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A series of intensely stupid questions!
Hi all
Sorry, this is all going to sound really dumb but I need some help! Toby is nearly 8 months and until now has been EBF, however I need to start introducing bottles during the day as I'm going back to work shortly. I have finally got him to actually take a bottle (another story entirely) but I have some very practical questions for you all:
1. How much do you think an 8 month old boy who weighs about 22lbs should be having per feed? On the tin it says 250mls which seems like a huge amount - he is uninterested after only about 150mls. He feeds every 3-4 hours during the day and has at least 2 solid meals per day as well (although he still doesn't really ingest very much so I hardly count them).
2. On the tin it says to use cooled boiled water which you then heat to the desired temp before adding the formula. I have been keeping bottles half full of boiled water in the fridge and then adding freshly boiled water to top it up to the right level & temperature. However, I thought I read a post by someone on here that said that milk powder isn't sterile so you should use freshly boiled water and then leave it to cool - is that right??
3. If I'm going out I have been making up a bottle and taking it in a travel bag to keep warm - how long can I keep formula milk at room temp for? Would I be better to just take water in the bottle and try to find somewhere to heat it before adding powder when it is time to feed?
4. This is probably the dumbest one - for those of you who have LOs at about this age, how do you hold them when you feed? I have been holding him basically the same as I would if I was BFing him, ie lying down, as it's too hard to tip the bottle enough for him to drink from if he's sitting up, iyswim? But I find it really hard on my back to try and support his (substantial) weight with one arm and hold the bottle with the other, while he squirms around!
5. Finally, how long does it take your LO to finish a bottle? When I BF Toby he is done in about 5-6 minutes, but drinking from a bottle seems to take forever - like half an hour to take 5oz. Is this normal?
Sorry if this all sounds completely ridiculous!! Grateful as always for any replies.
C
Sorry, this is all going to sound really dumb but I need some help! Toby is nearly 8 months and until now has been EBF, however I need to start introducing bottles during the day as I'm going back to work shortly. I have finally got him to actually take a bottle (another story entirely) but I have some very practical questions for you all:
1. How much do you think an 8 month old boy who weighs about 22lbs should be having per feed? On the tin it says 250mls which seems like a huge amount - he is uninterested after only about 150mls. He feeds every 3-4 hours during the day and has at least 2 solid meals per day as well (although he still doesn't really ingest very much so I hardly count them).
2. On the tin it says to use cooled boiled water which you then heat to the desired temp before adding the formula. I have been keeping bottles half full of boiled water in the fridge and then adding freshly boiled water to top it up to the right level & temperature. However, I thought I read a post by someone on here that said that milk powder isn't sterile so you should use freshly boiled water and then leave it to cool - is that right??
3. If I'm going out I have been making up a bottle and taking it in a travel bag to keep warm - how long can I keep formula milk at room temp for? Would I be better to just take water in the bottle and try to find somewhere to heat it before adding powder when it is time to feed?
4. This is probably the dumbest one - for those of you who have LOs at about this age, how do you hold them when you feed? I have been holding him basically the same as I would if I was BFing him, ie lying down, as it's too hard to tip the bottle enough for him to drink from if he's sitting up, iyswim? But I find it really hard on my back to try and support his (substantial) weight with one arm and hold the bottle with the other, while he squirms around!
5. Finally, how long does it take your LO to finish a bottle? When I BF Toby he is done in about 5-6 minutes, but drinking from a bottle seems to take forever - like half an hour to take 5oz. Is this normal?
Sorry if this all sounds completely ridiculous!! Grateful as always for any replies.
C
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Replies
2 & 3 Sorry no idea, never used formula only BM.
4. At breakfast and bedtime, he lies back as he has always done (head in the crook of my arm laid across my knee) and it's a lovely feed. The afternoon bottle he generally sits up straight, sometimes with his back leaning against my chest. At other times, he can sit unaided and I'll feed him wherever he is.
5. He takes around 15 minutes to finish a bottle. Maybe you need to increase the teat size, as half an hour does seem a little long.
Sorry I couldn't help with some of the questions, hopefully others can offer better advice xx
1. Lo has two milk feeds breakfast and bed of 150 ml each and then has 3 meals during the day
2. I boil the kettle pour into bottle and let it cool down. For breakfast bottle I use the water in the kettle that was boiled before we went to bed the night before and serve it cold. Lo rarely has warm milk.
3. Max 4 hours for a ready made up bottle. What I do is put freshly boiled water of the required amounts in the bottles and then use a special pot to put the right amount of powder in and take with me. I then make the bottle up when it's needed. If that makes sense? The seperator pots are about ??1.50 from tesco's.
4 and 5. I agree with lawso on both these points!!
Hth!
Jem
xx
1. if he isnt drinking much milk try to give him extra cheese/yoghurts. our dd is 10months and she wasnt that keen on formula either (i bf until 8 months alongside solids) have you tried 3 meals a day?? dd has 4oz wake up, then breakfast an hour later, then lunch at midday with milk again at 3pm and finally dinner at 5pm and bedtime feed at 7pm. we give her water during the day
2. we boil the kettle, pour in half hot water, then formula, and then the rest of cold water. we also leave the made up milk to cool on its own sometimes.
3. when going out we fill a bottle with hot water. and like jw82 use a milk dispenser (from tesco- genius idea!) usually the water is warm by the time dd needs milk.
4. i have found dd wants to sit up a bit more when feeding from a bottle. she doesnt get any wind either that way.
5. i have recently had this problem too, and i changed teats to a faster flow and now she drinks more milk in a shorter time
hope that helps!!
C