How many bottles do I need to send for 12 hours?

Question

My baby is EBF and I will be going out for the first time without her today. She is almost 4 months. She just kind of nurses on demand. So how many oz per bottle and how many bottles would be appropriate to send for 12 hours??

Answer

First off, not to scare you, since it's too late, but do you know if your LO takes bottles? 
My son had no issue taking any which bottle and milk at any temp, but my daughter is a bit more particular, so we've been bottle training her.
That being said, I think I read that your baby basically takes the same amount of milk from now till they start solids (usually 6 months), which ranges from 24-30 oz.
TL;DR - For 12 hours, it's probably safe to leave 21-24 oz across 5-6 bottles (or 4-5 but wouldn't have less than that) & whoever's watching to practice 'paced feeding'. Good luck!
(sorry for the long-winded post/explanation below, but if you've got time...)
_
I know when we started my son on daycare, he was nursing twice before I dropped him off and twice when I came home, plus one middle-of-the-night feeding, so we left them 15-18 oz initially (across an 8~9 hr period), but they didn't do paced feeding, so we ended up giving them like 21-24 oz (when we were giving 24ish oz, I'd also dropped to one feeding before and after work, and he'd slept through the night without needing to nurse!)
Long story short, this time around, we're making sure the daycare practices paced feeding, as one of the nurses at a BFing support group I go to mentions that many daycares (or caretakers) will say not enough milk has been included because they're just dumping the milk down their throats (obviously not so aggressive), and when our LOs nurse, they can stop the flow of milk whenever they want or need to at the breast, but with bottles, it kinda just keeps dripping/ flowing out. That's why they say a bottle-fed baby can be overfed, especially since some caretakers insist on making baby finish the bottle!
Fun Fact: Breastmilk can be left out and  given again (although it's trickier if you have to warm it up / thaw it before feeding) once baby has had some (we did with both our kids, and they are still hearty and healthy), but formula needs to be tossed within an hour.
Of course, you can toss it, but I know how precious breastmilk is. I never thought I'd be this type of Mom, but what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger (sounds drastic, but unless your babe had issues, they're made of hearty stuff!) GOOD LUCK!
And these are just the ramblings of another Mama who's had pretty different experiences between children, and just what I've learned along the way (o: You can take it or leave it - and hopefully I didn't offend in any way! I know we Mamas are all just trying to do what's best for our kiddos the best way we know how. 😁😶

Answer

I read 1-1.5 oz per hour you're away. And it's pretty true for my BF baby. We send 12-16oz to day care and I'm gone 9 hours. Most of the time he takes 12oz. I try and feed him right before I go or pump, those are the days he will take 16. I would definitely leave more than you think. So if you're basing it on 12 hrs, 12-18oz will be good. I'd leave 22 to be on the safe side. But most babies only take 24-30oz a day. Sorry, long winded haha

Answer

My lo usually eats 12-15 oz while I'm at work for 8 hours. I only pump 12 while away

Answer

Always better to send more the. Enough because your LO might want comfort from a bottle with you being gone. I'd send st least 5 bottles and 20-24 oz.

Answer

My little girl takes a little bit over 20 oz now over the span of 10 hours. I'd leave extra to be safe! I'd probably go with 25 oz if I were you

How many bottles do I need to send for 12 hours?

Let's Glow!

The Top Baby Tracker App: Embrace New Beginnings with Tender Care

The Top Fertility Tracker App: Your Path to Achieving Pregnancy

The Top Pregnancy App: Nurturing Your Journey to Motherhood

The Top Period Tracker for Empowering Your Menstrual Health Journey