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We did this with DD1 also at 9 months due to dwindling milk supply. She had been at daycare since 3 months and was drinking 3 4-oz bottles at daycare so we subbed those bottles for the same amount of formula. It worked well. So I would probably send 3 4-oz bottles in the beginning since you're probably not sure how much he drinks during the day and you can always send fewer bottles if he doesn't drink them.

When we combo fed E at 6-7 months she got 4oz bottles of either formula or breast milk during the day, at 7.5 months she switched entirely to formula and now gets 6oz bottles. Is your daycare willing to mix bottles or do you have to send them prepared? We are able to send a big tub of formula in and they store it and make bottles as needed. This gives flexibility while you figure out exactly how much he will need.

DD only drink 8oz bottles before bed. During the day it’s 4 or 6. Most of the time it’s 4oz. She’s 10 months.

I don’t remember exactly but when we were combo feeding st that age, the bottles were never more than 5 ounces, sometimes four. I think maybe he got 3 at school and I BF before daycare, when we got home, and before bed, I think. It’s a bit of trial and error. I’d send a little extra at the beginning, see how much is consumed and then moderate from there.

@Boopers: Also she will pretty much never take bottles from me so maybe try having someone else give the bottle while you are away?

@Boopers: don’t panic yet! Are you the one trying to give it to him? If so, stop and try to get someone else to give him a bottle of formula. Preferably while you are gone. Babysitter, grandma, partner- 9 months is a hard time to start bottles generally, honestly, especially if he hasn’t had them before. He may be resistant for a while. It’s probably not the formula- it’s probably just that he knows BFig is an option. So, if you’re worried you can try to give him more practice with others before you go back to work, or let him sort it out at daycare, which I get could be anxiety provoking at an already hard time emotionally. Most babies won’t starve themselves, and 9 months is already close to when some babies start the weaning process , so food is another way for him to get what he needs. Once he realizes BFing isn’t an option, he may be more willing to take it especially from daycare staff. Some babies are just more stubborn than others, honestly and that’s not a bad thing- it just makes changes a little tougher. Hang in there!

@Boopers: If they are willing have them start with a 4oz bottle and then make 2oz more if he is hungry at a feeding. This way you aren't wasting formula which even buying generic can get expensive and you can better monitor his eating habits.

@Boopers: Munchkin weighted straw cup. With this one, if they don't figure it out on their own you can either blow into the straw so the water/milk comes out and makes them start sucking or if you put a warm liquid in it often naturally comes out the straw at first. Easiest cup for both DD1 and DD2 when learning!

https://www.amazon.com/Munchkin-Click-Weighted-Flexi-Straw-Colors/dp/B00JQSITMI

DD never really took a bottle! She'd drink like 1-2 oz at a time, which was ridiculous! She started day care at 10 months, so a bit older than your LO, and we only brought in bottles for a couple weeks because she wasn't drinking them anyway. I think we ended up with the day care giving her formula, and then regular milk, in a sippy cup, and drinking from a little doll cup or nursing at home.

Are you around when your husband tries to give him the bottle?

Get out of the house. If he can smell you, he'll want breastmilk (at least for a while)

When DS started daycare, I was still giving him bottled breastmilk at home. I sent formula to daycare. I picked him up one day when he was about to eat, and he refused to take the bottle from me (and got very angry). This kept up for a bit as we increased the formula at home while we weaned off breast milk.

He still eats more formula at daycare than at home (4 7 oz bottles a day). But as we weaned off breastmilk, he stopped refusing it completely.

If he's really hungry, he'll eat it.

If he's eating other food at daycare, he might refuse the milk, but could make up for it once he gets home. Either way, try to pay more attention to the food he gets in a full day or week than what he's getting per meal.

I took care of an 11 month old full time and his mum nursed morning and night and during he night and he had 2-3 6oz formula bottles while in my care, but that quickly decreased to 2 by 12 months and then nothing by 15