Breastfeeding: how much milk at 9 months?

[RunningGuerita]

My DD is almost 9 months. I breasfeed her and introduced "solids" (misnomer if there ever was one) at 6 months. She is now well established on three good meals a day and eats like a trooper. I recently dropped her 10.30/11am breastfeed and now she breastfeeds first thing in the morning (6.30am'ish), around 3pm and before bed around 6.45pm.

Today she only had milk from one side at 3pm and then we didn't have much luck with the evening feed either as she was really gnawing my breasts. The little darling has six teeth. Lucky mummy.

I seem to have read somewhere that babies should continue to get most of their calories and nutrition from milk until they are one. (subtext being don't stress about weaning and how much they eat). However now I can't help but worry wonder if she is getting too much food and not enough milk.

I am going back to work in Sept and as she doesn't like bottles much and I think expressing will be exhausting when combined with working, I am quite happy for her to be on two milkfeeds (AM and PM) by then. But I can't help to think that for now, she isn't drinking enough milk and I have maybe been over enthusiastic with her food.

What are your thoughts?

We are seeing the health visitor next week for her check up so will of course ask for their opinion. But I have found them to be a bit hit and miss.

Thank you.

[seaweed74]

Hi some bf babies wean themselves off the boob. If you're worried about getting enough milk into your dd in 24 hr period, could you include more milk in her meals? Also don't forget yoghurt and cheese will providing plenty of calcium too.

My dd was offered 3 milk feeds at that age per day (I'd switched to formula by then). Often dd would refuse breakfast if she had a bottle of milk and eventually I dropped that bottle in favour of solids.

Would your dd be more interested in a sippy cup of milk? Just a thought.

[PenguinArmy]

It's a transition from 100% milk at 6 months (or sooner) to mostly solids at 1 year. How babies get from (a) to (b) (if at all) varies wildly. I know of a lot babies this age on 2 BFs. She might fluctuate between 2 and 3 for a while. At 10 months DD didn't have to any milk in the day.

[RunningGuerita]

Thank you both. Very useful to know other people's experiences.

Yes seaweed74 on the (few) occasions I am not around in the evenings, I have suggested to DH that he give DD her evening milk in a sippy cup as there is no point in battling with a bottle at this stage.

[cinnamongreyhound]

Both my boys were/are on 3 bf a day at 9 months. Ds1 always had both sides and ds2 has only had one. Ds1 dropped his morning one at 11 months and stopped his bedtime one at 15 months. Ds2 is having 2-4 depending on how much he eats/sleeps in the day, he has 6 teeth too but only had a spell of biting when he had just the bottom ones and then it stopped.

[RunningGuerita]

Thanks very much for input.