Eating too little while I'm at work?

LunaBug924 · September 2014

DD will be 5 months this Sunday and I just had my first day back at work today. I'm only going to be working 2 days a week for now, and I'll be away from her for a total of 10 hours. Today I kind of guessed at how much milk to leave her, and I'm just looking for some advice.

I know the typical rule is an ounce of BM for every hour away. But does that change if baby STTN? She sleeps 10 hours straight through. So normally she nurses every 2 hours during the day and gets a 4oz bottle of pumped milk at bedtime. So today I left (4) 3.5oz bottles for the regular daytime feedings, and the bedtime bottle as usual.

When I came home she was already in bed for the night, which I expected, but I was surprised that she only took 3 of the bottles and the bedtime bottle. So altogether she drank just under 15oz. She only nursed for one full feeding this morning and a little "snack" before her morning nap right before I left. So I feel like she only had maybe 20oz all day. I guess that's still within "normal range", but on the very low end. FWIW I was able to pump about 20oz in 4 sessions at work.

So my question is, should I tell my MIL to give her that extra feeding? Or leave it alone since she obviously seemed satisfied? At her 4 month appointment she weighed 13lbs 2oz, in the 36th percentile for weight, so she's not a big baby. I know most BF babies tend to get overfed with DCP, but I don't want to have the opposite problem. That's not to say that she won't wake up in the MOTN to make up for it tonight, so I guess I'll wait and see.

Sorry this was long and rambling! Any advice or insight?

mrsbtobe20122 · September 2014

I had the same worries so always sent an extra bottle. He would never take al 4. It took about a week for him to be himself at DC. I also added an extra oz to the bottles. So they feed him half wait ten-fifteen mins, then feed the other half. He finishes all his bottles now.

I'd just chalk it up to first day, and who knows how much she is actually taking at the breast-- not the same amount every feed.

I hope she doesn't wake up tonight for you, that's for sure.

kmos816 · September 2014

When my LO first started daycare she hardly ate at all, took her about 1 week to eat more. I think she was only Taking about 6-8 oz for an 8 hour day when I was providing 12, now she is taking 15 oz while she is at daycare. My LO is also 5 months. So I would just give it time!
Also way to go pumping 20 oz! Wish I could do that!!!

mommatotwo2 · September 2014

If she's only nursing once from you, she should be taking closer to 18 to 20 oz in bottles. If she eats every 2 hours when you're together, I'd mimic that schedule when you're away. I'd try 3 oz every 2 hours, maybe a little more at bedtime. Do you work afternoons? Is that why you're gone 10 hours but she's in bed when you get home? If so, I'd try to nurse a few times before going to work. My LO took 12 oz in ten hours, but we nursed before work, when I got home once or twice and before bed. Then usually motn as well.

Peanutz21 · September 2014

our LO are close in age. she eats typically 5 times a day - before i went back to work and now even after. she also has been STTN since about 6 weeks or so. at her 4 month visit she was 12 pounds 4 ounces so percentile on lower side but pediatrician wasn't worried.

my LO is also in DC but not typically m-f for set hours due to my erratic work schedule. when i first had her go to DC at 3months i would send 4-4 ounce bottles (send extra bc i'm paranoid). initially she didn't eat the whole thing, she would take maybe 3 ounces each time....it took about a week. this picked up though since then eventually to 4 ounces and the last 2-3 weeks i've added an extra 1/2 ounce to see. i now put 5 ounces in and she'll take it for the most part except for the 1st feed there (after me nursing her in the AM). i would say maybe add a little extra in the bottle to see if she'll take it, but go slow and see what happens. the frequency of feedings hasn't changed - still 5 in a 24 hour period. i usually nurse in the AM and then PM, and she'll get 3 bottles at daycare.

hope this helps. sorry for the rambling. waiting for my latte to kick in

LunaBug924 · September 2014

Well she did wake up at 5am. She usually sleeps till 7:30ish.

And it isn't that she was refusing bottles, I think it's that the last one wasn't offered and she wasn't "asking" for it.

@mommatotwo2 I work from 12-8 but my commute is almost an hour each way, so that's why I'm gone for so long. She usually goes to bed @ 8:30 and I got home at 9. And since I had to leave at 11, I only got to nurse her twice before I left.

I think I'll try doing 3oz bottles and have MIL give them every 2. That makes more sense.

jenn43 · September 2014

My 5mo old is in DC 5 days a week for about 9 hours/day. I leave him 4-4oz bottles, and he usually has 3 of them. He does have 1-2 MOTN feeds though.

Eating too little while I'm at work?

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