What's the worst that could happen...?

TeaForMe

...if I don't leave enough milk for him while I'm away for 5 hours?

Little dude eats 7-8 times per 24 hours so should need about 3.5-4oz per bottle according to Kellymom, etc. I work part time and am gone for about 5 hours, 3 morning per week during which time my parents watch him.

I was leaving two 8oz bottles for him which matches up with everything I've read on what he should be eating and the amount I am able to pump at work. Sure, he needed a couple extra oz here and there, but everything was fine and dandy and I was about to add to my freezer stash as well.

 Then he suddenly ate 6 oz a couple times and now my mom is convinced that's what he needs and has been giving him 12 oz. during the 5 hours I am gone! (keeping in mind I nurse him about half an hour before I leave and then shortly after I get home as well so he's really only going about 6 hours between nursing sessions as it is). I trust my mom's judgement on his hunger, but I also think his hunger cues have changed and that he has started to get bored and acts a lot like he is hungry.

 I've added extra pumping after nursing to accommodate this but it's getting out of hand. I do need to be a little more firm in telling her she can't feed him so much, but what is the worst that could happen if I only leave 8 oz tomorrow and he is still hungry?

Ms5586

He could be screaming bloody murder.

My LO eats anywhere from 4-6 ounces at a time, it could be that's what he needs now.

I would ask your mom to please try to give him the 4 ounces and see if she can distract him afterwards.  If not, he may need the 6 ounces.

At this age, they're getting a lot more physical, so they're burning off quite a few calories.

Mrs. Sarah&Micah

The worst: He could scream and cry. I sent 3 4 ounce bags of milk with DD to daycare until she was about 5 months old and then I increased to 3 bags of 6 ounces in each bag.

TeaForMe

So did you start pumping more often then to get more milk to send? I'm still getting the same amount from pumping that I was a month ago. So I've had to pump before work, at night and on days I don't go to work to make up for this. And still barely keep up.

I also thought the caloric value of milk was supposed to change as baby grows ... to match what he/she needs without needing a higher volume of milk. Is this completely wrong, then?

Mrs. Sarah&Micah

No, I have kept pumping the same amount at work (3 times a day) and even as her needs increased, I was still able to produce enough that she needed and extra for my stash at home. I have had an oversupply issue from the beginning though.

tokenhoser

Most babies eat approximately an ounce per hour. 12 oz in 5 hours is almost certainly overfeeding.

I would go over the "how to bottle feed a breastfed baby" things from kellymom with your mom to slow down and stretch out the feedings, and I would not leave her with that much extra milk. You can't keep up if your caregiver constantly overfeeds.