How much milk should a 10 month old drink at daytime feeds?

[Absofruitly]

My ten month old DS has been BF since birth, with the occasional foray into formula top-ups in his first couple of weeks and if someone else is looking after him for more than a couple of hours. I currently BF four times a day: wake-up (6am), mid-morning, mid-afternoon (before naps) and bedtime (7pm). I will be going back to work soon and want to cut those four feeds down to just two: the wake-up and bedtime ones. I find it hard to express so the daytime feeds will be formula until he turns 1yr and can have cow's milk.

What I would like to know is how much formula a 10 month old, who is eating three meals a day plus snacks (rice cakes/fruit) between meals, will need for mid-morning and mid-afternoon feeds? My DH has tried to give him formula on the odd occasion previously when I have had to go into work for the odd day, but is always unsure how much of the bottle to fill. Is there a chart anywhere of how much milk to give vs age, or weight? Or do you guys have any recommendations from your own experience?

Hi Absofruitly, I have DD of 9 months. She is of average size/weight and takes 4 X 6oz bottles of formula a day comfortably with her solid food. I would therefore suggest starting with 2 X 6oz bottles of formula and see how it goes. If your DS constantly drains his bottles over a few days then up the quantity but remember it will probably affect your BF as it won't take your son long to decide that a bottle is far easier to take than working at breast feeding. This transition might mark the beginning of the end of BF. Each baby is however different all 3 of mine chose the bottle over the breast at different times. DS 1 at 5 months, DS 2 at nearly 9 months and DD at just 4 months. You have done really well to BF for 10 months

hi. my 10 mo is bf and is hardly feeding at all in the day. he'd much rather have food or water in a beaker or just look around. i'm not sure whether to try him with formula or not in the day - is he having enough with just bedtime and morning (and the night-time ones!)?

i returned to work for a bit when he was 7mo and he has always had his daytime milk in a tommee tippee beaker at the childminder's, not a bottle to avoid the problem of prefering bottle to breast (which my ds1 did at 4mo)

good luck with your return to work

Thank you shelle and weasle for your replies. I will let DH know of your recommendation of 6 oz feeds twice a day to start off with and will also tell him to give the beaker a go. DS has a little water with his meals from a beaker so he is familiar with drinking from one. I wouldn't like him to get the breast or bottle confusion thing going as I do want to continue with the bedtime and waking breastfeeds for as long as he wants me to. Apart from anything, he usually wakes between 5:30-6:00 in the morning and I am far too lazy to get up at that time so bringing him into bed for a nice leisurely feed delays having to get up and face the increasingly dark mornings!