Does my baby need a bottle?

amother

Wed, Sep 04 2019, 2:21 pm

9 months old
I’ll be going back to work.
will be at the babysitter approximately 845-3:15

Eats food
Only nursed until now-never has formula
Doesn’t nurse too much during the day really. Is it enough to nurse in morn at wake up, and again at 3:30, them 6:30 before bedtime? Also usually wakes up at night to nurse still.
Will eat food while I’m gone, prob about two meals plus Cheerios/puffs.
Question is do I need to pump at work so I can leave a bottle for her? Or it ok to skip a bottle and only nurse when I’m home? Thanks in advance

amother

Cerise

Wed, Sep 04 2019, 2:39 pm

By the time my baby was 9 months they were having 3 full meals a day, water in a bottle. I was still giving her a full feed at bedtime, but that was it.
I don't see why 2 feeds a day plus food isn't sufficient. Would you be giving them extra feeds if they were at home? I found if anything dd ate better when I was working because she was in more of a proper schedule and didn't really need my feeds.

amother

Wed, Sep 04 2019, 2:40 pm

Pesak zman I hear ya, it’s just that at this point when I’ve been home, my baby isn’t too interested in nursing during the day much at all. I always offer milk before food. I don’t know why the disinterest.. so I was hoping I could maybe avoid pumping bec anyways the nursing has been minimal during those hours.

Benevolence

Wed, Sep 04 2019, 3:04 pm

I'm with Cerise. I also find pumping many times stressful. Work is a lot. You may pump if you feel super full, but as a must have on the to do list, I'm less sure. Last two kids I stopped, and nursed almost twice longer.

sky

Wed, Sep 04 2019, 3:16 pm

amother [ Gray ] wrote:

Psak zman, if a 9 month old eats enough food, he doesn't need to nurse during the day.

But NOT no nursing and NO bottle all day.
The thread where a morah skipped a 10 month bottle one time every one was screaming it was horrible.

Can you try sippy cup with water or even formula. At 9 months my baby who wouldn’t take a bottle liked a sippy cup and took water and even some formula - not a lot - but something.
I think during that time period baby needs some sort of drink.
Also how does baby comfort self to sleep?

Maybe try it out at home and see how it goes not nursing during that time.

I also thinking if nursing so little you must give 3 full meals.

pesek zman

Wed, Sep 04 2019, 3:20 pm

amother [ Gray ] wrote:

Psak zman, if a 9 month old eats enough food, he doesn't need to nurse during the day.

That’s not what my pediatrician says, but maybe yours says differently.

rydys

Wed, Sep 04 2019, 3:26 pm

amother [ Cerise ] wrote:

This is not a healthy diet for a child under 1. Babies are not just small children, their nutritional needs are different from older children. Breast milk and formulas have the correct balance of nutrients that they need. While it is OK for older babies to eat most solids, their main nutrition still needs to be breast milk or baby formula.

jfk92

Wed, Sep 04 2019, 3:31 pm

Not an expert. But my baby was having just about 2/3 bottles at 9 months as well. Wake and before sleep plus one before first nap. He was eating pretty well by then and had a range of foods in his diet, and I didnt need to be concerned he wasnt getting enough nutrition from his solids. I gave him water and sometimes a little tea w meals. Worked great for us bh. OP I think your plan is more than ok.

amother

Orchid

Wed, Sep 04 2019, 4:00 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

The Canadian answer is - a bottle of milk.

pesek zman

Wed, Sep 04 2019, 4:15 pm

amother [ Gray ] wrote:

I don't need my pediatrician to tell me this. It's common sense.

It seems common sense may not be so common. I try to follow AAP recommendations, including this one.

flower2

Wed, Sep 04 2019, 4:30 pm

Fine to just sent food and some water in sippy cup.
Sound like other than while she is away from you she will be nursing at least 3-4 times/24 hours- definitely enough of on solids.
You may find ur milk supply drops a bit but shouldn't be much if you baby isn't really nursing then anyway.

allthingsblue

Wed, Sep 04 2019, 4:31 pm

I had this exact situation. You must provide a liquid that your baby will drink, either formula, breast milk or even water. You must, no matter how hard it is (and I know it's hard!)

amother

Seafoam

Wed, Sep 04 2019, 4:47 pm

yes but seriously ask your pediatrician

and I would do everything possible to make the transition as seamless and as stressless as possible so would not take bottle away at this time

amother

Indigo

Wed, Sep 04 2019, 8:22 pm

Even if not breast milk, I'd give some water with meals just to wash it down. At this point though, why not go straight to a sippy cup. Your baby is old enough to learn it and then you don't have to wean from the bottle and teach a cup later...

Chana Miriam S

Wed, Sep 04 2019, 9:48 pm

The baby should drink. Water is great to drink. A good lifelong habit. I nursed by first child with a full time job from 7.5 months. I let him nurse a lot at night until he was a year because he wasn’t really into food but when he started eating regularly we got some more sleep and nursed less at night

mommy3b2c

Wed, Sep 04 2019, 10:02 pm

amother [ Gray ] wrote:

Psak zman, if a 9 month old eats enough food, he doesn't need to nurse during the day.

Wrong. Before 1 a baby needs no food at all. They do need at least five feedings of formula or breast milk. My kids eat NO food before 1.

amother

Wed, Sep 04 2019, 10:09 pm

mommy3b2c wrote:

Wrong. Before 1 a baby needs no food at all. They do need at least five feedings of formula or breast milk. My kids eat NO food before 1.

Thanks everyone. Just for a side note, I’ve been learning and researching a lot from registered dieticians that breastmilk alone isn’t enough that a certain point (before a year from about 6 months) because of iron. Breastmilk iron levels drop significantly and it’s imp that babies get iron with food. I believe if formula fed then it’s not as much of an issue. I’m not sure though I’ve only breastfed but I did make sure to start incorporating foods with iron. Some drs also recommend iron supplements as an alternative but I think that recommendation isn’t agreed across the board.