https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Fri, 17 Apr 2026 00:37:15 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bottlepumping-amounts-for-7-month-old#post-2778043 Fri, 06 Oct 2017 10:58:51 +0000 maggierose 2778043@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@nana87: Hi fellow Feb mama. Sad to hear your mat leave is over but that's great you got to have so much time with your babe! I've been back at work since LO was 3 months and started daycare at 4 - so it's been almost 4 months now. I was able to keep up the daycare's demands for BM, but barely; adding in extra pumping sessions at nights and weekends and burning through the little freezer stash I had. I usually only pump 3 oz at a session (ranges from 2-4). So in a day, between 2 pumps at work and an evening pump, I get 8-10 oz.</p> <p>Now my freezer stash is all gone. With my son, I was barely able to keep up and had to fight with daycare at every turn that what I was sending was enough; he never had a drop of formula. This time around, though, I don't have the mental will to argue with them and literally physically cannot get more output unless I wake up at 4-5am and pump which is a gamble bc my LO is still not sleeping through the night and I sometimes feed her then.</p> <p>SO last week I decided to buy some formula (after much research I purchased an organic European formula I feel comfortable with - I figure she already eats so much real food including yogurt that I don't think the ingredients in the formula are going to harm her or be much different at this point) and I gave her a trial bottle and she drank it.</p> <p>So now I'm doing the same as I think you've decided - sending breast milk (she gets a 3-4 oz BM bottle in the morning, I go breastfeed on my lunch break, and then she gets 4-6 oz BM bottle in the afternoon) with ONE back up formula bottle, only to be use if absolutely needed. </p> <p>Her teacher's eyes LIT UP when I told her she could have formula. But, I'm not sending the full container at this point because I don't want them to get too heavy handed with it - I mean I honestly think what I'm sending plus the lunchtime feeding session is enough for her, she's there from 8:30-4:45... but I don't want them to constantly be commenting to me how hungry and fussy she was after the last bottle until I pick her up, so now they have backup and it's only a little bit and it's a lot less stress off of me... so.. there you go! It was funny timing to read this and realize we're in the same boat and feels good to know! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bottlepumping-amounts-for-7-month-old#post-2777880 Thu, 05 Oct 2017 15:18:28 +0000 josina 2777880@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@nana87: Oh, well I definitely wouldn't want to have to send 2 oz bottles everyday 'just in case' and then waste that precious milk! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bottlepumping-amounts-for-7-month-old#post-2777871 Thu, 05 Oct 2017 14:41:59 +0000 nana87 2777871@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@josina: I only have a couple frozen bags left since I didn’t have much of a stash to begin with so I’d rather defrost myself. But I think they also aren’t allowed to make the bottles themselves per health department regs, or at least that’s what they told me when lo1 was a baby. I just got those 2oz nurses recommended above, I’ll take the box in tomorrow to see if they’ll try those and I’ll keep just sending in whatever I pump the day before, and use the formula as backup if they think she needs a top off! They’re also going to up her solids, we had a talk this morning about that since apparently yesterday she was really interested in the snack (applesauce; of course she can eat that!) the older kids were eating! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bottlepumping-amounts-for-7-month-old#post-2777854 Thu, 05 Oct 2017 13:36:54 +0000 josina 2777854@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@nana87: I was just scrolling back to read this because I went from pumping 12 oz a day to 10, so not enough to keep up with what she's eating. :(<br /> I added back in another pump session today. I would consider formula if she'll drink it. I know the last time I offered Em (a couple months ago) she wanted nothing to do with it.<br /> Can you just leave a few frozen 2 oz bags there that they can use if needed? I have extras at daycare for that purpose. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bottlepumping-amounts-for-7-month-old#post-2777606 Wed, 04 Oct 2017 13:56:31 +0000 nana87 2777606@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@gingerbebe: oooh great recommendation, I'd seen those only for newborns but just saw they have once meant specifically for supplementing, thanks! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bottlepumping-amounts-for-7-month-old#post-2777598 Wed, 04 Oct 2017 13:45:47 +0000 gingerbebe 2777598@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'd just send a 6-pack of those Similac nursers that are 2oz each and not waste the stash. I'd also make sure to feed a heftier solid at snack, like full fat whole milk yogurt, so that she's fine calorie wise. At 6 months you can introduce water, per my ped, so I might ask them if they wanted to offer her a soft-spouted sippy with water. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bottlepumping-amounts-for-7-month-old#post-2777592 Wed, 04 Oct 2017 13:32:08 +0000 nana87 2777592@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I wanted to update this and also ask another question! </p> <p>It's now been a couple weeks, and I seem to pump about 9-10 oz per day. We settled on 3 bottles of 3 oz each, but then daycare asked us to send a 4th bottle, just in case. She hasn't seemed to need it terribly: they feed her her 3rd bottle around 2:30 usually, and I'm there by 5-5:30. They tend to feed her solids/pouches during the kiddos' afternoon snack, which is great. When I pick her up, she isn't desperate to nurse: we usually wait until we're home and I nurse around 6pm. </p> <p>So, the question is about that last/extra bottle. Yesterday, they fed it to her but she didn't want it; when I picked her up, there was 2 oz that would have gone to waste(since she'd already had some of it) except that I ended up feeding it to her rather than nursing when we got home. Wasting breastmilk just hurts, you know?? Especially since I'm almost out of my freezer stash and am not pumping enough to fill the extra bottle each day. </p> <p>So my question...Would you start sending formula as the extra bottle if you were me? I wouldn't care if it was wasted, I think I'd rather have her drink an ounce or two of that than burn through my freezer stash...On days that she's home with me she seems fine just nursing, and I'd still pump as much as I can. She will be 8 months next week and hasn't had formula yet...</p> <p>Or, would you just send a mini-bottle and ask them to push solids more at the end of the day if she runs out of milk?</p> <p>I haven't tried lactation cookies or anything yet for my supply, which I should... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bottlepumping-amounts-for-7-month-old#post-2774243 Tue, 19 Sep 2017 19:53:01 +0000 maddyz 2774243@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I sent 12 oz in 4 bottles at that age. Lo2 was slow to take up solids. Now at a year he gets 6oz in two bottles and I am still pumping at work... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bottlepumping-amounts-for-7-month-old#post-2774239 Tue, 19 Sep 2017 19:38:13 +0000 nana87 2774239@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thanks so much everyone! It turns out that today she only took 2 4oz bottles so I have plenty for tomorrow and some for the next day, but she was hesitant to take a bottle at first since it was her first day. But I feel relieved that so far I can cover her needs. It's so, so good to hear about the range of everyone's experiences! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bottlepumping-amounts-for-7-month-old#post-2774237 Tue, 19 Sep 2017 19:35:10 +0000 Ajsmommy 2774237@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I send 4 - 4 oz bottles a day. He usually eats them all but occasionally will.only do 3....he also eats a packet of puree for lunch.</p> <p>I pump two times (just dropped a pumping session). I get about 7-8 oz's day now. So I have to dip into.my frozen stash every day. When I first returned to work I was getting over 20 ounces a day so I was able to freeze a good bit. By my calculations I have enough to get through 7 more weeks and then I'll have to start using 1 or 2 bottles of formula. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bottlepumping-amounts-for-7-month-old#post-2774221 Tue, 19 Sep 2017 18:33:29 +0000 babypugs 2774221@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I send three four ounce bottles for my eight month old. I think she would happily drink five ounces, but I can't pump that much. I'm just counting on her making up for it with overnight feeds. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bottlepumping-amounts-for-7-month-old#post-2774219 Tue, 19 Sep 2017 18:10:08 +0000 petitenoisette 2774219@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Basically 12 ounces the entire time. Originally I'd send a little more but she never drank it. This was for an 8 hour day. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bottlepumping-amounts-for-7-month-old#post-2774198 Tue, 19 Sep 2017 16:02:52 +0000 gingerbebe 2774198@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>When bottle feeding, my boys both took 5-6oz bottles at that age and they ate 4 times a day between 730am and 730pm. They did not eat overnight. So if they were at school from 9-5, I wouldn't expect them to need more than 2 bottles at 6oz each. My both both started solids by 6 months however. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bottlepumping-amounts-for-7-month-old#post-2774193 Tue, 19 Sep 2017 15:46:47 +0000 josina 2774193@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Em is 7 months today and goes to daycare from 7:30-5:30. I pump at 9:30 (ish) and 1:30. I typically get 12 oz a day, I freeze one bag and keep 2 4 oz bottles.</p> <p>I have a good freezer stash so I currently bring 7- 4 oz bags of frozen milk on Mondays to cycle through, so she gets 2 to 3 frozen on Monday. Tuesday-Friday she gets 2- 4 oz. bottles milk from the day before, plus 1 frozen if she wants it. Somedays she's good with 2, somedays she takes 3. Rarely more than that but I try to make sure there is extra frozen available just in case. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bottlepumping-amounts-for-7-month-old#post-2774188 Tue, 19 Sep 2017 15:30:07 +0000 catlady 2774188@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My 2nd is 9 months and I've been sending the same amount since 3 months, 3x4oz bottles and an extra 2 oz bottle just in case. I sent the same amount for LO1 from age 3 months to 12 months. I've been pumping enough to mostly break even although I've noticed that LO2 eats the extra bottle almost every day now and my supply is a little lower now, so I've been dipping into my freezer stash more lately. The same thing happened with LO1 right around 8 or 9 months so I'm not surprised. With LO1, I was able to just barely make it to 12 months (with freezer stash and extra pump sessions at night every so often). She never dropped bottles due to solids. LO2 eats even less than LO1 did so I don't expect him to drop bottles anytime soon either. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bottlepumping-amounts-for-7-month-old#post-2774187 Tue, 19 Sep 2017 15:23:58 +0000 snowjewelz 2774187@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My 2nd is 9 months now; I just send enough calculating that she eats 4oz every 3 hours. On weekends I actually stretch her to bf every 4 hours. </p> <p>I don't have time to pump 3 times at work, I only pump twice and before when she was younger I could get 12 oz with 2 pumps but now I only get 9-10 but I have a decent freezer stash. </p> <p>I had supply issue with DD1 too; this time around it's def been better and I'm more conscious to drink lots of water, take supplements, etc. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bottlepumping-amounts-for-7-month-old#post-2774186 Tue, 19 Sep 2017 15:23:46 +0000 NorthStar 2774186@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@avivoca: W is 7 months / 1 week. He typically takes 16 oz of breastmilk during daycare and is there from 7-4:30, but I do nurse him right before I drop him off. Until a month ago, I had been able to pump enough to cover each day. Lately, I'm lucky if I get 8 oz combined from the two pumping sessions I do at work. Until about a month ago, I would pump one breast and he would eat from the other one during his one wakeup at night. That gave me enough to cover what he needed, but I stopped doing that. Luckily, I have a ton in my freezer stash, so I just send one frozen bag per day to daycare. I am nervous that won't be enough to get me to a year, so I am taking some supplements and hoping that helps. But, yeah, the period totally affects supply. I had mine last week, so I am crossing my fingers that my supply goes back up some this week. </p> <p>W is also teething horribly and not eating or drinking real well this week, so that can definitely affect how much they eat. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bottlepumping-amounts-for-7-month-old#post-2774185 Tue, 19 Sep 2017 15:14:28 +0000 nana87 2774185@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@avivoca: oh I forgot about period affecting supply! mine unfortunately already started again and I'm expecting it anyday now...but maybe 11 oz isn't too low for her age, she is eating solids as well. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bottlepumping-amounts-for-7-month-old#post-2774180 Tue, 19 Sep 2017 14:58:59 +0000 avivoca 2774180@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I started out sending 12 oz. It upped to 16oz. around 4.5 months, and then back down to 12 oz. when she started eating solids. I had to start supplementing at 8.5 months because my supply could not keep up once my period started. Now she is 11 months and I'm in the process of pump weaning, but it's a good day if I get 6 oz. She gets two bottles of 2 oz formula/2 oz breastmilk and one bottle of 2 oz breastmilk and 1 oz whole cows milk. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bottlepumping-amounts-for-7-month-old#post-2774170 Tue, 19 Sep 2017 14:36:11 +0000 nana87 2774170@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Lo2 just started daycare today at 7 months (cue sobbing for the end of my lovely maternity leave!). I broke out my electric pump for the first time today and am a little overwhelmed about figuring out how many bottles, and what size, to send her with (she's there ~9-5), as well as my pumping schedule. I'm worried about not producing enough since I struggled with supply w lo1, even though lo2 is ebf with no issues!</p> <p>Today I sent lo2 in with 4 4oz bottles, so about 16 oz, but I've pumped 3 times and gotten about 11 oz. It's more than I ever got per day with lo1 but I'm worried!</p> <p>How much do you usually send for a 7 month old, and do you get enough from pumping? </p>