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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

wwyd - express, formula or water & food

24 replies

StealthPolarBear · 27/05/2010 14:48

DD is 8 and a bit months. A week tomorrow I'm going to a half day meeting at work, then the following week i'm interviewing, probably all day.
i've started expressing for the half day one, and after two nights managed a pitiful 35ml.
If i give formula i'm worried she'll turn her nose up at the smell/taste - i don't have time to get her used to it.
She drinks water well out of a cup and is eating well. I'm tempted to leave her without milk for the half day (8.03 till 1.30) - would that be awful? what about the full day?

OP posts:
NobleFrangipani · 27/05/2010 14:53

Hmm. Ds almost the same age; not sure he'd cope without a feed all day - maybe the half day, but he is maybe a bit of a milk monster. Have yo expressed while dd is feeding on the otehr side? That sometimes helps, though I can only do that when ds is sleepy, as he would destroy the pump otherwise.

Buy a couple of cartons of ready to use formula of different brands, and see if she'll take some out of a cup at dinner time. She may surprise you.

Original poster
StealthPolarBear · 27/05/2010 14:56

yes, maybe i need to try expressing like that, or dig out the breast shells, good plan.
I agree, not sure she'd go for that length of time - ds definitely wouldn't but she's more laid back, i worry i'm inventing problems that im remembering from him iyswim
only thing is, shed have the milk in a cup, feeding herself, so would she get the comfort from it anyway?

OP posts:
NobleFrangipani · 27/05/2010 15:19

Well - can you try going out when she'd maybe normally have a feed, and see if you partner can give her the milk in a cup, and them cuddle her/take her for a walk/put her in a sling and see how she does?

Original poster
StealthPolarBear · 27/05/2010 15:28

yers, think we might have to do something like that this weekend...
Will let you know how it goes

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ChairmumMiaowGoingItAlone · 27/05/2010 15:30

I struggled to express any decent amount but found that if I expressed at the same time every day, after 2-3 days it started getting easier.

My DS wouldn't have gone even the half day without milk at that age, but you know your DD. I'd stick with the expressing so you have some available milk, but if she's a 'good' eater don't worry about her having as much as she normally would.

rubyslippers · 27/05/2010 15:30

I am back at work in 10 days

am feeding DD before i go and on my return (FT)

she doesn't take a bottle but takes a cup of water and plenty of food - i can't bear the thought of expressing and then it being chucked as she won't drink it

she is going to go without milk as far as i can tell (she doesn't bother if i am not there)

dare i ask if your DD is sleeping at night?

StarlightMcKenzie · 27/05/2010 15:34

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Original poster
StealthPolarBear · 27/05/2010 15:41

Thanks SM

I'm a bit nervous of offering cows milk at under 9 months - is that OK?? DS had it at a few days over 11 months, was happy then but she seems so young. I'm pleased to say we have her drinking out of a cup - she thought a botttle was a huge novelty and wonderful toy but refused to drink from it

ruby - ha, no. Yours? I agree about the expressed milk, that's my worry too - I'll kill myself expressing and then it'll be chucked.

Chairmum, good point. I'm assuming she can go that long as she doesn't seem as milk obsessed as DS was, plus she doesn't need to be fed to sleep, as he did until ...erm...about 2! But she never has gone that long and I actually have no idea how she'd be

OP posts:
Original poster
StealthPolarBear · 27/05/2010 15:42

how are you feeling about going to work ruby? I suppose I'm easing myself in gently before I start again, maybe I'll claim these as my KIT days. I'm half dreading ti and half looking forward to it

OP posts:
Original poster
StealthPolarBear · 27/05/2010 15:44

actually I have woken up a couple of times recently and felt engorged, and not remembered waking up in the night and wondered then if she'd slept through...maybe she has done a bit!

OP posts:
StarlightMcKenzie · 27/05/2010 15:49

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Original poster
StealthPolarBear · 27/05/2010 15:52

true ... it does thanks
just seems to go against my "good parenting" instinct Will try her with some tonight and see if she'll even drink it, that would be one more weight off my mind

OP posts:
mamaduckbone · 27/05/2010 17:46

My ds is a bit older than yours Stealth at 10 1/2 months, but I did my first 2 full days back this week and left dh with formula to offer in a cup mid morn and mid aft - we're doing that every day now since I'm back full time in 2 weeks .

Sometimes he takes 3-4 oz, sometimes turns his nose up at it, and refuses a bottle point blank. I'm bfeeding morning, eve and 3am ish (going with this one for the time being as I'm worrying that he's not getting enough milk - this hasn't started since giving up daytime bfeeding, and I'm not convinced he needs it, but now doesn't seem to be the right time to knock it on the head.)

Interesting post about cow's milk Starlight...I hadn't really thought about that. Could I give cow's milk now rather than pouring expensive formula down the sink every day?

Original poster
StealthPolarBear · 27/05/2010 18:59

I gave cows milk to DS when he was just over 11 months - nursery wouldn't but mum and MIL did, he loved it! He's just a milk monster and not fussy where it comes from or what temperature it is

OP posts:
littlemefi · 27/05/2010 20:46

When you do go on to cow's milk do you have to warm it up at all or give it straight from the fridge?
Have been reading this thread with interest as dd is 9 months and down to 3 bf a day and looking at changing over to cows milk at 1 if possible.

Original poster
StealthPolarBear · 27/05/2010 20:53

i never did with DS, he would happily have it at any temperature, but I know some children are different. Just trial and error I think

OP posts:
logrrl · 27/05/2010 20:54

I think she will be fine for one day-I'd go for food plus water from the cup. My experience is that DS does not look for mi9lk if I am not around and has been like that from about your DDs age (although I was never really away for more than, oh, 15mins before that, so who knows...). It's only one day!

Original poster
StealthPolarBear · 27/05/2010 20:56

thanks logrrrl - that's sort of what I was thinking too. Think I'll leave cows milk to be used if necessary (but tell them not to give her feeds as such) and make sure she has plenty of nice food and water.

OP posts:
brennannbooth · 27/05/2010 20:57

I would go for food + water + lots of yoghurts, she will catch up on bf at home - my DD is about the same age as yours and I have done this. She also drinks DS' innocent smoothies if given a chance - this may be a MN no-no but hey.

Good luck with the job hunt!

logrrl · 27/05/2010 21:04

Oh and I can guarantee that you'll rush home thinking "oh she will be crying for her BF" and you'll get in and she'll hardly notice. Such is the life of a mother .

StarlightMcKenzie · 27/05/2010 21:12

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mamaduckbone · 27/05/2010 22:20

So does 3 bfs in 24 hrs constitute 'main food source'? If our LOs won't take anything other than b milk during the day and we're not there, then it's food that's providing most of the nutritional intake surely? Sorry to hijack a bit OP, but I'm sure you're probably thinking along the same lines.

brennannbooth · 28/05/2010 08:59

I think so because the baby is likely to make them quite big feeds and if you were formula feeding the guidance for babies aged 6 months to 9 months is 3 to 4 feeds of 7 to 8 ounces each.

rubyslippers · 28/05/2010 09:51

I am feeling very teary TBH

work have been good and am having a 3, 4 and then a 5 day week so am easing in slowly

DD does sleep through from 10 pm feed until 7 am

i weaned her off her night feeds - took 2 weeks and was actually really easy (if lengthy)

One more week and i will be back

Hope it all goes well for you

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