usually it was roughly 4oz.

I do feel for you, I often have comments from parents who have solely FF from the start about how odd my DS is for having smaller frequent bottles. My sister's DD followed the carton guide from day one with perfectly spaced intervals, she really couldn't wrap her head around my DS's drinking habits. But since she has been BF her DS and now trying to combi feed him, she totally understands.

How I established some sort of routine for my DS when we switched to solely FF was by taking note of the average time he would go between bottles (started out at 2.5 hours) and then we just made up 4oz every 2.5 hours and gave it to him regardless (apart from through the night which hasn't ever really been an issue), then I slowly increased to every 3 hours so it used to be 5.30, 8.30, 11.30 2.30, 5.30, 8.30 but now he wakes at 6am so he has his first bottle then and he has dropped his 5.30 bottle and moved his 8.30 to 7.00 as he is now asleep by 7.30. Hope this makes sense and kind of gives you some sort of understanding how it worked for us a bit? Although I know you are trying to stick at combi feeding, you might find you can establish a routine in same way I did when I made the switch to just FF?

A note on finding time for everything, milk is more important than food before the age of 1. So if you miss food don't worry. Also make a note, or get a baby tracking app perhaps, on your DD's sleep and feeding patterns (see if there is an average length she goes between each, doesn't have to be same time every day) which might help you plan your day? Is your DD going to nursery or childminders when you return to work? I found my childminder (im sure nursery will be the same) very good at helping to firm up the routine and she was the one who noticed he wanted to drop the late afternoon bottle! Same time though, they do not need to have a routine when they go into care as my childminder said she will just watch out for the cues to see when he is sleepy (he doesn't have a routine for sleep).

She's actually in a really good routine for naps and meals it's just milk that's all over the place! She's very distractable in the day too. I've tried and failed all day to feed her and am finally managing to get her to breastfeed now as she's tired.
I might just try one mid afternoon bottle.

I wouldn’t worry about it. I went back to work at the same age and mine wouldn’t really take a bottle in the day.

Nursery offered, and if she didn’t take much would make sure she got extra dairy at lunch. For a while i had an extra bf at night, but that stopped around 9m, when she pretty much dropped to am, after work and before bed bf.

I might offer a yoghurt mid morning instead of milk.
Breastfeed 6-7am
Breakfast 8am
Nap 9-10/10.30am
Yoghurt and a drink 10.30ish
Lunch 12.30
Nap 1-2.30
Bottle (5oz) 3.30
Tea 5pm
Breastfeed 6.30 & 10.30pm

Hopefully that is enough milk.

As long as you're giving her vitamin D supplements because she's being BF (As per the NHS guidance) then I think it will be fine. For solely FF babies its meant to be 500mls minimum, otherwise add in vitamin supplements into the formula. If you're really worried and you think your DD is getting way under that then either up the BF at night or add in some drops?

Thanks for reminding me about vitamins - I got some drops when she was ebf and it was too much of a faff but should be easier now to add to food/milk.
I just did yoghurt this morning and she then had most of a 5oz bottle this afternoon, so a success so far.

I’m so with you. When do you fit in the bottles? I can tell she’s dropped some day feeds but I just can’t fathom how to introduce a couple of bottles. She does take a bottle (minbie only) but only drinks about 3-4 ounces per sitting. I’ve got a hen do for my best friend abroad in 3 months so I need to get sorted! Wouldnt mind my boobs shrinking a bit too! They’re giant!