BFing babies, questions about bottles when you go back to work

DS is 5 months and EBF for the most part and gets pumped bottles here and there (if I go run an errand, if I have some )

Today was his first full day with the sitter and I left him 6oz bottles. He wound up drinking 27 ounces between 10:30-4:30. Is that normal?? She said he'd eat the 6oz and cry for more so she'd distract him adn then he seemed fine but twice she gave him another ounce of milk. He seemed a little pukey at night when I got home and also wanted to nurse on me right away when he just had a 7oz bottle an hour before!

How big are your babies bottles for daycare/sitter? How many ounces a day does he/she eat? If DS is eating too much, how do I dial it down without him fussing too much for the sitter? I don't want to make it too tough on her!

Re: BFing babies, questions about bottles when you go back to work

If your baby is hungry, then feed him. Unless he's eating all day long, don't worry about giving too many ounces.

That being said, 27 oz in 6 hours seems like a lot. My guess is he was tired and the babysitter fed him instead of putting him down for a nap. How much is he eating in total the entire day?

Also, is he eating solids yet? DS is bottle fed, but he was drinking about 36-40 oz a day before he was on solids. Now he eats 2 meals and has dropped down to about 26-28 oz a day.

Re: BFing babies, questions about bottles when you go back to work

Re: BFing babies, questions about bottles when you go back to work

Honestly, she overfed him. A good guideline is 1-1.5 oz per hour you're away.
Hopefully she can learn his sleep cues and get him down before he's overtired.
The same exact thing happened with me and my old nanny.

Re: BFing babies, questions about bottles when you go back to work

I would write an exact schedule of what you do and ask her to follow it to a T for the first week or so. This will allow her to figure out his sleep/ eat cues and patterns. Then allow the babysitter to adjust. You know your baby best!

If your DS seemed pukey that is because he probably got too much milk. And he probably wanted to breastfeed as soon as you got home for comfort because he missed you.

Good luck!

BFing babies, questions about bottles when you go back to work

I also think she overfed him. DS only takes (4) 5oz BM bottles still. So a max of 20-22oz while I'm away 12 hours.

Re: BFing babies, questions about bottles when you go back to work

I would assume 18-20 oz would satisfy him. She was probably using the bottle to soothe him. Like others have said, maybe he should have napped earlier or longer or more often instead. Do you use pacifiers? Maybe you can tell her to use that to hold him off until a later feeding. I would write down the times you want him to be fed and then give her a max amount you don't want her to go over.

BFing babies, questions about bottles when you go back to work

i agree that he was probably crying for sleep, not more milk.
when dd was 5 months she was in daycare and was taking 5oz bottles every 3 hours - so in that time span it would be 15 oz

BFing babies, questions about bottles when you go back to work

I agree... overfed!
My DS (EBF) would take 4- 5 oz bottles (depending on what I had pumped, and a little less than what I would if I BF him I think, but he didn't want it from a bottle as much), around the times I would usually have fed him 2.5-3.5 hours apart. So in 6 hours, that might have been 12-15 oz.
Babies (aside from mine, lol) often will drink more milk from a bottle b/c of the comfort of sucking. She could try a paci if your DC takes one.
I agree with the others that he probably should have been put down for a nap instead of fed more.
And, he probably wanted to nurse as soon as you got home b/c he missed you. More for comfort than hunger I would guess. That is what my DS always did (and sometimes still does at 23 months!).