[boopyscreet]

DD2 is 9 months old and has been fully BF until last week when I started giving her a few bottles of formula (she also eats 3 good size 'solid' meals a day).

She has been willing to take EBM in a bottle every now and then. She has been on a great routine for BF's 7am, 11am, 3pm and 6.30pm.

Despite pumping my boobs off - I cannot get any more than about 40mls at the best of times, which means it takes me about 3 days to get enough for one small bottle.

DD2 started daycare two days ago and apparently they cannot get her to take a bottle of formula. Apparently she will drink water from a sippy cup and is eating well.

I am concerned that she is too little to be dropping two feeds at once and is not getting enough in the way of milk/formula.

Am I being over anxious? Am I right to be going a bit mental about this? Has anyone had something similar happen - if so what did you do?

We didn't have this issue with DD1 as she was used to taking bottles both of EBM and formula from a younger age and started daycare when she was almost two months older. Within a month of starting at daycare she was drinking cows milk which she loves.

Apologies for the epic and thanks for reading

[Phoenix Blue]

Have you tried gradually introducing the formula by mixing with breast milk? Like 75% BM first, then half and half, then 25%. Just a thought?

[Mamabear2010]

How many days per week is she at day care?

My ds started daycare two days per week from 10 months of age (so slightly older than your dd). He was breast fed and refused to drink EBM or formula. He was happy drinking water and eating solids. I just kept breast feeding him on the days that he was home plus I fed him at night and in the mornings on day care days. I kept this up until he was almost 2. My supply adjusted to the two days when I didn't feed and I had perfect supply on the days he was at home.

If he'd been attending childcare for more than two days/week I would have been more concerned about getting him to drink formula or breast milk.

This post has been edited by Mamabear2010: 09/01/2013, 02:54 PM

[KRT]

Could they try formula from the sippy cup?

I would probably persist for a week or two, and see if she picks up either more formula, or has longer feeds with you. I might also consider offering a bit more in the way of dairy with meals to fill in any gaps.

At that age, DS was in daycare one day a week and would only have 100-150mL of EBM that day. I was a little worried about it, but he seemed happy enough and had other days to make up the balance. I switched the EBM to cow's milk once he was 11 months and by 11.5 months he moved up to two days per week with cow's milk both days. At 12 months he's still having four feeds a day at home with me, but only two on daycare days.

Enjoy your return to study!

[boopyscreet]

Thanks everyone for the replies.

She is in care 5 days a week which is why I was freaking out as that is a lot to drop.

I sent her today with 100ml EBM which she had at 11am and drank from the bottle with no problems. She ignored the formula for the afternoon feed.

Thanks Phoenix for the mixing suggestion - it seems so obvious but it just didn't come to mind. I will do that tomorrow, and hopefully she will be more willing to take some formula.

[eyesabove]

Can you give extra BF when you pick her up maybe?

[Excentrique]

Maybe its the taste? Could you try a different formula?

[kwiggle]

I had a very similar chat with my child health nurse the other day who reassured me that it doesn't really matter if DS takes no formula in the day as long as he gets 1-2 breastfeeds per day. She suggested adding a dairy heavy meal during the day to ensure adequate calcium if I was worried.