How long until breasts adapt to dropping a feed?

[Trillian42]

DD is 8 months and we have dropped 2 feeds during the day. It's been 3 & a half weeks, and my breasts are still very swollen & actually lumpy by the time she's due to feed again. I had heard they should adapt at a rate of a feed a week, but not in my experience.

The other thing is that she's in a creche during the day and only taking 3oz in total from 9-3, though they try her with a bottle at 10 ish and 2 ish. Is it possible that my body isn't adapting because she hasn't really dropped feeds but is just waiting until I pick her up to feed properly?

Thanks in advance...

Did you suddenly drop 2 back to back feeds? It will take longer for your body to adapt to that as it is a big change. That coupled to the fact that it seems like she is just waiting for you to be available & having a large deed after you pick her up. Your body will adapt to her new routine but you can probably expect to continue to feel quite full just before you pick her up. It might help to feed her as close to drop off & pick up as you can.

Out of interest how long is she going at night between feeds - do you get the same lumpy full feeling then?

In the evening she feeds every hour and then at night she feeds every 2 hours! [Exhausted mum emoticon]

I dropped one feed first, and a week later dropped the other feed, so both feeds have been dropped for 2 and a half weeks now. I didn't have any lumps yesterday afternoon thankfully - I'm just worried as I had some blocked ducts before and hoping to avoid it again. I would like to drop one more feed so that she could go from 9-6 without a feed, but knowing her, she'll probably just semi-starve herself until I get back anyway

I should also mention she's not great with solids, but will take more in the creche than at home as she's obviously hungry. She won't take a breakfast for me at all, will have a small bit at lunch time in the creche and will take maybe a teaspoon of a puree and then play with toast at 6pm. She really loves her breastmilk though and starts laughing with joy when I open my bra to feed her after being in the creche!

Hopeful bump? Anyone else?