Worried about my milk supply (10 month old)

[ISpidersmanYouMeanPirate]

I'm currently BF DS2 morning, evening and in the night. Formula in the day (whilst I'm at work) plus solids. He's 10 months old.

However, despite having successfully BF DS1 until he was 2 (once a day at that age), I'm beginning to have doubts that I have enough milk for DS2.

He's taken to biting me at the end of every feed (I think in protest that the milk has run out) and rarely seems satisfied. I do still have milk but I find myself doubting whether its filling him up and wondering whether to try more formula (though he's not that keen on formula and never drinks more than 90ml in one go).

As a general rule he has formula when I'm not there (I work FT) and BF when I'm there. He's not sleeping through the night, he tends to wake up 5-6 times and I'm so tired I've taken to co-sleeping with him and just latching him on whilst lying down. Sometimes he has a quick suck and goes back to sleep, sometimes he feeds for a long time.

My confidence in my milk is just shaken really. With DS1 I had a lot of people telling me that there was no way I still had milk and I defended it vigorously (I could still express milk so I knew it was there).

But now, even though I know there is milk, I'm doubting whether its enough.

[tiktok]

Nothing you have said indicates you don't have sufficient milk, OP.

Babies of this age often bite - they're not protesting, just doing it 'cos they can :) There are ways of stopping it.

At this age, too, they are often beyond the 'milk drunk' behaviour they show when they are younger.

You are feeding plenty often enough at this age for your supply to be pretty good.

You don't have a supply problem, is my verdict - you have a confidence problem. Are those nay-sayers who told you there was 'no way' you had milk with your first baby still making these daft remarks?

[ISpidersmanYouMeanPirate]

Thanks that helps to be told that.

The nay-sayers don't know I'm still feeding (I live abroad where not many people BF and I've stopped talking about it). I haven't told DH and my parents about my doubts.

It's just so painful when DS2 bites me. He did it in the middle of the night at the weekend and drew blood. I had a hard time not screaming and waking everyone!

DS1 was just so enthusiastic about BF. DS2 is less enthusiastic, but I can tell he really likes it (and doesn't like formula much), especially when I get home from work. So I can't really understand my lack of confidence.

[tiktok]

If you do a search on biting when breastfeeding, you'll find some ideas on how to stop it.

It's a very common behaviour - maybe connected with teething.