8 month old NEED HELP WITH BEFORE BED BF

[ArielG]

Hi!

OK, so my DD is just around 8.5 months and has been doing wonderfully on solids. However, I used to pump a bottle for her last feed of the day but stopped doing that and went back to the breast because her nights got better when we made the 3-2 nap transition (started pumping bottles because she was usually so OT at bedtime, she was getting really frustrated trying to nurse).

She used to take an 8oz bottle of breastmilk before bed. Problem is, I would only be able to pump around 4oz so I had to pump in the morning too to make a full bottle for that night. Exhausting!

I've noticed that I'm not making as much as I used to for her bedtime BF and it has been taking us forever to finish nursing at night and I can't help but feel like she's not getting the same amount. Plus, her morning diaper is not nearly as wet as it was with the 8oz bottle so I'm a little worried. She's been falling asleep after nursing for only a few minutes at night and I'm not sure if that's OK.

Here's our schedule:

6:45am Wake/Nurse (big feed here)
8 am Solids (usually egg yolk and fruit or avocado and cereal with yogurt....lots of different combos. I feed her until she doesn't want anymore)
9:45 Nap
11:15 Wake/Nurse (pretty decent feed)
12:30 Solids (protein and veg plus fruit)
2:30 Nap
4pm Wake/Nurse (again, good feeding)
5pm Solids (Usually simple and smallest meal of the day...fruit/veg or a little protein veg or yogurt/fruit)
7pm BF.....usually falls asleep pretty soon after starting

I'm confused. I feel like this last BF should be really good. She sleeps 11+ hours but this morning her diaper was bone dry.

Thanks!

[Fiver]

Do you offer one or both sides at BT?  Might be worth switching to the other side if she's dropping off and maybe switching back again to see if you can get her to take a bit more.

[jessmum46]

She's sleeping though?  And thriving/gaining weight fine?  If that's the case then personally speaking I wouldn't worry about it.  DD was EBF (never took to bottles) and once she was having three solid meals, the last feed before bed did become shorter and she started to refuse the second side.  She slept through 11/12h and was doing well in all other respects (with three other good feeds in the day, plus dairy in her diet) so I didn't worry.  I kind of took the view that if she was hungry, she'd take more milk, or would suckle longer to let my body know she needed the extra at that time

[ArielG]

Great advice, thanks to both!

I probably can relax and just let her guide me for once. Yes, she's sleeping through and gaining like crazy...so I guess she's doing just fine. I guess I just always assumed the night BF had to be really good for some reason.

As it is now, the amount of solid food she eats isn't staggering but she does get a lot of nutritionally dense foods (lots of good fats) and daily yogurt.

Thanks!

[*Ali*]

The advice in the UK is to only start offering 3 solid meals a day at 8mo so it sounds like she is taking plenty of solids for her age and like you say it is all good stuff.

What about moving the BT BF to before the bath or winddown routine? She might be more alert for it.

But I agree with Katherine that she seems to be getting plenty at the other feeds so i wouldn't worry.