My DD2 is 4 months old and EBF. She has multiple food sensitivities and I'm on a pretty restricted diet with her. I'm going back to work for an isolated week when she is 7 months old and then back 4 days a week from 9 months.
I tried expressing at work with dd1 and it just isn't practical, so I asked the gastro for a prescription for hyopallergenic formula. I went through merry hell trying to get dd1 to take the stuff from a bottle at 5.5 months and she pretty much refused, even from a cup, until she was a year old and just tanked up from me at the beginning and end of the day. I'd like to try to avoid the stress this time, but I'm not sure how to go about it.
I've just tried dd2 with a bottle and remembered what an unholy faff the whole affair is. Remembering when you last fed to make sure she is hungry for the bottle, remembering to sterilise and prepare it far enough in advance that she doesn't get over-hungry, wondering what to do with the stuff she doesn't drink, etc. She appeared to guzzle away until the teat sucked in on itself, at which point I took it out and she's only had 1oz. She just played with it after that and spat out whatever dribbled into her mouth.
So, my question is, how much does a 9mo feed? I can't remember. Is it worth this faff now to get her comfortable with formula and bottles for the daytime feeds then, or could I just bypass it and be more relaxed about whether she takes any because she'll be ok with milky solids and water? And, of course, hopefully take to the formula eventually as dd1 did.