Can a 10 month old go from 8am til 5:30pm without milk?

[TalentedMsRipley]

I'm returning to work part time in October and am worrying already about what to do about milk for my ds. He has started having proper meals and will only currently have around 2 breastfeeds between 8-5 ish. I'm struggling to pump enough milk to make a whole bottle, and I really don't want to put him on formula.
Suggestions?

DD was 9 months when I returned to work (out 8-6 3 days per week). She wouldn't take a bottle and wasn't great with a cup. She had food in the day including things like porridge with cows milk. I breastfed in the morning, evening and night. Someone told me they need at least 2-3 feeds each 24 hours and she was still getting way more than that.

I had same issue, but at 9 months. Had some frozen expressed milk, which I sent to childminder but she didn't often drink it. I thought I'd express at work but didn't get much and I was surprisingly not uncomfortably full, so only did it for a week. When I asked hv about formula they said not worth introducing at 10 months and she's been fine with food and water. She goes from 730 till 530 no milk.

My HV advised that they need a minimum of 20oz of milk a day u TIL they reach 12 months. My DD has 3-4 bottles a day, 2 of those would be given between 8-5 so id say your DC needs at least 1-2 bottles.

Thank you both so much for the replies, that's really put my mind at ease.

Leftie, the problem is that I can only really just pump less than 1 bottle. Perhaps I can freeze some the day before...

He is not too far off being able to have cows milk (isn't this about 1 yr these days) I wouldn't worry too much if you are feeding am and pm and he is eating during the day

Mine completely refused daytime milk at that age. She had a bottle first thing and before bed but that was it. Paediatrician said it was fine as she was eating 3 proper meals plus 2 snacks every day and to give her baby multi vitamin.

Babies need breastmilk or formula for nutrients and calories. As long as they eat sufficiently well to get enough calories in the day to fill them up, it doesn't matter when they get the nutrients. It is also OK for them to drink some cows milk (for calories) as long as they are getting enough nutrients from breast milk (or formula).

If he’s still having 2 feeds in the day that will be quite a drop in calories and nutrients though (if he’s still having that much in October, obviously that might change by then - if he’s only having one short feed then I wouldn’t worry - is he 10 months now or in October?) It will probably be easier to judge closer to the time.

You will prob find it easier to express when you have to- ie at work. So just build a stash beforehand.
That being said my 10 month old refuses breastmilk unless it’s from the source! She has water from a cup and food at nursery and I bf at drop off and pickup. You may notice an increase in night feeds for a while but it’ll sort itself out 😊

Ps I generally find expressing at home most successful just after I get up. Gentle breast compression helps too.

Thanks all. For clarification, he won't be 10 months until the end of October.

I think you’ll probably see a huge difference in how much milk a 7 month and 10 month old will need, especially if he only wants two feeds in the day now. He’ll be having even more solids by then if he’s already confident with proper meals. It probably won’t even be an issue by then so I wouldn’t worry.

Thanks Pixie. 🤗🍼

DD has just had her 10 month check although she was only a week from 11 months. We had to ff feed due to DD health. The HV advised dropping the afternoon bottle so she was only 2 a day and slowly introducing drinking cows milk as we ran down our formula stocks. Therefore an am and PM feeding would be fine as long as they have other fluids like water to keep them hydrated and other dairy products. I was told that DD needs a pint of dairy a day but all the full fat dairy products that she consumes count towards this.

I agree with Pixie- at 7 months I couldn't imagine how mine would last a day without feeding (though she was much less established on food than yours is) but at 10 months it seemed much more likely she could! You'll probably find at least one of the feeds will be replaced with a snack by then.
I know a number of people who've gone back to work at that point and have either sent baby to nursery with a small amount of milk (between 3 and 5oz) and it's been fine. Mine is just over 12 months and still bf (had been on the way to morning and night then she got ill, could only keep bm in her tummy for a week and now seems to believe that 4 feeds a day + food is appropriate ) and after her first full nursery day made up for missed feeds at night so look out for that...

I’ve just gone back to work, when LO was 9 months. He wouldn’t take any kind of bottle, sippy cup or open cup, including of expressed milk. I was really worried before hand as he was a snacker and was still feeding 10-12 times a day at 7 months. I did start working on stretching time between feeds in the day and as his solid intake went up, he’s naturally started reducing anyway.
Long story short, he’s been absolute fine! I breast feed on wake up (around 6.45am) and then when I get home around 5 and before bed. Alongside this he has three meals a day and two snacks. I had a little bit of reverse cycling at night initially but my husband was great at trying to resettle him without a feed and now we’re back to two feeds over night. Good luck with your return to work!