Arghhh only 3 weeks of ML left and DD still BF loads through the day

[KittyBump]

I am getting really stressed out about this.

I return to work in 3 weeks, I will be working 3 full days a week and DD will be 11 months. She will be with a childminder from 8.30am till 5.30pm.

We started feeding her solids at 6 months, she has always been a spoon refuser so we went down the BLW route. She can eat but she only ever has very small amounts of food. She refuses formula or expressed milk and will only drink small amounts of water.

A few weeks ago I was managing to not BF her from about 9am till 2pm, my aim was to gradually increase this until she was going all day without any breast milk but since then she has had 3 colds and this has put us back to square one. She will now pull at my top and cry until I feed her, If I manage to distract her with going out for a walk etc. she is ok until I have to get her out of the pram at which point the grabbing and crying starts again.

I have no idea what to do. I swing between wild optimism that it will all just sort itself out and she will start eating more at the childminders, and complete desperation where I imagine being summoned home from work as the childminder has quit.

Has anyone else had this problem? Any suggestions truly appreciated.

Hi, I am in a similar situation and I have started hundreds several threads on here about it. I have being reassured that when the boobs we are not available, they will be happy to just eat food and drink water and just make up for it when we are home. I am not even bothering trying to drop feeds now as I want me and DD to enjoy the rest of our time together without stressing. Maybe your DD will eat/drink more when she is not full of breastmilk (fingers crossed)

Ah thank you, that is exactly what I want to hear!

Have you been honest with your childcare and explained the situation? I haven't yet

Yeah, DD will be going to a Nursery and I explained my anxieties to them - they originally didn't help as they kept suggesting she would need formula

Anyway, all the advice I have received on here has always being right so I am going to trust that they are right again.

I definately think work should be banned

They will just offer food and water if your happy with this. I wouldn't worry to much. DS who's almost 12months will have 2-3 feed's off me during that sort of time but If I'm not hear he doesn't even think about it. It's just as soon as I turn up that he leaps on me for milk.

It'll be hard for you to try and drop feed's, I take it she'll have some seatling seasion so you'll see how it goes then.

Hi - thanks for the reply. yes we're starting settling sessions this week. She has been away from me for up to 3 hours before and been fine, I don't think the settling sessions will be much longer than this though. It's the full 9 hours that going to be the true test.

So if I just carry on as usual and don't try to drop feeds again won't I have boulder boobs on my return to work!