[happygurl06]

I will be away from my son for 12+ hours n a week and a half, he will be just under 4 months.

He is currently exclusivly fed with BM, has the odd EBM bottle.

DD left the freezer open a tad in the weekend an all my milk was half defrosted

I can express about 20-50 ml's in between feeds but I just don't think I'm going to get enough for all day as I am also having to pack our house and move on the 26th.

Tell me that it's a bad idea to try formula a couple of times just to get him used to it incase he needs extra the day I am away!!!! If you do I might try and set the alarm for 2am and do an express over night.

WWYD in this situation?

[Sunboy]

EBM if you can!

[SarahM72]

If it was me, just personally I would be doing my best to avoid formula.



This post has been edited by SarahM72: 13/03/2012, 11:25 AM

[3_for_me]

I wouldn't refreeze breastmilk.

OP I would do your best to express enough milk but if worst comes to worst buy a pack of the single serve sachets. They were very handy to have in the cupboard for the odd time I was late home and couldn't get there for feeds, etc. The odd formula feed isn't the end of the world and it's certainly better than a starving baby!

[mayahlb]

You shouldn't refreeze the EBM. I would just try to express as much as possible and buy some of the those single serve sticks for just in case. That way at least bub won't be starving if whoever is looking after them runs out of EBM. Just make sure they know to use the EMB first

[tothebeach]

I always kept the single sticks of formula in the cupboard, just in case. There were times when bubs needed food sooner than expected or needed more than I expressed. But I was quite comfortable for the occassional formula feed for my children.

[lucky 2]

I'd use formula as a last resort and get cracking with some extra expressing if you are up to it.
Perhaps express after the feeds when you have the most milk (ie the early morning/morning feeds and more if you can/wish.
If you do need to give formula when you are gone I'd not bother with giving it in preparation because you don't know if you will get enough breast milk to meet his needs.
If you need the formula and he refuses it he may take a bit by cup or refuse. It wont be related to the bottle, but to the formula/taste.
If it is 12 hours, remember some babies even sleep this much at night (not mine!) so if you have some ebm, the most possible then this may suffice in that he may continue to have wee and poo (ie not get dehydrated) till you get back home and then have a really big feed.
He may be not the happiest baby on the block but it is short term and if you have someone who understands this (ie partner, grand parent) then it may be a successful day for all, I hope!
Is there any way bub could be brought to you for feeds?
All the best whatever happens.

[F1widow]

I wouldn't refreeze breastmilk.

OP I would do your best to express enough milk but if worst comes to worst buy a pack of the single serve sachets. They were very handy to have in the cupboard for the odd time I was late home and couldn't get there for feeds, etc. The odd formula feed isn't the end of the world and it's certainly better than a starving baby!

This.

It might be too late already but you could have fed your defrosted EBM to bubs and expressed the feeds until the EBM ran out. Then you would have replenished almost all your stash.

But I think if bubs is already drinking EBM from a bottle then mix-feeding for one day shouldn't be a big risk. When I went back to work I was successfully able to breastfeed of an evening and they bottle fed DD formula at daycare.

[mum2jp]

Just a thought but once defrosted i think EBM can be used for the next 24-48 hours so you could use the defrosted milk for a day and express instead of doing feeds to save that milk for the day coming up. Not sure if you have aready thrown it. Cal ABA to see how long the milk is good for in the fridge once defrosted.

I don't think formula will do any harm, we did this a few times when i had to be away from DS for various reasons as i was not able to express alot of milk (DS stil fed 3 hourly at nearly 12 months) but bub may not take it. My DS was really fussy with drinking it though he would take EBM from a bottle. We tryed a few and the only one i could get him to have small amounts of was Bellamys Organic, it has a much gentler flavour than alot of the others. We know casue we taste tested them all too lol, some of them are horriable its amazing they all taste so different. Good luck.

This post has been edited by mum2jp: 13/03/2012, 11:41 AM

[lucky 2]

I think 24 hours in the fridge after defrosting in the fridge (or accidentally in the freezer ) , better to check the ABA site.
Definitely not refreezing, but I didn't think you were intending to do that.
All the best.