Do I need to stop bf?

[AmberNectarine]

DD is 12mo, I am still breastfeeding. She drinks water from a cup, but will not touch formula. Haven't tried cow's milk yet, need to pull my finger out on this.

Anyway, I am going back to work in Sept, and she will be in nursery 3 days per week. Now I know she will be fine and actually doesn't need milk during the day, but I can't help feeling guilty that she won't be getting what she's used to.

So my question is: should I go cold turkey before then, so that when I RTW, she will be used to there being no bm, or will she actually be completely fine with AM and PM feeds and should I stop stressing?

From what people have posted, it should be fine. I am RTW at about the same time as you and plan to keep on feeding until DD self-weans.

Apparently your supply will adjust accordingly and if they want to feed a bit more on the weekends, then it should be ok.

She'll be fine - even my milk monster ds had given up daytime milk by 14 months. Go with the flow !

If you and your LO want to keep feeding, she will be fine on am and pm feeds when your at work, and more when your around, if you wish to. Your supply will cope just fine!

Your body will just adjust, honestly. I will shortly be doing the same but it's a bit easier as I've done it before so know I'll be ok. If she's anything like mine, your DD will either not bother with milk in the day while you're at work, or she'll have normal cows milk or formula. Then make up for it when you're around!

She will be absolutely fine. My dd2 has never taken any form of milk from a bottle or a cup and I went back to work when she was only just 6 months old. She adapted very quickly, she just had loads of bf when I was at home. By 14 months she will probably not make much of a deal of it tbh, she knows only mummy can give her bf so if you aren't there she will more than likely not ask for it at all. I think it would be more traumatic for her if you tried to make her stop while you are still around.

DD2 has never drunk milk in her entire life. She did one whole day a week at nursery from 14 months old. I actually have no Idea what she drank, but she was fine.

i went back to work when DS was 10 months and he wouldn't take much expressed milk at nursery during the day from cups, bottles etc.

he made up for it when he was with me though - increased feeding at weekends and two feeds in the morning before work and two feeds in the evening before bed.

he was absolutely fine.

At 14 months, his feeding needs dropped to 2/3 feeds per day all of which were outside of my working times.

He has a beaker of milk at nursery, as well as water throughout the day and takes liquids in cups happily now. the nursery have been brilliant in suggesting different cups etc to help.

if you do want to stop, please don't go cold turkey, you risk blocked ducts and mastitis if you don't spread out/pace dropping feeds.

She will be fine. Dd3 was 11 months when I went back & feeds when I'm there & when I'm not she has water.

your DD can drink water during the day - they will feed her solids at nursery.

then she can have evening BM with you and morning BM before you set off to work.

that's quite normal from 12months onwards.

I did what nickel said but found personally quite quickly that DD started not getting enough breastmilk in her evening feed, which lead us quite naturally onto cows milk as she was wanting something extra, and it all worked out beautifully, sounds like you are heading in same direction. Good luck!

This thread is so reassuring for me! I go back to work when DS will be ten months (6 months at the mo) and I am already starting to worry about what he will do as he won't take a bottle and we are having very limited success with a sippy cup So good to know that whilst he is at nursery, the chances are he will be fine and just feed more often when I am around.

i wonder if trying to express for a daytime feed is the answer, then?
It's the same mechanism as giving cows' milk in a glass/cup/beaker/bottle, but it's your own milk instead.
You can make a stash in the freezer to be thawed as and when she needs it.

DD won't drink expressed milk, but it's more likely because we've not tried enough (it's disheartening when an hour's expressing leads to her going "no thanks, give me a boob!") - it's one of those things you have to get her used to.

Thanks for the replies all. I'd actually quite like to stop feeding now - I have totally failed to night wean and she is a biter! She has other ideas though. Glad to hear it probably won't traumatise her! I refuse to express because I hate it, and if she's anything like DS she will turn her nose up at expressed anyway and I will cry into my pump.

It's the 'making up for it' she'll do that I'm worried about. She sucks on me pretty much all night as it is!

could you ask la leche league for advice on how to night-wean?

change the bedtime routine so that her evening feed is earlier? and you have bath/stories afterwards?

i think the theory is that she'll just start to forget about the evening feed as she gets distracted by other stuff.

Problem is I feed to sleep - yes I have made all kinds of rods for my back! In my defence DS is an excellent sleeper...

She'll be fine.

DS started nursery at 8mo. He refused bottles at home, but within a couple of days at nursery he'd take expressed milk or formula from them no problems at all (still doesn't like it from me)

I used to express at work to keep supply up, but have noticed that I don't really need to - I have enough milk for him when we're at home and boobs cope when I'm at work (though I do usually have amazing cleavage by the end of the day!)

DS also grazes all night. Nursery/bottle/formula doesn't seem to have made much difference tbh. He still grazes regardless of how much he's had during the day.

Of course, if you want to give up that's a whole different story. I'll watch with interest for when I get to that stage.