Author Topic: 7mo need help reducing breastfeeding  (Read 1460 times)

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Offline claire1711

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7mo need help reducing breastfeeding
« on: July 16, 2012, 17:17:59 pm »
Hi, I could really do with some advice on how to cut down on breastfeeding.
My DS is almost 7months old and current easy looks like this
E BF 7
E breakfast 8
A
S 9.00 - 11
E BF 11
E lunch 12.30
A
S 2-3
E BF 3
E supper 5
A bath
E BF 6.30
S 7
DF 10.30

I have been BF at 7am on one side and expressing the other side which I want to stop plus the health visitor advised me to cut out a feed during the day, if I only feed one side in the morning and then don't feed again till the afternoon I am going to get engorged. How do I do this more comfortably?!
How does this all fit into easy routine?
Also I know I need to drop the dream feed at some point, how and when is best?

Thanks so much Xx

Offline Roseii

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Re: 7mo need help reducing breastfeeding
« Reply #1 on: July 16, 2012, 17:46:36 pm »
Hi there are you doing any NFs? If not I really think your routine looks great, 4 feeds is great for 7mo, and the DF is fine in my book if it helps LO sttn...
How come the HV suggests dropping one? Would your LO take both sides in the morning?
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Offline claire1711

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Re: 7mo need help reducing breastfeeding
« Reply #2 on: July 16, 2012, 17:51:49 pm »
she said that food should start to become more important and since he is now eating 3 meals a day i should drop to 2 or 3 breastfeeds i.e. a morning and evening feed plus possibly an mid afternoon one as well.
I thought that milk should still be the major source of sustenance till he is a year old? I do feel that he isnt as hungry for the milk feeds as he used to be and he def doesnt cry for them any more

Offline katie_osterritter

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Re: 7mo need help reducing breastfeeding
« Reply #3 on: July 16, 2012, 17:57:39 pm »
Claire - I was also under tge impression that a child's main source of nutrition until a year should be bm/formula?

Offline Fiver

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Re: 7mo need help reducing breastfeeding
« Reply #4 on: July 16, 2012, 18:23:26 pm »
What you're doing looks perfect.  Most of LO's nutrition (fats, proteins etc) will still come from milk until around 12m.

I certainly found that once we'd found a rhythm with feeding, be that solids or milk, that I was more able to anticipate when my DD would be needing something to eat, so crying for milk did reduce there simply because he needs were being met before she had to shout for it ;)

Are you happy with what you're doing at the moment?  Is LO happy and thriving?  If you are, you're under no obligation to follow any "guidance" given by HVs, many of whom have had minimal training in BF.  There are plenty of mums who BF far more than 4 times during the day until well over 12m.

7m really is pretty tiny for reducing feeds quite so much.  If you were FF, you could probably be offering 3x 9oz bottles and be getting closer to recommended intake, but there's no real way to tell how much LO is getting with BF and it is more easily digested, so BF babies do tend to need to feed more little and often.
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Offline Roseii

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Re: 7mo need help reducing breastfeeding
« Reply #5 on: July 16, 2012, 19:04:27 pm »
Exactly what Amanda said! Milk is most definitely still the main source of nutrition til 12mo and I really think you're doing a great job :)
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Offline Shiv52

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Re: 7mo need help reducing breastfeeding
« Reply #6 on: July 16, 2012, 19:57:06 pm »
I would be sticking with 4 BFs too.  BOth mine did 4 feeds until nearer a year.  My HV told me similar to yours and when i told her current recommendations were 3-4 feeds until a year and that milk was to be the main source of nutrition she said she hadn't read any updated info in a while. 

I thought that milk should still be the major source of sustenance till he is a year old? I do feel that he isnt as hungry for the milk feeds as he used to be and he def doesnt cry for them any more

You're definately right.  I always did milk first, solids an hour later.  Milk has many more calories per oz (plus all the other stuff!) than any solids at this age x





Offline claire1711

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Re: 7mo need help reducing breastfeeding
« Reply #7 on: July 16, 2012, 20:49:52 pm »
All this conflicting advice is soo confusing, thanks for all your support, just not sure how to convince my husband and mum though, I had almost convinced myself they were right!
Would it be different if I was formula feeding?

Offline Shiv52

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Re: 7mo need help reducing breastfeeding
« Reply #8 on: July 16, 2012, 20:53:22 pm »
No milk is still the most important whether you BF or FF. If you look up the World Health Organization (WHO) they have info on milk being the most important source of info. 


Trust your mummy gut xx





Offline claire1711

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Re: 7mo need help reducing breastfeeding
« Reply #9 on: July 17, 2012, 06:54:33 am »
Just a bit more practical advice then please, if I stop expressing in the mornings and am only feeding from one side when DS wakes up do I always feed from the sane side in the morning or do I alternate? At the moment I am very lopsided!

Offline Roseii

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Re: 7mo need help reducing breastfeeding
« Reply #10 on: July 17, 2012, 08:47:56 am »
If you are one side feeding then yes alternate. I used to wear a hairband on the wrist of the side I had just fed on!
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Offline Erin M

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Re: 7mo need help reducing breastfeeding
« Reply #11 on: July 19, 2012, 13:59:31 pm »
I just used to feed from the side that was more uncomfortable in the morning.