Boob milk at 10 months

[lavalamp08]

How much milk does a weaned 10 month actually need?
We are having a few issues at nursery where she's rooting on her key worker when she's upset or tired, she's breastfed. She only goes two days a week, I feed her before drop off, she has water there and then I feed her again when we are at home. They've suggested expressing and sending that in but I'm reluctant to do this as she's not took to a bottle and I don't express very well (crap pump) so I'm not convinced she'd even take it from a bottle.
What would you try?

She probably associates boob with comfort but at 10 months, there's no need to express for the odd feed. Mine went to daycare 2 days a week at this age and had full fat cows milk on a cup if they needed it. If they're BF the rest of the time, it's absolutely fine

This sounds like a behavioural thing, an emotional response, and not a nutritional thing, don't you think? A ten month old will be fine nutritionally, missing a couple of daytime feeds twice a week, if she has water and a growing range of solids. She's missing you, and the close comforting experience of BF, not the milk. A cup or bottle of ebm from the key worker is not really going to replicate the BF.

To be honest, the nursery and the key worker should know this, and have strategies to cope and ensure your little girl has the comfort and reassurance she needs, even if it takes a little time for her to settle. If you have flexibility, you might want to see if you can have slightly shorter sessions?

An alternative strategy might be warm formula in a cup, offered by the key worker with a nice snuggly cuddle.

I'd be wondering what sort of a clue they have, to be honest, if they are suggesting you start expressing at ten mths. They might be a great nursery in all other ways, so I'm not suggesting they are not good...just they have a bit of a blind spot about BF and older babies.

X post with JJJ 😀

Thanks for replying, I think it's definitely for comfort; she still gets up at least twice a night for a 'feed', now I'm having total mummy guilt because she's never had a dummy or a comforter so I feel bad that there's nothing really to make her feel 'better' when I'm not there, would you try introducing a comforter - like a blanket thing, dummy, teddy etc
I was trying to hold out till 12 months for the cows milk but if you think nows fine I might try that in a sippy cup - she has it in food, and it's Not like I'm stopping breastfeeding as I'm happy to keep going, it'd just be for the 2 days at nursery, would you do bottle or sippy cup?

Agree with posters above! My ds started nursery at 9 months and I did express but he only ever drank small amounts. If any at all. As long as your dc is eating and drinking water they will be fine. The rooting is probably a comfort thing and she may want milk, but will adapt when she realises she's not going to get it. X

I didn't introduce a comforter, and ds doesn't have a dummy. He just gradually adapted to the different environment x

DS totally refused all the expressed milk I carefully pumped when he started nursery at 9 months, so there’s a chance she wouldn’t take it anyway. DS used to try to put his hands down the nursery workers tops - fortunately they thought it was cute. He was looking for the comfort of feeding but just used to get cuddles from them and is a happy fine and settled 2 year old.

I think a toy or blanket ,could be really helpful to her, as a 'transitional object.

Literally, a comfort object for her.
Be guided by what she seems to respond to, and try holding it close to her when she's feeding, so that it gets some of your skin smell, and she begins to associate it with being comforted. Maybe something she can hold in her hand as she feeds.And is always there as she's going to sleep.

Then, once it becomes her special thing, BUY ANOTHER ONE. Sorry to shout, but you could be so grateful you do this . A lost comforter is a special kind of torture for everyone.

Thanks tiktok too,
What you are saying does make sense, my oldest went to the same nursery and he was the same, EBF and obviously they had the same problem, albeit not as extreme as rooting for boob, they gave him a soft piece of material when it was his nap time and stroked his face with it which eventually worked for him, I'm hoping the same will happen with her, she's 2 months younger than he was when he started so not sure if it's the age thing they are going on

Some children just don’t transfer to comforters and the like. My first never did. And yeah that’s probably why she still gets in my bed every night! It’s just temperament and she’s maybe feeling a bit insecure. Has she been there long?

It's her third week bless her little socks I think she's adjusted really well so far, well apart from the revelation today

Ah it’s still really new then. She’s just settling.

When my 2 year old is with other family members and I’m working, she’s always asking for milk. Men and women alike! It’s definitely not hunger with her. It’s just her comfort thing.

I don't think there's any point in trying to introduce a bottle at 10 months just to take it away again at 12 months. I'd just go straight to a cup.

BF babies are unlikely to take more than a couple of flozs at a time anyway so a cup will be fine