FT WOHMs who bf beyond a year.... when did you stop expressing, and how did your lo react?

[ReverseThePolarity]

I ask as I have to give my loaned electric double pump back to the SureStart centre in April when my ds is about a year old (as another Mum wants it) and I was thinking of taking the opportunity to stop expressing all together during the day, and only feed morning, when I get in from work, evening & night.

I was also thinking of gradually cutting back on the night feeds, too, maybe down to a "dream feed" at ten/eleven, and one night feed. But I'm scared he will not accept the arrangement and self-wean early.

Has anyone else been in a similar situation? How did your lo react? How did your supply catch up at weekends (did it) when you were with your lo?

[EffiePerine]

At about 10 mo - just stopped feding during the day (was working 4 days a week by that point). I stopped feeding at night at 15 mo, just cot down to bedtime and morning feed. DS was fine after a day or so and is showing no signs of self-weaning at 18 mo

[ReverseThePolarity]

Ooh thanks Effie and did ds still want to feed during the day at weekend?

[EffiePerine]

To start with, yes. Then I decided to stop feeds during the day as he eas getting unsettled when I was at work IYSWIM. He caught on pretty quickly

[StealthPolarBear]

was just wondering about you - haven't seen you around for a while!
anyway i am hoping for a similar arrangement re feeding when i go back to work in a week and never even thought about the risk of early weaning
On another point are you planning to switch to cows' milk / formula or just manage on food and water during the day?

[RoRoMommy]

That's really interesting...I am a FT WOHM, and I've found that when I am at home DS pretty much wants boob all of the time. He's just learned the sign for milk and he's always doing it. And at weekends it's the same. Plus he's a boob maniac at night (but he sleeps fine when I put him in with my mum, who lives with us). So I've been thinking of trying to make some changes, perhaps gently move him in a different direction, but I don't mind feeding him I just want to make sure I am not having a negative effect by not doing so, iyswim.

Sorry, minor hijack, but I'll be interested to see what responses you get as I would also love to stop pumping in the day

He's started on cow's milk during the day and seems okay with it. EP, does your DS have cow's milk, or any milk, during the day?

[moondog]

I went back to work f/t at 7 mths. They stopped taking a bfeed in the day at 8 months but carried on b/feeding for 30 mths. Supply wasfine at all other times. Never had formula or any other milk (as a drink)

[theyoungvisiter]

I went back to work at a year and just fed on demand at home and didn't feed when DS was at nursery. He just had water/juice during the day and got a good feed morning and evening (plus usually one at night too)

My boobs adjusted very quickly - I had a few days with wet patches (particularly when I had to do evening work and go more than 12 hours without a feed) but it was very smooth.

DS is nearly 2 and we are still going strong on this pattern.

So I would say yes, totally doable to cut down the expressing, cutting down the nightfeeds might be another story - we are still workng on that with no limited success.

[ReverseThePolarity]

SPB (I've just been vvv busy with rl!) I was thinking of giving him a bit of cows' milk if he'll take it, if not then just juice / water and solids.

Moondog, did you bf in the day during weekends or stop entirely during the day?

I do want to carry on ft at weekends...

[ReverseThePolarity]

I think I will try to keep up feeding him ft during the weekends, so far he doesn't seem so confused about having bf when with me and cup when with Nan so hopefully he'll be the same, just it'l be cow milk in the cup instead of ebm...

Just hoping he doesn't find the change in flow (after I haven't been expressing all day) not to his taste.

[Charlster77]

I breastfed until my son was 7 months old and then returned to work. During the last month, he has been a nightmare as would not take expressed milk at nursery and flatly refused formula. At first the HV said he might be self weaning but he still took loads from me at weekends and in the evenings. Eventually his weight gain started to slow right down even though the nursery were giving him loads of yoghurts and stuff. We were deperatly trying to get him onto formula but he would simply not have it. Last weekend, we treated it as if he was at nursery and kept trying the formula all day with no breast milk. FINALLY he took some and there has been no turning back. Personally I feel breast is best however if you find yourself in a situation where persivering with breast turns out to be at the detriment of yours childs health, give up. Im really glad I stopped when I did and his weight has already started increasing.

[OrmIrian]

I didn't express - I tried to but couldn't get the hang. So I used ff when they were at CMS and bf night and morning and at weekends. Not ideal but a compromise that worked for us.

[Charlster77]

What ever works for you IS ideal!

[cmotdibbler]

I went back ft when DS was 4.5 months old- he was demand fed at home, and demand fed with EBM at nursery until he dropped all of his daytime feeds at 14 months, so I stopped daytime pumping then. Always fed on demand at weekends. He night weaned at 18 months whilst I was away for work.
Ds is 22 months, and has now got down to 1 feed a day (with a tiny amount of prompting, but shows no sign of wanting to drop that one.
He has always been a boob monster though !

[HaventSleptForAYear]

Typed a reply earlier but work network crashed

Went back to work when DS 2 was 3 mths, expressed to 6, then it was the summer holidays and from September have not expressed at all (well once a day when I went to Budapest for 5 days without him).

I feed on demand when with DS - I do think this is the only way to keep up the supply - but having said that he only feeds max. 2-3 times a day anyway - big feed in the morning one or two quick ones in the day after that.
DS has a bottle of thickened formula (reflux) at the childminder's in the afternoon on the days I work.

DS is 14 mths now and showing no sign of weaning - there have been periods when he has got a bit frustrated - my let-down is quite slow, which is prob. why he doesn't feed much in the day now, but mornings are still fine and he still wakes in the night because of the reflux/ear infections and often has a feed then.

good luck - and good on you for expressing this long - I HATED it with a vengeance and even though am v. pro bf I think I would have given up if it was the only way to continue bf IYSWIM.