Author Topic: BF drop off but still new to solids  (Read 2141 times)

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Offline LaraAndrea

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BF drop off but still new to solids
« on: April 20, 2017, 16:41:33 pm »
Hello,
I have read post about avg milk intake with established solids but I am still unsure about my LOs current milk intake.

My LO (28 weeks) has been eating solids for only 3 weeks and sometimes she eats very little of her solid food. But I have noticed over the last couple days a marked drop in her drinking time. (She just recently dropped night feed and is sleeping through the night with a dream feed).

I am wondering breastfeeding Mammas when you started to notice a drop off in drinking time/amount?

Currently she BF with waking, solids ~1.5h later and BF top up 30-45min prior to nap time. The length of her feeds have recently decreased.

Thoughts? Insight?

Offline *Ali*

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Re: BF drop off but still new to solids
« Reply #1 on: April 25, 2017, 19:56:49 pm »
Do you think she's just got more efficient?

Is she taking a significant amount of solid food already? How many times a day?

If she is still sttn then it sounds like she's getting plenty.
Cadan Dec 2009 and Colby Aug 2011


Offline LaraAndrea

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Re: BF drop off but still new to solids
« Reply #2 on: April 29, 2017, 20:37:25 pm »
I am hoping she is more efficient :)

She eats 2 meals of solid food a day (does not always finish).

She is no longer STTN (but she has a cold with stuffy nose right now, so not sure if that is the culprit right now, but she had stopped STTN prior to that)

Offline LaraAndrea

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Re: BF drop off but still new to solids
« Reply #3 on: April 30, 2017, 16:23:06 pm »
It seems like her daily feeding keeps getting shorter. There has to be a limit to her efficiency. It doesn't seems like she is sucking/drinking better. Actually seems worse to me.

She isn't eating much in the way if solids right now either due to some issues with gas.

I was originally going to start Weaning the dream feed next week. But she is still taking a fair bit at dream feed ( best feed if day right now) and she is waking in night to feed once.

I wish I knew how much she was getting. :(

Offline *Ali*

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Re: BF drop off but still new to solids
« Reply #4 on: April 30, 2017, 20:44:54 pm »
I honestly wouldn't worry about it. If she wants more milk she will take it as long as you respond to her hunger cues. At 6mo they only need about 25oz on average a day (19-32 is the normal range though) and if she's having 7-8 feeds she only needs to be taking 3-3.5oz a feed on average. I'm sure she'll let you know if she needs more.

I hope she gets better soon. A stuffy nose can put them off milk as it can be uncomfortable to latch if they cannot breathe well through their noses.

Try not to worry 😀
Cadan Dec 2009 and Colby Aug 2011


Offline LaraAndrea

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Re: BF drop off but still new to solids
« Reply #5 on: April 30, 2017, 21:46:38 pm »
I know she is still hungry when she stops feeding b/c she is upset about it. I feel like my let down is taking longer (probably because I am worrying).

I am usually able to feed her some expressed milk from a cup or a bottle when she doesn't want cup. I don't like feeding from bottle but I hate seeing her hungry.

She only feeds from my right side (took me 6 months of struggling to accept that) so when she balks at my right as well it worries and stresses me.

Like that, this issue is probably harder on me than on her.

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Re: BF drop off but still new to solids
« Reply #6 on: May 01, 2017, 11:25:47 am »
Have you tried a burp, nappy change and then offering again?

What about a nursing necklace to keep her focused?

You could mix expressed milk into her food to get more in her.

Could she be teething?
Cadan Dec 2009 and Colby Aug 2011


Offline LaraAndrea

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Re: BF drop off but still new to solids
« Reply #7 on: May 01, 2017, 14:02:11 pm »
I do mix EBM into her food. I have never thought about the necklace, I will try that.

As for teething. I keep thinking that might be it. I don't see any evidence if budding teeth, but I could be missing the signs.

I just hope this phase does not negatively affect my milk supply. My let down seems to be taking much longer.
:( I do try to pump if she doesn't eat much during a feed.