7.5 month old still wants bf before naps and bedtime

[mrsmoomoopoopoo]

My dd is 7.5 months and still wants bf before naps and bed time. I go back to work in 3 months and I need to get her off the boob through the day.
When I'm back at work I'm happy to bf first thing in morning and just before bedtime.
Is it normal for her to still want bf at this age even though she's having 3 meals a day?
Do I need to just stop giving her my milk when she's due a nap and let her cry? I've done this before and she gets really upset.
I know bf is just for comfort and not hunger. I just assumed she would just drop her feeds when food was introduced but that's not happened.

Here is a rough daily routine:
7.30 wake and bf
8.30 breakfast (porridge, fruit, toast)
9.30/10 bf and nap until about 10.30/11
12.30 lunch (veg, sandwich)
14.00 bf and nap until 15.00
16.00 bf
17.00 dinner (whatever we are having)
18.00 bath
18.30/18.45 bf and bed
She will wake once in the night for a feed about 3/4am

Do you think I'm bf too much for a 7.5 month old?
Should I be stopping some of the feeds in preparation for going back to work?

TIA

[Lweji]

3 months is a long time in baby time. She'll be over 10 months old and quite different from what she's now, particularly in the weaning process.

But, if it helps, when I dropped the last bf with ds at 13 months I expected it be be difficult, but it was not. I replaced breast with formula, then just water in a bottle, then nothing. In a few days.
So, I wouldn't stress atm. Just enjoy the baby and breastfeeding. :)

[ISaySteadyOn]

Not bfing too much at all. She might not be interested in dropping more feeds until more teeth are in.

[bloodymaria]

Hi OP, can't really advise but just wanted to share that I had the same worries about returning to work and DD not sleeping without bf. Turns out she's completely fine, she'll sleep in the car or on walks during the day and then feed to sleep at night with me as normal, and bf before napping at the weekend.

So just keep going as you are if its working for you, I'm sure DD will adjust when you're back at work.

[JasperDamerel]

At 7.5 months DD was bf at least 12 times a day! When you go back to work, she'll be fine without the daytime feeds because she will be in a different environment, but might well increase her evening and night-time feeding a bit if she needs more milk.

[longestlurkerever]

My dd is a year now and still generally bfs at nap time when I'm there but dh, dgm and nursery are all able to sing hee to sleep

[CobsAhoy]

Hi OP

my 8.5mo DD has pretty much an identical intake to your LO, I read that they should still be getting most of their calories from milk until they are around 1 year old, i know some babies do just have solids+water in the day and then nurse a lot at night to make up for it, but i don't think my DD would tolerate that and giving her a feed (breast or bottle) is so helpful in getting her down at nap time! As I'm going back to work PT in a 3 weeks, she will have expressed milk/formula before each nap and i will keep BFing at night/in the morning.

I found these links helpful when i was planning how to manage feeds when returning to work….

kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/pumping/milkcalc/

kellymom.com/ages/weaning/wean-how/weaning-partial/

[mrsmoomoopoopoo]

Thanks everyone! You've all put my mind at rest.
I forgot to mention the reason why it worries me about going back to work is that she won't take a bottle with my milk or formula. She will drink water from a sippy cup but not milk!

When dh isn't at work he can put dd down for a nap without me feeding her first so I no she can do it!

[cornishglos]

3 months is a long time. Try not to worry. Don't leave her to cry, she's hungry. At 7.5 months they should be getting most of their nutrition from milk.

[CobsAhoy]

ahhhh thats difficult, I'm sure she will just start reverse cycling then, although that might not be a positive if she's suddenly wanting to feed loads through the night when you're working! good luck with it all!

[minipie]

When dh isn't at work he can put dd down for a nap without me feeding her first so I no she can do it!

Well that's ok then she will manage fine when you are not there, she may just want it when you are around!

Also ,my DD wouldn't consider a bottle at that age but would take a bit by 10 months (and was having much more solids too).

[mrsmoomoopoopoo]

Thanks for the links cobs I found them very useful.
Cheers everyone for your comments xx

[Terrifiedandregretful]

Perfectly normal! Dd adapted very smoothly to just morning and bedtime (and 3am..) bfs when I went back to work at 9 months. She was still bfing several times a day at 7.5 months.

[waterrat]

Aw she is only little. As someone said 3 months is a long time for a baby .. and she has only just started eating food. That is very young to switch over from wanting her breastfeeds or milk. I think 10 months is about when my boob monster slept through. I went back to work leaving my breastfed 8 month old and she was fine in the day .....keep trying with the bottle too

[orangebird69]

My ds is just 8 months and our day is v similar to yours OP (although we're up around 6am but have a longer morning nap). I don't think it's too muxh at all although I'd like to be able to have an evening off once in a while

[knittingbee]

I went back at 9 months and my DD was a bottle refuser. When I went back she was still BF 6 times a day, we cut to 2/3 when I was at work, and she just adjusted when I wasn't there (as did my boobs!). Now we just BF at bedtime (she's 25mo). You shouldn't worry, it's a long way off and baby will just adjust when boobs aren't around.