Breastfeeding - how does supply work at 17 months

[cornflakegirl]

Ds is 17 months, and I work full-time. He feeds mornings and evenings on work days, and whenever he wants on weekends / holidays (although I offer first thing, last thing and after his lunchtime nap).

I'm curious about how this works. Is he likely to get the same amount of milk each day, and thereby smaller amounts at each feed at the weekend? Or will I make more on days when he feeds more?

I'm asking this largely out of intellectual curiousity, but also because ds has a cup of cows milk midday if I'm working, so I'm wondering if he's actually getting less milk overall when I'm at home?

this link might help

CFG, with very well-established bf, the milk is produced according to the demands of the baby, but fewer demands are needed in order to keep the show on the road....so mothers quite merrily keep up a supply for years, even if the child only bf once a day or even less.

In your case, I would predict that on Mondays you probably feel a bit full in the afternoons, because you have had the extra stim. at the weekend. Then things settle down by midweek, and then on the days you are with him, he will feed when he wants and the milk is just there - as it always is. Then it is replaced.

In the early days and months, very little stimulation usually means the milk supply dwindles. I imagine this is how we've evolved, so nature doesn't continue making milk for a baby who (as far as the body knows ) isn't there any more. But the body knows a toddler or older child may not be with his mum all the time day and night, and will also be eating other foods, so it leaves the options open and continues to make milk with minimal stim.

HTH

I have been feeding ds (now 23 months old) less and less frequently over a very long period (several months now) . Sometimes he doesn't feed at all for a few days then he has a feed or two when he asks. He is very gradually weaning. when he gets ill we always have an increase in demand though . I keep assuming my milk will dry up but it seems to keep coming - Tik tok's explanation makes a lot of sense.

If you BF for over a year, from what I know, your supply often remains for months or even years, afterwards - at least, you can still get some milk out.

It's not unusual in some cultures (or in the past) for grandmothers to wetnurse their grandkids ...

Tiktok - thanks for that explanation. I actually never feel full (not sure whether this is because my breasts are quite large, or whether I'm just really unobservant ) so I haven't actually noticed any difference.

3andnomore - thanks for the link - it was really interesting!

NQC - that's actually quite scary...