Help with transitioning baby to formula for nursery

[CaBro]

My baby will be starting nursery 3 days a week in January, when he will be 10.5 months, at which point he will need to be able to go from 8-5pm without having breastmilk. At the moment within this time frame he has feeds before and after each of his naps - so 4 in total. He won't take a bottle. He will drink a bit of formula from an open or straw cup, but not enough to make up a full feed.

How do I transition him to formula for those feeds over the next 1.5 months? (Side note: I also currently have mastitis so can't cut down suddenly.) TIA!

He is so close to the 12 month mark - do you think that sips of formula and little bits of water during the day plus meals at nursery will keep him going? x

Are you able to pump a small amount at all for nursery?

Thank you for the reply. Hmm I'd hoped that would be the case by the time he goes to nursery, but at the moment he eats and drinks so much - he has 3 good meals a day with a small amount of water, and then 6 feeds during the day and a further 2 or often 3 (poor me) overnight. I mean, I do wonder whether some of the feeds are comfort more than anything, but he doesn't feed to sleep and he does drink when he is feeding.

I have never had much luck with pumping, unfortunately!

Don’t forget that a BF baby usually takes around 25 Floz in 24 hours so a cup of 2 or 3 Floz is a full feed

Thanks, that's reassuring, although I'm always a bit confused by this. If he's replacing half his feeds with formula, surely he will need to have at least two thirds much as formula-fed babies for those feeds?! Or will he just drink more at breastfeed to make up for it?

Have you tried nipple shields? They’re great for transitioning to a bottle as it gets them used to the plastic teat while feeding from you initially, then gradually switch to the bottle. May be worth a try: https://amzn.eu/d/583QVId

And sorry to hear you have mastitis. It’s absolutely awful, sending you a virtual hug.

My second daughter wouldn't use a bottle (and didn't drink milk out of a cup until near 3 as she refused formula and cows milk as a drink). I used to breastfeed in the morning and evening so she'd just have water in the day. Nothing we could do about it. We used cows milk in Weetabix/porridge from 6 months.

Another vote for not properly transitioning to formula. For the sake of three days, I think he’ll adapt.
My DC both went at 12 months but they were both still feeding A LOT. And they were fine. Youngest is 14 months now. She still has a huge feed straight after nursery, and continues to feed more than normal in the evening.
Good luck with the mastitis though- poor you.

No need for formula or breastmilk in the day by then. For the sake of 3 days a week, just leave it.

Yes this is exactly what they do!

I went back when both of mine were around the same age and both were bottle refusers.

On work days i fed them in wake up, after pick up and before bed. If they wanted a cup of milk before their nap, and I wasn’t there, they had a cup of full fat cow’s milk, which is fine as it’s not their main drink.

So sorry about your mastitis, I hope you’re receiving appropriate treatment