I would like to stop breast feeding my 6 month old, but he seems hungry after forumla?

[shouldibecrossaboutthis]

I feed my son about 3/4 times a day. He's always been very efficient, feeding for about 20 mins in the morning then 10 mins for the other feeds. My milk does come out quite quickly which he copes well with as we feed lying down generally.

I've changed one feed to 8oz of formula ready to stop all together. However he cries and chews his hands the minute it's over and generally acts hungry still. I wondered if it was the closeness of BFing he was missing, so I gave him another 6oz of milk and he drank it all and was fine. Does this prove it's not the closeness? I also tried just cuddling him and reading a book, but he just cried until I gave him some banana.

I also wondered if he was more sad that it had ended rather than genuinely hungry but he can not be distracted and he literally cries until he either has more milk, breastmilk or some solids. He wouldn't take his dummy either so I don't think he just wants to comfort suck?

I don't want to give him that much milk in one go, that can't be a good idea right? Is there a chance he is still hungry after 8oz of formula? Maybe he gets much more from breast feeding? When I express I get about 16oz in 15 minutes using an electric pump.

Any ideas what is going on? He is 28 weeks (6.5 months), eats 3 meals a day, has milk when he wants it at the moment which is generally 7am, 2.30pm & 6.30pm. He weighs 9.3kg according to my bathroom scales and according to his red book his goes between the 95th and 75th. His height is off the charts.

I should also add I stop feeding him from the bottle 2/3rd of the way in, more to give himself a chance to register the food. He has TT closer to nature bottles with an x teat.

[shouldibecrossaboutthis]

any ideas?

[ClaraOswald]

He may well be needing extra. At around six months his development is really quick- he's getting more physically coordinated, he is making all sorts of connections in his thought pattern, his body is growing.

I know you say that you want to start cutting down the breastfeeds, but it really is the most calorie dense food he can have. Can you make any of them longer, rather than more of them?

[shouldibecrossaboutthis]

I have always fed on demand and he just chooses to feed at these times and for this long? He has both boobs at each feed, he just feeds so so fast!

I really can't keep breastfeeding 3/4 times a day as I have bad hip and back pain and am finding holding him so painful. Now he doesn't sleep so much we can go out more and its quite difficult to feed lying down outside.

Maybe smaller more regular bottle feeds might help? But then that might impact on his eating, which he is doing so well at! Argh.

Today I gave him 4oz in a bottle and 4oz in a sipy cup and he didn't cry at the end? Maybe it comes too fast from the bottle so he doesn't register being full? Or maybe he's just is sad that the bottle has finished not the actual milk?

I'm not sure; babies are very confusing!