When did your baby drop to only 2 milk feeds/day?

[MindUtopia]

As the title says, when did it happen for you, particularly if you're bottle feeding?

My daughter is about to turn 1 and we're making the switch from formula to cow's milk. But she goes to nursery 3 days a week and I send a bottle with her for her afternoon feed (around 1-2pm). I usually send an empty bottle and a carton of RTF formula because I don't like the idea of it not being refrigerated (if I was to pre-make the bottle) during the commute and for the first little bit after she gets there before they have a chance to put it in the fridge.

Anyway, I won't have cartons to send once we switch to cow's milk (I can't seem to find single serving cartons of whole cow's milk in the UK, we had them when I lived in the U.S., but it doesn't seem like we do here). Anyway, I'm trying to figure out what I'll send to nursery with her as I really don't want to continue to use any formula (i.e. growing up milk). But perhaps she'll drop this bottle soon anyway? When did your LO's just drop down to only morning and bedtime milk feeds? She eats lots of food, now has an afternoon snack most days, and loves her food. I feed on demand though and am in no hurry to push it, except that it would solve this problem!

 

[korndogger123]

My daughter is 15 months and the doctor said she should be down to 3 now. (Of cows milk) So I am not too sure when they go down to 2.

 

[Noodlebear]

I can't remember when exactly but I want to say he was around 11 months. When you switch to cow's milk they only need 2 cupfuls a day and no more than 3.

 

[Lou1234]

Will the nursery accept and store a carton of milk for you? If you took a fresh one on day one then they use it for the three days she is there?

I'm wondering the same about dropping a bottle. For us I don't think it will happen anytime soon as LO has suddenly increased the amount of formula she is having.

 

[Beanonorder]

My dd is 13 months and she still has four bottles a day. Her first bottle is rooibos tea (decaffeinated tea from South Africa) with a little milk in it and then three 180ml bottles of whole milk. I tried to take her down to three bottles just before Christmas and her sleep went to crap! I do think she would handle only having three bottles a day now but definitely not only two. And she eats really well.

 

[Bunanie]

We are still having three bottles of cows milk, about 180-200ml each. No signs of dropping any bottles anytime soon.

She's a little piggy, loves her food, eats a lot (non stop if I keep offering lol) but still likes her milk.

 

[MindUtopia]

Thanks, ladies. That's helpful to know. She eats a lot and could probably drop that afternoon bottle entirely in the next few weeks (she only has about 120 ml at any one time anyway). But she probably eats less at nursery, so I'm guessing she'll still want it there for a bit. I've thought about sending a carton with her on Monday for the week and I need to ask if they have space to store it in the fridge. If they do, that's an option. But I'm more nervous about it going off by the end of the week (she's there Mon, Wed, Fri). If they open it on Monday, it would have to last until Friday. I know we often use a carton of milk for that long, especially if it's only being opened and exposed to air 3 times, but I worry if it might be bad by Friday. I don't see them this week as I'm busy with work and Daddy is doing the school runs this week, but I'll ask. This would be ideal and cheaper. And I really want to get rid of the stupid formula.

Beanonorder, just curious, why do you give rooibos and milk for the first bottle of the day? I love rooibos (used to work in South Africa).

 

[Beanonorder]

Beanonorder, just curious, why do you give rooibos and milk for the first bottle of the day? I love rooibos (used to work in South Africa).

Before we changed to cows milk my dd was on 4 200ml bottles of formula. During my research I found that LOs aren't supposed to have more than 600ml of cows milk a day. As I mentioned before I tried to move to three bottles and it didn't work out so well and I didn't think 150ml bottles weren't enough. Formula is such a controversy here that I just wanted to be done with it! While talking to my mom about it she mentioned that when we were little she gave us tea first thing in the morning. Its so common to give rooibos to babies back home so when I found some here I decided to give it a try. My dd loves it and it works for us at the moment.
I'm glad you like it! I have to admit I'm very unSouth African when it comes to rooibos - not my favourite thing to have!!

 

[MindUtopia]

Beanonorder, just curious, why do you give rooibos and milk for the first bottle of the day? I love rooibos (used to work in South Africa).

Before we changed to cows milk my dd was on 4 200ml bottles of formula. During my research I found that LOs aren't supposed to have more than 600ml of cows milk a day. As I mentioned before I tried to move to three bottles and it didn't work out so well and I didn't think 150ml bottles weren't enough. Formula is such a controversy here that I just wanted to be done with it! While talking to my mom about it she mentioned that when we were little she gave us tea first thing in the morning. Its so common to give rooibos to babies back home so when I found some here I decided to give it a try. My dd loves it and it works for us at the moment.
I'm glad you like it! I have to admit I'm very unSouth African when it comes to rooibos - not my favourite thing to have!!

That's really interesting. Sounds like a great way just to get some extra fluids in, which is probably what she needs. I'm not a big fan of juice for babies and we won't be offering juice, but I'd kinda forgotten about herbal teas. At the moment, she doesn't drink anything but milk and water, but might have to try some different teas in the future. It sounds like a much better thing to offer than some other drinks.

 

[lanaross]

geez my 4 year old still loves her milk and has one 8 oz sippy cup at night (and try not to give her one!). She most definitely had 3 bottles of milk up until she was 1,5 years, maybe even two. I don't really care if somebody says I can't give her milk and all these recommendations, if she wants milk, she will get it. It's not like I am giving her candies Also when you switch to cows milk, you can always switch to 2% if weight gain is a concern but again I don't think it should be with milk if the diet is balanced.

 

[mwah_xx]

When he dropped to one nap he dropped to 2 bottles in the day, and he only dropped that about 3 weeks ago - so 15.5 months.

Before that there were days he'd have 3 bottles in the day and wake for 7oz in the middle of the night, glug it, and go back to sleep, those days he was having 21oz in a 24 hour period at 14 months old (oops!)

 

[Rachel_C]

If they deliver to you, Milk&More do small cartons of whole milk - https://www.milkandmore.co.uk/OA_HT...eCCtpSctDspRte.jsp?section=10207&beginIndex=0 You could just get a little cool bag/bottle cooler for on the way into nursery.

Both of mine were still having three milk feeds a day at that age. My oldest was FF, I think she dropped her afternoon feed around 20 months old. My youngest still sometimes has an afternoon feed at 2.5 years old. Both have always eaten a lot of food so no need to cut back.

 

[zorak]

I find it odd that the nursery don't supply whole cows milk. are you sure they don't?

 

[felix555]

a half pint of fresh whole milk is 49p (just checked out of interest) could you send one of those with her until she drops the feed?

My friend does this.

Rooibos (or redbush) tea is good for babies too.