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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

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Original poster

Weaning and reduced BF

12 replies

QueenKong · 21/02/2012 15:29

My 8mo is bf and has taken like a duck to water to BLW. He now doesn't want much milk during the day, as he has 3 good meals. I finish the day quite engorged and leaky and then he wakes up lots of times during the night to feed.

He has never slept through and I always get him back to sleep with the boob. Now I'm not sure whether he is waking for milk because he doesn't drink much during the day anymore or if he is just going through a frequent waking patch. I guess it doesn't really matter, as I'll feed him regardless but if he is hungry, I could try giving him less solids and more milk during the day to see if he wakes up less. Anyone have any experience with this?

OP posts:

Original poster

QueenKong · 21/02/2012 15:32

Sorry - that post doesn't quite make sense. He is now waking more frequently than he did. I know there could be many reasons for this, but do you think a reduced milk intake at this age could be part of it? He still seems so little to be going from 9am - 4pmish without a BF.

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Jackstini · 21/02/2012 15:46

I used to do a good bf around 5 and then another big one just before bed - what time does he go?
Also put bm in their porridge etc.
Mine also didn't sleep through until about 10 months, got better at having another big feed (both sides) around 2am though and then going through. Even getting to just one wake up was nice!

Original poster

QueenKong · 21/02/2012 15:58

One wake up would be heaven!

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Original poster

QueenKong · 21/02/2012 16:00

He feeds off to sleep around 7pm, and usually has quite a bit of milk then. But other than that, he just snacks a little throughout the day. Now he seems to want to feed more overnight. Maybe I'll try and feed him before dinner this evening.

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MigGril · 21/02/2012 16:25

Are his snaks still BM, it's fine for him to be on 3 meals a day but he still need milk inbetween at this age.

although they do all vary, he may be taking more then you think in those little snaks or it could be he's to distracted during the day to take much and is reverse cycling.

Original poster

QueenKong · 21/02/2012 16:52

He has tiny little drinks of BM a couple of times a day but is too busy climbing/playing to want to feed. I was wondering if he is reverse cycling but didn't know if 8 months was too old for this or how much BM he should be having roughly.

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MigGril · 21/02/2012 16:56

There is some good info hear on solids and Bf www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/solids-how.html.

basicly you can't go wrong if you offer milk first before solids untill they are one. As milk should still be there main source of nutritian untill at lest 12months.

JiltedJohnsJulie · 21/02/2012 20:30

Agree with MigGril. Offer the bm an hour before solids until they are one. they need the bm more than the solids. If sleep is an issue see if your library has a copy of the No Cry Sleep Solution, this might be helpfull too .

Roscat · 21/02/2012 20:52

How long is he feeding at night? With ds1 (whose average feed time was 45 mins) he started waking at night just for a 5 min feed once I'd got him on 3 meals a day. Then I realised he was using it just as a means of getting back to sleep. But he was taking regular bf during the day, so I knew he was getting lots of milk. I would agree that if he could take a bf an hour before meals, he would be able to get more of his milk intake during the day. Hopefully you might get a bit more sleep!

Original poster

QueenKong · 21/02/2012 20:58

It's hard to tell, we co-sleep so often I'm half asleep and he's helping himself! But I'm conscious that it is longer than normal, and long enough to wake me right up. So I reckon about 15 minutes or so, which makes me think he is needing the milk - although he definitely also uses the boob to get himself back off to sleep too, but usually it's only a few sucks and I barely wake. I'll try offering him more milk before solids tomorrow.

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NellyOC · 21/02/2012 21:51

Queenkong I could have written your posts. My DS is just under 8 months, and is BLW, and doing great. But he isn't interested in breastmilk between his first feed of the day at around 7am and his bedtime feed at 645. He'll have a couple of quick feeds but is too interested in doing things and now he wakes 3 times a night!! No advice, just to say I'm going through the same and will be watching this post with interest. I've even started trying to load his food up with extra calories.

jaffa19 · 21/02/2012 23:16

My DS is also 8 mo and doing exactly the same thing! And I really miss the bfs! I have found I can get a decent ish feed into him if I get him straight on immediately after his naps, before he's had a chance to fully wake. I also put bm in almost all of his solid food. I am fairly sure that if I didn't offer boob at all during the day he wouldn't ask for it. I really miss those long feeds curled up on the sofa in the afternoon!

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