upping level of EBM in bottles for CC & SAHD

DS currently has 90ml bottles of EBM at CC 3 days a week and with DH 2 days a week. DS has in the past month or so dropped from 4 bottles a day to 2 bottles. Now I get that this is normal (the dropping feeds) as DS is 9 1/2 months. But I think because he's only having 90mls a feed while I'm away he might be making up for it at night (particularly o/night).

I want to keep BFing until at least one if not longer but I'm beginning to get a bit resentful in the earlier part of the evening when he'll cluster feed but when he finishes feeding, will wake up (he falls asleep while feeding) when I take him off (after swapping sides etc) after about an hour and not want to go back down to sleep when he clearly needs to sleep (shows all his sleepy signs). He'll just want to go back to feeding again (or have a play for a while then have another big feed). It's not letting me get things done at night much (that's the bit I'm finding that I'm resenting - stuff that I need to get done - washing/dishes/tea/tidying up/school work etc). He's also still waking up a fair bit at night and wants a good feed most times - won't settle any other way at night after his first put down to sleep at night where he doesn't need to feed to sleep (we're working on this)

My question is: do you think I should up the amount of EBM in his bottles?
I thought of this after I dropped him off this morning at CC. I will check this afternoon if they think he looks for more milk when he finishes his bottles and with DH after he gets home tonight. I would only up it to 120ml (I freeze in 30ml lots) if I did up it. He does eat plenty of food during the day apparently and a reasonable amount to tea that I can tell.

Hi Leckert
I am in a similar situation...
DS2 had EBM at child care 4 days a week... he has 1-2 bottles and they are each somewhere b/n 100 and 150 ml. I express each day for the following day.
I find he does wake up and want good feeds o'night - quite afew these days which is wearing me out...
His solids are increasing... i am thinking actually the onight feeding is more emotional - he wanmts to be close to me at night. I thiought I may try to replace with cuddles or a bottle... and see how we go.
Maybe also try to increase and see if it helps...
I also put a sachet of formula in his bag in case they need it.. (but thats bc i am finding it hard to express as much as he seems to need...)

thanks for that mama,

I spoke to DH this afternoon and he said DS is often looking for a bit more and CC said that sometimes he looks for more but not always :shakehead: so I think we'll try a week or so of more EBM in the bottles and see how that goes (had 2x 40min on me tonight :wall: but then he only had one bottle at CC today - busy boy :p) I'm just thankful that most days I'm a cow when it comes to expressing (especially when I make myself find the time to express often enough at school - sometimes get carried away doing other things when I actually should be sitting down to express in my office)

Leckert I hope you don't mind me asking but my DS is exactly the same age as your DS (great day for boys to be born :) ) and he is starting CC in three weeks and I'm really confused what to do with his feeds/bottles? How long is DS in care for and how many feeds does he have? I don't express very much so I'm getting worried about it. Thanks.

Liv

DS is in CC from about 8 to 4.3-0ish Mon, Thurs & Fri ; 8 to 5.30ish fortnightly on Mondays. (With DH Tues & Wed from 8-4.30/5) .

My CC provides day food - we just supply a piece of communal fruit - and we provide milk. Currently I try to send 3 bottles of milk sometimes only 2 happen because that's often all I've had time to express at school the previous day - that was 90ml each - sometimes I needed to top up from what is in the freezer (I try to build stash up in school holidays while DS is in CC.) CC won't make up bottles so they must be supplied mixed if they're formula ones.

Today I've upped the bottles to 120ml (I freeze in 30ml lots so that's why I went to 120ml) - 2 bottles at 120 and 1 at 90ml as I didn't get a chance to get more yesterday - labelled the 90ml to be used last. Will be checking this afternoon how the more milk went.

some of working out how much milk to send is trial & error - the first week or so (at 4 mths) I sent 60ml bottles. The CC staff let me know fairly early that he was looking for more so we upped to 90ml then and was fairly stable at that level for 5 months with around 4-6 bottles during the day. DS's dropping bottles because he's eating solids a fair bit so it's down to around 2 bottles a day. I try to send three in case he wants a bit more. Yesterday the little ratbag only had one bottle - wanted a couple of big cluster feeds last night instead when we got home from CC:lol:

If DS doesn't finish all the bottles that I send, I label them to be used first the next day. (I rotate lids on bottles so that I have some lids permanently labelled use first or last) The beauty of EBM is I can use it the following day as it's been stored in the fridge all the time.

The kids let the carers know fairly well when they're hungry so don't worry too much about that bit of sending your son off to CC. You could always send a combination of formula and EBM bottles if you need to.

I would probably start with 120ml bottles and see how he goes. One of the CC staff this morning told me that her son has a bottle around 240ml at night then sleeps for about 8 hours so I've got no idea really.

You can always change how much goes in the bottles later. I would also start with working out how many feeds he has roughly/on average during the day and send your DS with that many bottles. You'll soon work out if that's enough or too many. My DS feeds more than 2-3 times during the day on weekends when he has access to me 24/7 so giving that many bottles is just a rough guide for the first week or so of starting CC.

Liz, it sounds very tiring for you atm. Feeding during the night is even harder when you need to work during the day :hug:

I found the same thing with both my boys at about that age. I think there were a couple of reasons for the more frequent night feeding, which could be true in your case as well. Firstly, babies do often want to feed more in the night when they are separated from mum during the day. This is as much about reassurance, and spending time with the most important person in their life as it is about food. Secondly, that is an age at which many babies do feed more often in the night anyway. It seems to be related to the rapid brain development which is happening now to prepare for walking and talking. So many mums find their babies start waking again, or waking more often, at about this age.

Trying bigger feeds during the day might help, and another option is to try squeezing in an extra bf or two at some point during the time you are at home. Sometimes this can help but unfortunately for other mums it doesn't make much difference. No harm in trying though! I know this doesn't help you much, but this does pass eventually and one day you'll start getting more sleep again. I wish I could put a timeframe on it for you, but truth be told both my boys have been weaned for a long time now, and still wake in the night often, for a variety of reasons, so I'm not sure when it actually ends - maybe when they move out of home LOL!

All the best hun :hug:

My little girls was having 2 x 150ml bottles of EBM at that age and I thought that wasn't much compared to what you hear other babies are drinking!