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boob to bottle - how? how much? how often?

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  • 27-04-2013 9:07am
    #1
    world cup
    Registered Users Posts: 29 ✭


    My lo is just gone six months. I'll be needing to wean him off the breast in the next week or two for going back to work. He's been drinking expressed milk from a bottle, so I don't expect difficulty with the bottle. My biggest concern is how much formula he will need - I haven't a clue how much or how often a baby needs it or even what type of formula to use. Presumably I just substitute one breastmilk feed for formula, then after a day or two, substitute two feeds and then just keep going til he's exclusively on formula?

    ANY advice would be VERY welcome!


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    #2
    liliq
    Registered Users Posts: 2,242 ✭✭✭liliq


    world cup wrote: »
    My lo is just gone six months. I'll be needing to wean him off the breast in the next week or two for going back to work. He's been drinking expressed milk from a bottle, so I don't expect difficulty with the bottle. My biggest concern is how much formula he will need - I haven't a clue how much or how often a baby needs it or even what type of formula to use. Presumably I just substitute one breastmilk feed for formula, then after a day or two, substitute two feeds and then just keep going til he's exclusively on formula?

    ANY advice would be VERY welcome!

    I don't really know anything about formula myself. Would it be easier to not bother introducing it?
    I'm guessing at this stage your baby nurses a bit less frequently than before. A lot of mums stick with exclusively breastfeeding when they go back to work.
    If he'll take a bottle of expressed milk you could pump for a month or two, and soon he won't really need the milk during the day if you're not there. He'll just jump you when you get him and have a big long feed then!
    It's daunting going back, good luck :)


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    #3
    Ms2011
    Registered Users Posts: 3,129 ✭✭✭Ms2011


    At that age my fella was drinking 7oz every 4hrs, this reduced as he began to take more solids.
    As for what formula it's really whatever one suits your baby, they are all pretty much the same but some find one suits their baby better than another.


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    #4
    emer_b
    Closed Accounts Posts: 483 ✭✭emer_b


    Hi OP, I'm in the same boat, just started weaning a few days ago. My baby is 7 months and has been sampling solids for the last 4 weeks (I say sampling as that's all she's doing!).
    I tried weaning about 6 weeks ago and it didnt go well, formula didnt agree with her, lots of gas. But this time around its going fine. I'm using Aptamil 1. At the moment she has 6 feeds a day so I'm just giving her a bottle at 11am, next weeks I'll introduce one in the afternoon aswell, another one the week after. Hoping to keep up the bedtime and first morning feed for as long as my milk keeps up.
    She's only taking 4oz from a bottle at the moment and I'm not forcing any more into her, I'll work it up gradually. I never had a very big supply myself so don't think she's used to big volumes.
    Hope this helps, good luck.


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    #5
    meeeeh
    Registered Users Posts: 11,624 ✭✭✭✭meeeeh


    7oz five times per day is the guideline on the side of the packet but she could drink less. When they start eating they need less. Substitute first the afternoon feed and after couple of days the mid-morning one then the midday feed and morning and evening feeds the last. Your breast will need longer to adjust to those two so take it slower towards the end. You could also still breastfeed in the mornings or evenings or both. It wanted to do it that way but I was away for couple of days and madam decided my boobs were not good enough anymore. Personally I find prepareing bottles in the mornings real pain. Madam is six months and I use up about a carton of formula per week. She is just starting on solids.


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    #6
    How Strange
    Registered Users Posts: 6,339 ✭✭✭How Strange


    As liliq said you font have to wean off breastfeeding. You're getting to the very easy stage now as you're introducing solids. I went back to work when my son was 6.5 months. I'd decided after reading dr jack newmans advice to continue breastfeeding.

    I work office hours so I'd feed before leaving for work, again when I'd pick him up from creche and once again at bedtime. Then I'd feed as often as he wanted at night which was usually twice. During creche time, I started by giving enough expressed milk for two feeds by sippy cup however he didn't want the cup so we gave it up within a couple of weeks and then he was just having water in a cup while in crèche.

    I can honestly say I found it very easy and my son was absolutely fine about it. He wasn't distressed etc during the day. It took a while for the crèche staff to get their heads around it but once they did it was fine all round.

    Its just another option for you.


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