Is this the end of bf?

[nov75]

My dd was EBF for 6 months prior to weaning (now 8 months old). She always nursed every couple of hours and never went longer than 3 hours between feeds. However, she has been badly teething for the past week and hardly fed from me (5 mins per side every 3/4 hours) and started to cry and I could see her guns were really sore and inflamed. Tried all sorts of teething gels, powders and soothers but to no avail. In the end I gave her 4 oz from her Nuk bottle as the teat is very soft and she gulped it down. I gave done this for the past four nights but she now doesn't seem very interested in boob. She eats very good (blw) and I always add calcium rich foods to her diet just to be sure she is getting enough. I am worried she now only wants the bottle and is rejecting bf. Also, I was told she needs 600 ml of milk as well as food but this seems alot to someone who only has experience of bf. She only takes 3/4 oz now and weighs 15 lb so is she getting enough? Sorry for all the questions but I have been blissfully demand feeding and this has come as a shock.

If you want to carry on BF the you could ditch the bottle altogether. A few minutes every 3/4 hours is fine if she has free access to BF when she wants it, she is probably a very proficient feeder by now and as you say is doing well on solids. Lots of babies seem fussy at their feeding when teething but she will almost certainly go back to normal in a few days. If you do keep giving bottles she may lose interest - or she may not. If it is important to you then just don't give bottles.

She only has the one before bed as this appears to be when she is the most fussy as she is tired. Thanks for the reassurance she is getting enough. I just worry that it's not because she has always fed so well and usually 30 mins at a time. As you say efficiency has probably kicked in. It's just that doubt when non bf mothers question I am feeding enough as they seem to give their babies so much. They are not being judgmental or anything but I feel they don't believe me when I try and explain how bf works ie baby knows best! My MIL made me feel bad However by suggesting I should have given her a bottle sooner "as all babies should have milk". What does she think comes out of my boob? Arghh!! Hopefully this will pass once a tooth appears as I want to continue until I go back to work at least and she will be 1 by then.

I'm new on this site and just wanted to say hello and to let you know that I'm in the same boat.

My DD's 8mths old and as of Sat has suddenly cut the time she spends breastfeeding to between 3 and 5mins. She feeds at roughly 4.30am, 7.30am, 11am, 3pm and 6.30pm, she also has 3 meals a day but not huge amounts. I've been worried that this was the beginning of the end but having read this thread am now reassured that this isnt the case, just better feeding and her age.

At least I hope she's like your LO as i've also noticed over the last couple of days she will push away & cry if I try 2 get her to feed longer or have an extra feed at all. Oh & she's also teethong but I've got her an amber teething necklace that seems to work & although she's fussy & has red cheeks she seems to be coping.

I hope it settles down soon as I find myself close to tears when she pushes me away.