long term bfeeders, which order did you drop feeds in?

[katiegolightly]

and which do you still do long term? bedtime only? bedtime and morning?

I also posted about when food 'replaces' milk as I'm not sure about the pace of transition and which order tends to be best.

Occasionally 5 and a half month old DD sleeps through, so after we drop a night feed, which feeds go next? I'd like to continue long term breastfeeding but obviously not all of them in the day once I'm back to work (when she's 11/12 months)

She is currently having 2 meals a day of veggies/fruits and baby rice. After milk & veggies at lunch I've just started trying her to take a cup with water and a little bit of apple juice.

TIA

Bumping

I'm not sure if I'm a lob term feeder as DD is only 18mo. When we started weaning, bf was offered alongside solids. I didint have a routine so I bf on demand an had 3 meals the same time as me. Slowly DD got food (around 8mo) and I could give food instead of bf when she was hungry. At this point we were feeding with a much more fixed routine. She ha 3 meals and a mid morning and mid afternoon bf as snacks. Obviously she was offered bf on wakeup, at bedtime and 1-2 times through the night. At 12mo I replaced the day feeds completely with solid snacks. Btw she was at full time nursery since 7mo and had no formula during the day there from 9mo. At 15mo I actively dropped the 1 night feed left. I've just replaced her wake up feed with a beaker of milk because I can see she isnt bothered at all. DH gave her a beaker and he just happily took that on our bed. So at 18mo we are left with the bedtime feed, and I will continue with this until she looks uninterested.

HTH

I bf both dd until 14 months (currently bf 8mo ds). I dropped their morning and afternoon 'snack' feeds as we were often out and about (toddler groups etc) so they could be distracted! Next I dropped daytime feeds - the ones I offered alongside meals as they weren't taking much milk and weren't especially fussed. (Remember to drop feeds one at a time and - iirc - only drop one a week? to ensure you don't get engorged/sore.) I carried on with the first-thing-in-the-morning feed for a while (especially with dc1 as this was warm lazy snuggles in bed time) but this went just before the bedtime (early evening feed).

Hope that helps!

In your situation, I would probably start dropping a daytime feed (the one at which she takes least milk / is most distractible) since you'll be returning to work.

DS is just 2. After the nighttime feeds the next to drop were the mid afternoon around 10months or so, then the 10pm one which went about 18 months. He still has one first thing (though this is a bit hit and miss), and one at naptime. He has a cup of milk at bedtime as daddy does this but if he's not here then I do a BF then too.

Some kids are still having 5 or 6 feeds a day now, some only one. Be led by her and you won't go far wrong.

Helpful yes, thanks ladies.

Can I ask, when you have dropped a milk feed that is replaced by a solid meal, what have you offered by way of a drink instead? If water or juice, are you matching the milk quantities they would have taken?

I'm also so fixated that milk is so calorie rich that I'm concerned by the dip in nutrition when cutting out those feeds.

Babies tend to dictate how it happens, TBH. DS started weaning at just before 6 months but didn't really start eating significant amounts of food til between 9 and 10 months during which time he dropped no feeds at all. Once he got the hang of eating he dropped the afternoon feed of his own accord and I just replaced it with a snack if he wanted it which he didn't always.

I have always offered water with meals and snacks and let him regulate how much he wants. One think I know for sure is no baby will intentionally starve themselves. They eat til they've had enough and push it away when theyve finished. Same with milk. If baby weans slowly they just carry on with the milk and get nutrition that way til they find themselves eating enough not to want the milk so much.

Food is fun until they're one. Remember that and you won't go far wrong.

Rambled on there a bit. Basically, offer milk as normal, offer breakfast/lunch/tea about an hour after milk and she will choose to have less and less at each feed as she takes more and more solid food. It might take several months. One day she will refuse a feed because she's still full from eating and that's how they drop

I offered water in a tommee tippee free flow cup with meals. DD drinks a lot less water than milk. As long as it is offered frequently don't worry how much your LO drinks. They will drink when they are thirsty. DD didn't get water until about 10mo. Before that she mainly played with the cup or blew bubbles into it.

Thanks very much. Ok, will keep offering the cup after solid meals and just follow her cues and see how much she takes. I can see she finds the new experience of a cup baffling but she has been practically inhaling the pureed vegetables, which is reassuring! Good tips, thank you.