dropping milk feed

[ewabear]

hi, my LO is 8 and half month old. She still takes four breastfeeds a day an is on three solid meals.
I have recently noticed that she is not that much interested in her two middle feeds (she will suck for two or three minutes an then plays with nipple). Is this a sign that she is ready to drop one, how do I then replace her second feed, shall I offer snack because too early for lunch or should I bring lunch earlier, but then dinner will shift too, what about her third feed. Thanks in advance.

[katie80]

Hi, I think it's often recommended to keep 4 BFs until 1 yr old as milk is still more important than solids, although I do know of babies who have gone down to 3 around 9/10mo. If dropping a feed means you need to add in some sort of snack, I'd rather keep the feed. How do you currently offer the feeds... do you BF first and then offer solids later? Sometimes, around this age the EASY needs to change and be a bit more flexible to fit all those feeds in.

[ewabear]

Hi, thanks for response. Im always breastfeeding first and than about an hour later give solids, apart from third feed where there is 2 h in between.

[*Ali*]

If they are refusing milk at this age it is recommended by WHO  to cut back on solids a bit. Either offer less at each solids meal or offer one less meal even. Once the milk intake goes up again you will probably find you can build the solids up again and the milk intake won't go down again.

Is she sleeping through the night without a DF or NF? If so I'd say it was even more important to keep the four day feeds.

It might be worth considering when and where you do the daytime feeds. For example mine would feed longer if I fed immediately upon waking from naps still in the dark bedroom. Less distraction that way. A nursing necklace or doing breast compressions can also help hold the interest a little longer.

Another option if you pump is to offer some milk in a sippy cup and see if she is more interested in that.

[ewabear]

thanks, I would rather cut the amount of solids than whole meal and try to feed in dark room (she is very easy distracted). As she cuts her naps short it is not always possible to feed after nap. She doesn't really refuse but starts playing with my nipple and starts biting, but I suppose it is the same thing, loosing interest. I was also wandering if I should start pumping after each daily feed. Is it possible that what I have on offer during the day is less due to such long night break. I usually wake up and my breasts are engorged and she has quite a lot as first feed.

[*Ali*]

I'd only pump if you want to offer the milk from a cup.  Otherwise your body should just make what is demanded at this stage of bfing