not sure if this is the end of breastfeeding (sniff!) advice needed

[lemon101]

Hi all,

I have a lovely 6 month old who has been mixed formula and breast fed (90% breast) until I returned to work 3 weeks ago. The plan was to breastfeed him in the morning when he was at home with me and then he would get formula in the afternoon at nursery and then a breastfeed with me in the evening. That worked for the first week and then he promptly got ill and started breast refusing. Basically he's had one thing after another and 2 weeks on its still not happening other than first thing in the morning.

My supply seems to have dipped really low - my boobs never feel full now and I can only pump off 2 fl oz between them max if he hasn't fed. It's not been helped that I recently got ill too and wasn't eating, was throwing up etc.

Is this the beginning of the end? Anybody come back from this and managed to keep feeding?

[Belleende]

Same thing happened to me. Went back to work one day a week at six months so introduced a few more bottles. I don't think my supply was affected at all but she very quickly and definitively decided that bottles were preferable. I could only bf her in the dead of night and even that only lasted a wee while. I was gutted i wanted to feed for at least 12 mos and I considered really persevering. But, then I remembered what l learned when my birth went waaaaay off plan. As long as she is ok it doesn't matter and she is thriving. Also she will very soon be eating lots of grub so milk in all its forms is just less important. It does suck tho. I still miss it.

[lemon101]

Well glad I'm not alone anyway. Getting some comfort from the fact I can finally chuck away my increasingly manky nursing bras.... ;-)

[Cantwait4summer]

You're not alone ..I did the same with my 7mth DD and my boops didn't fill full as it did before nursery..nows she's weaning solids she doesn't drink much bm in evenings so it's certainly affected my supply but she's thriving and so I've decided to wean her off bm this weekend ...and get rid of those manky bras too !! 😊 don't feel disappointed just remember you've done a grand job getting this far !