Seem to be running out of milk for bedtime feed...what can I do?

[MiniMilk0610]

Struggling not to cry, feel so sad :( so apologies if this post doesn't make much sense.

DS is 10.5 months, and for last couple of weeks he's been getting more and distracted whilst feeding...breaking off to wave (his latest trick!) at whoever's around, or if we're alone to wave and babble at me. As a consequence I assume, its taking longer & longer for the milk to come, so DS gets very frustrated, breaks off more & more in frustration/because there's no milk to keep his interest etc...which means even longer for let down, a never ending negative circle :(

Worst time of day for this seems to be the feed about 7pm, just before his bedtime.

Tonight, he was fussing for over 15 minutes and eventually, with still no sign at all of milk appearing and him getting more & more cross, I gave up and DP gave him a bottle :( he does have bottles occasionally so not like he's completely ebf, but only maybe once a week if that, if I have to go out without him for long period of time. He doesn't like formula either-refused to take a bottle at all until he was about 7 months, so when he does have the occasional bottle now its full fat cow's milk I know if I give up breastfeeding and he goes onto bottles properly we will have to keep struggling with formula though until he's 12 months to make sure he's getting everything he needs.

Before we go down that route though, is there anything I can do/try? He fusses/wriggles etc when DP gives him a bottle also so I think he's just getting to that age where the world around him is more interesting than milk, but even when I feed him alone in a darkish room he still doesn't feed properly. Only time he doesn't struggle these days is the middle of the night feed and that's because he's half asleep!

It's getting me down as well, breast feeding is becoming like a chore which I don't want, I used to enjoy it so much and be really grateful that I found it 'easy' with both DD and DS. I wanted to feed him til at least 12 months to avoid the hassle etc of formula milk, but can't see that happening at this rate :(

Any advice you can offer would be much appreciated, I've run out of ideas!

Forgot the 6pm feed, put him to bed without (give yoghurt after tea) and then lift him at 10pm so he'll hopefully fed in his sleep instead.

I'm also struggling with a very distracted nosy 7 month old DS.

I agree on the sleepy feeding. DS is now nearly 14 months and feeds 2-3 times a day and mostly while sleepy/asleep!

He is barely awake for the morning one (I catch him quickly so I can relax sit half asleep while he feeds and MN on my phone

He started wanting to fall asleep before feeding at bedtime around about the same age as your DS. I just unplug his thumb when he's dozing and he latches on happily then goes to sleep after feeding.

His daytime feed is usually just before/after a nap too. (If I am not at work :( )

Have tried feeding him while he is not sleepy and he is much more wriggly!

I work shifts, so am away to go home and pick him out of the cot for a quick feed :)

Also DS had the odd bottle of cow's milk at about the same age if I had not been able to express enough.

It was just if I was not home at bedtime and I fed him when I got in anyway.

Have managed to avoid formula ok.

Thanks for all the advice, will give feeding him at our bedtime rather than his bedtime a try :) hate that it's turned his bedtime into a battle, want to be able to enjoy baby cuddles again! He doesn't usually fall asleep on us-normally I feed him then put him into his cot awake and he goes off to sleep (so much easier than DD was in that sense!!) so hopefully he'll still settle without a feed then I can lift him when we go up.

That was my thinking too jaggythistle - if it's just for the odd bottle then hopefully cow's milk shouldn't do any harm as he has it on cereal etc anyway, my understanding is that it's only really if its his main drink that he needs formula for the nutrients...hope that's not too far off anyway, don't fancy going down the hassle of making formula only for him to reject it route!

Feeling a bit less tearful now anyway, thank you, hopefully tomorrow will be a better day! :)