Advice pls not enough EBM is there a formula alternative?

**willow5** · January 31st, 2014, 08:26 PM

Ok so I am returning to work. My 9 month old has been exclusively breast fed up until solids and now has BM, food and water.

I have been expressing to get up a stash she will take EBM in a bottle when I'm not around. I just don't seem to be able to express enough and I doubt that I'll have enough to keep her happy while I'm at work.

So my question is, is there an alternative to formula if the EBM runs short and she needs a bottle of something else? Is organic formula better than ordinary commercial stuff? Goats milk? Is there goats milk formula?
The biggest issue is she feeds to sleep so the EBM bottles are gold when I'm not home.

I will continue to BF when I'm at home and through the night, she feed 4 times minimum over night so I'm not looking to completely wean and replace BM, just substitute a bottle here and there if needed.

TIA

**Saffy** · February 1st, 2014, 04:45 AM

Have you considered donor EBM?
There's a Facebook group which is called Human milk for Human babies, they facilitate people looking to donate and people requiring donors, usually within local areas.
I don't know which state you are in but I know it's in Vic, not sure about other states.
not everyone's cup of tea but worth considering if you don't want to use formula.

**Barb Glare** · February 1st, 2014, 05:29 AM

Hi. You have done an amazing job, and at 9 plus months, to be honest, she won’t need formula (or ebm- but it’s nice if you have it) when you are at work. she can just take a lunch box and water bottle - seriously! She can have food and water when you are not there. Out of interest, how much milk have you been expressing? For a baby this age 70-100 mls would be a full feed. Sometimes people perceive they have to leave much more. From personal experience I went back to full time work when my baby was 6weeks old. By the time he was 10 months olds I was “over it” and about to give up breastfeeding - until my health nurse clued me in to the fact that I could actually stop expressing and give food and water while I was at work and breastfeed other times.

**Amaunet** · February 1st, 2014, 05:39 AM

Hi. You have done an amazing job, and at 9 plus months, to be honest, she won’t need formula (or ebm- but it’s nice if you have it) when you are at work. she can just take a lunch box and water bottle - seriously! She can have food and water when you are not there.

This!
I went back at 9 months with DS1, he wouldn't drink EBM or formula from a bottle so just had food and water. We breast fed when together and didn't wean until 14 months

**HotI** · February 1st, 2014, 06:04 AM

Similarly, i went back to work when dd was 9 months and she didn't take ebm. she just had a feed before work (most days), and then big feed when i got home. we continued to bfeed for 39 months.

DD stayed with my mum or dh and they found alternative ways to get her to nap (although she wasn't a big napper by then anyway). Mum usually took her for a drive.

i think bellamy's organic has better ethics than some of the other companies, if you decide you do want formula. this was the one i started looking into when i thought i might need it, but i didn't end up using it.

**Freya** · February 1st, 2014, 02:06 PM

Would the theory of not needing ebm work should someone say leave their 10mth old for the evening to attend an event? Assuming they've been breastfed throughout the day and right before the mother leaves?

**willow5** · February 1st, 2014, 02:55 PM

Out of interest, how much milk have you been expressing? For a baby this age 70-100 mls would be a full feed.

I usually pump about 40-60ml a day, slow going my boobs respond much better to baby

When I've been out before she's had EBM from a bottle between 40-90ml but it wasn't quite enough to get her off to sleep, she would nearly go off then the milk ran out. She has two sleeps a day so I'm guessing I may need 100+ml twice a day. I have a little stash but it won't last long and if I get too tired once back at work to and get over it like you said Barb I thought there may be a suitable alternative.

DD is FULL ON! That's why sleeps are precious

**little_O** · February 1st, 2014, 03:11 PM

Could a slow feed bottle help? That way she gets the longer sucking to get off to sleep?

**willow5** · February 1st, 2014, 06:12 PM

Little_O that may help!!

Thank you

**peanutter** · February 1st, 2014, 02:32 PM

Yep, we comped with water and then cows milk too, when there wasn't enough EBM.

You've done a stellar job

Milk high five!!

**willow5** · February 1st, 2014, 02:49 PM

Thanks everyone!

It's not so much I think she needs the EBM for nutritional purposes while I'm gone. DS just had food and water while I was at work but he would be rocked to sleep.
DD feeds to sleep and water in a bottle doesn't do it for her. So I am only really after an EBM alternative to get her off to sleep. I thought a milky-ish thing might work.
I would rather not use formula and was wondering if it would be ok to use, maybe goats milk, oat milk, rice milk, almond milk or something of the like.

I don't want her to fill up on a bottle of something milky and eat less , but, maybe that wouldn't be a problem with her still having BFeeds at night and in the morning and evening, ITMS?