Bf DS now has huge gaps between feeds! What do I do?

[Gurke]

DS is almost 6.5 months corrected age (9.5 months actual), exclusively breastfed. I started giving solids a month ago, mixture of purees & BLW, which he seems to be enjoying, but we're still on only one meal a day.

I bf him on demand, but essentially he fed every 2 hours or so during the day & one dreamfeed in late evening. He stopped sleeping through a while ago, now feeds once or twice during the night.

Ok, so much by way of background. The problem is that for a couple of weeks now he has started to feed less and less in the afternoons; and during the last few days he's been having NOTHING! So he now goes from a feed around 12.30/ 1pm to the next one around 6.30/7pm! I keep offering every half hour or so, but he just gets more and more angry. I've tried not offering for a few hours, then trying again - but he's just not drinking. I even tried not giving solids for a few days, but it made no difference.

I'm starting to lose my confidence about breastfeeding. This is not ok, right? We've been through several nursing strikes a few months ago, which I think were reflux-related, but he always tried to catch up eventually. Or is this what self-weaning looks like? Can a baby his size (around 7kg) go for that long without a drink without getting dehydrated? His nappies in the late afternoon are very light/ almost dry (but heavy in the mornings & early afternoons). His weight gain has slowed down a lot, which is normal I know.

Any ideas? I'm worried sick.

My DS3 is seven months and has had a couple of periods of no bfing during the day. I offer water at meal times so I'm not too worried about dehydration. My suggestion would be to keep offering every 2-3 hours and let him sort himself out. He shouldn't self-wean before a year. The Kellymom website had a lot of useful information.

Thanks Stunt, that's reassuring to hear. How often do you feed your DC at the moment?

Does anyone else have any ideas?

Could he be reverse cycling ?

Reverse cycling might well be part of the problem, although I'm not at all sure he is getting enough from his one or two night feeds to compensate.

Still not sure what to do about that massive daytime gap, but Stunt is probably right & I should just wait it out. It's nervewracking though.

Hopeful bump

Bump

Is he just too distractable?

have you trued feeding him.in bed, somewhre quiet or with a sling ie ring sling.

How much solid food is he having?

5madthings - he is very easily distracted, it's true. He is also so fussy that for about a month now I have not been able to feed him unless we are lying own in a quiet room - which was rather tricky (& stressful) when we were on the road for 4 hours a while back. He just didn't feed at all until we were back at home.

But this recent feed refusal is even while we're at home and hiding in his bedroom I keep telling myself that it's just a phase, but if so it's an unfortunately long one...