When to drop daytime breastfeeding?

[joy56]

HI there. My twins are 8.5 months old and have recently naturally dropped their 11am breastfeed and now I just tend to feed first thing in the morning, 2:30ish and then at 6:30pm (bedtime). They are on 3 square meals a day and have cows milk in their food. My health visitor has advised that I should look to drop the afternoon breastfeed by about 9 months. I just wondered when others have done this? I know you're still supposed to be aiming at them having 500 - 600 mls of milk a day. I suspect they got about 200mls in the morn and 200 mls at night but my HV suggested that the cows milk and then dairy snacks such as yoghurt and cheese can count towards this. Any thoughts much appreciated. Jo x

I'm no expert, and I didn't have twins (respect to you!) but I just let the baby dictate. If they naturally dropped the morning feed, they may well do the same with the afternoon and waking feeds. I just naturally ended up just feeding at bedtime which DD1 naturally dropped at 12 months and my second DD had the decision made for her at 13 months when she started biting!

An expert will be along soon!

I'm not sure that there is any reason why you 'should' drop the feed as far as ther babies are concerned. If you want to, then thats another matter, but the babies can continue having three feeds a day for ages and ages if you're happy with that.

I have never worked in mls, so know nothing about that, but do know that my 15 month old DD is still happily having 3 feeds in 24 hours. She is not a huge eater, just nibbles during the day and usually has one big meal as well, but she is thriving and healthy and chubby. :)

To be honest all 3 of mine were bfing far more frequently (prob 6+ times a day) than that at 12 m/o let alone 9 m/o though I'm seriously impressed for you to be bfing twins at 9m/o!

Kellymom has some good advice on the transition of bfing to solids here.

Diary snacks do count towards the recommended amount of calcium rich foods that babies need but the majority of a 9m/o nutrition should be coming from bm (unless you are planning on weaning from bfing soon in which case it should be from formula).

My DD is only 8 months so I don't have personal experience yet, but my neighbour's 12 month old still has his 2.30 milk as well as morning and bedtime. She tried to drop it but he complained! So I wouldn't worry too much about dropping it by 9 months, I certainly won't.

there's no need to drop any feeds unless they are ready

milk should remain the main source of nutrition until they are at least a year, with solids complementing it.

the benefits of breastmilk are such that i wouldn't be happy replacing them with cow's milk or cutting out feeds unnecessarily

Oh, and I forgot to say - breastfed twins!! RESPECT!

Congratulations and well done.

Bmilk to requirement and then solids as a complement.

Every child is different. I let dd dictate how/when she reduced feeds. She still had daytime feeds until 2.4yrs when she dropped to morning and evening only.

I dropped 2.30pm feeds each time at 12 months. I would be quicker to drop this feed with a formula fed baby as the 2 remaining bottles can be bigger to compensate, I don't think it works this way with breastmilk though.

Before 12 months, milk if given as meal should be FF/BM.

My DD (twins, wow, well done) is 8 months and I plan to let her dictate when she drops them all. tbh it's more faff otherwise

Joy56, as far as I know your HV should not have suggested cows milk with their food. They should have water with their food and still be bfing from you.

It will be much harder for them to access the calcium and iron in the cows milk or formula than in bm.

Your HV is also wrong about dropping their afternoon bf by 9 months. I've never met a bf baby yet who did this.

My usual line with HV's on bfing is "oh, that's really interesting. I'd love to read up on the research for that. Can you give it to me please?" Never been told where they got their facts from yet

I'd stick with MN and kellymom for your advice in future

Well done for bfing twins.

Well done on getting this far.

Agree your HV is wrong on the cow's milk - the NHS & WHO advice is no cow's milk as a drink till 12 months, although you can use it in cooking.

I'd go with what your babies want, myself - 10 m.o. DS has 6 or 7 daytime feeds, and between 2 and 5 feeds during the night too. He eats lots of solids 3x a day too.

As others have said, breastmilk should be the main source of nutrition till 12 months, with solids as a complement to that, not as a replacement for milk.

I think the WHO documents say to bf 'frequently and on-demand' till age 2 (and beyond if both mother & baby desire).

I second what others have said (especially the bit about congratulating you for bf twins!) My own DS was bf about 9 times in a 24hr period at the same age, although wasn't big into solids yet (I did blw as well so he was slow on the intake!).

I stopped feeding him during the day at 18 months because I felt awkward in pubic , and because it was easy- if he had kicked off about it I would probably have continued. He's still fed before bed and is 23m. I have a friend who bf her twins and still bf them before bed (they are 26m) so it's entirely up to you. Not sure where hv get their info from sometimes, and cow's milk as a drink isn't recommended before 12m...

Thanks ever so much everyone. I hadnt realised so many people had replied. I hadnt set up to be notified on responses. SO useful. Weve actually kept the 2:30 feed abut now replaced with formula instead of a breast feed. A week in (with the babies now 10.5 months old) and things seem to be going fine with that. They are now having formula from a beaker and I have to say, its quite liberating because they were so distracted with daytime breastfeeding that it had become a bt of a nightmare. I should also say that I think I misled a bit when I said cowsmilk with food (I meant in cooking) so thankfully havent given it is a drink but instead put it in weetabix or cheese sauces etc. Only drinks are water. Thanks so much for the kind words of congratulations. I'm so pleased I stuck with it through all the little hurdles. It was so worthwhile. Happy new year ladies x

Getting desperate !
My DD is 10 months EBFand still barely eating any solids. Maybe 1-2oz maximum at a meal. She'll try new things but just won't eat much. I offer 3 meals.

I am returning to work in Jan so recently started to try to replace afternoon bf with formula ( don't want to have to express at work) she'll drink some if I offer it with lunch when she's hungry but not separately later. So now I'm worried she's having formula instead of food!!
Either way i now think she's waiting til her bed time for a proper feed as she now has both sides.
I also am aware she's filling up on BM during the night so not hungry enough but Im atuck as she won't self settle so I'm still BF ING to sleep and don't rally want to let her cry it out as I'm pretty sure she's hungry ( viscious circle anyone?). She still wakes a few times in night
Any ideas on how I can get some solids into her. Even 4 hours after BF she's still not that bothered for solids.

Any thoughts at all welcome. Tired and confused!
Thanks