Anyone else just BF morning and night???

[L76]

Just was after some advice from other mums that only BF morning and night.... My LO (7.5 months) has always been EBF until about 6-8 weeks ago when she started taking a bottle for the 11am and 3pm feeds in preparation for nursery.

Anyway, so now I only BF her in the morning and before bed but I am concerned that my milk supply isn't that great. I keep reassuring myself that it's ok (she seems satisfied) and that it is just that I have had nearly 8 months of inflated boobs and that now there is not so much milk in there, it seems a bit weird!?!?!?!??!?!

Do any other mums feel like this or have felt like it? I feed her on one side in the morning (she won't take more) and she feeds for only 6 or 7 mins. At nightime I can get her to take both sides most nights with approx 8-10 on one side and another 3-5 on the other (the one I gave her in the morning). I don't want to start pumping... just perhaps need some reassurance that my deflated boobs are normal!!!! LOL!!!!!

Thanks ladies

Leanne xxx

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

I feel for you....I relish my boobs when i'm bf, as i'm otherwise flat as a board. I slowly weaned my older girl from the time she was 5 months until about 7 months and as I replaced feedings with formula they slowly but surely deflated....She was a champion eater and always finished in 5 mins or so, so I wouldn't worry about the time it takes,as long as she is satisfied. I'm guessing she's on solids too, so that would replace some of her need for milk?   

With my new LO, they were huge at first, but now she has a bottle a day and they are a bit smaller(my husband even commented on it - i think he's jealous cause he only gets to look!)

Heidi

[L76]

Thanks Heidi

Yes she is on solids, she was 8 months yesterday so I am thinking that I will drop the morning feed in the next week or so, as I'd like to stop by the time she is 9 months. It is the evening feed that I am more concerned with dropping. I just am not sure what she is having and it gets her through the night and I don't want her to start waking up!!!! It is also the 'calming' element that I don't want her to miss.

I am going to have to be away for work quite alot when I start back so I know that I need to stop BF and to be honest, at the start I was only going to do 3 months so I think I have achieved a lot getting to 8 months!!!

She only takes 1 bottle type and it only holds 6 oz max and I think perhaps she should be having more like 8oz before bed - is that right? How much do your LO's have? I might try her again with some other bottles that hold more but am a bit wary as it took me so long to get her to take the bottle in the first place!!!!

x

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

I hear you, I always fear changing things when its running smoothly, then you wonder if you did the right thing!  That's great that you've been bf that long, I had to wean my first to go back to work as well.

I had a thought about the evening feed (just before bed I'm assuming?) Why not try giving her a bottle to see how much she actually takes, then afterward you could let her bf just for the few minutes of comfort. That way you could find out how hungry she really is at that time.

My LO takes 6 oz now, but if I remember right, my oldest used to take 8-10 oz by the time she was that old. She like a particular bottle too, so I just made up 2, one with 6 oz and one with a few more ounces that way we didn't have to switch bottle types. It did make more dishes, but she soon didn't need as much formula b/c she was eating more solids.

I hope this helps,
Heidi

[L76]

Hi there

Great idea. I think I will do that with 2 bottles. I also thought that the first few days I would also express straight after giving the bottle at bedtime so if it does go all horribly wrong, I keep up my milk supply. I am sure she will be fine and forget about mummy's boobies once they are no longer on offer... I mean, she never bothers during the day now that she has bottles at 11 and 3pm.

xxx

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

Hi,

You're right, they don't have very long memories! My first weaned herself b/c my letdown wasn't quick enough and she never even cared about the boob since. although now she tries to bf her dollies! 

Heidi

[Canwi]

Just wanted to add my 2-cents worth.
I'm also a smaller-boobed gal.  I found with DS1 (who I BFd till he was almost 2) that when he went to the 2 feeds a day, my boobs got quite deflated.  Now admittedly he was older than your LOs when that happened, and he weaned himself off the other feeds.  BUT the point I'm trying to make here is that your supply will regulate according to what your LO needs.  Your body will figure out what amount the child needs at what time of the day.
Pumping after BFing isn't a bad idea.  It at least stimulates the milk-making parts of your body & brain.  Just don't get disheartened if you get little or nothing. 
I would offer boob first then bottles.  A lot of babies prefer the bottle as the flow is faster and they often don't have to work as hard to get the milk out.