9 month old dropping afternoon breastfeeds

[notnigella]

hi, am a bit worried about by 9 mo ds who seems to be dropping bf. we are down to 3 per day, morning, mid-afternoon and bedtime. for the last 5 days he has been really disinterested in the mid afternoon feed. we were away for the weekend so i thought maybe it was because we were a bit out of routine, but it has continued for the last couple of days, altho yesterday he seemed to want a feed before his late afternon nap. thing is, he has a v bad cough and cold bug and i am not sure if perhaps that is putting him off his milk feeds, as this morning he wasnt that interested in breakfast feed either. anyone experienced something similar?? could it be the cough / cold (in which case will my boobs shrivel up by the time he gets better?), or is he likely to be ready to drop bf himself? really want to continue bf until he is a year and can have cows milk.

It could be me writing your post!

My dd2 is also 9 months and is really messing about with her daytime feeds. In fact I usually don't give her a mid-morning feed - just first/last thing and mid-afternoon. Although, I am finding that she is messing about with the afternoon one - looking around at the world, 'playing' with my nipple - giving me a quick nip etc.

Therefore, dd2 generally has 2 good feeds a day and whatever she has during the day - I think not much - but she could just be a really efficient feeder?

Dd2 has about 5ozs cows milk on her breakfast and if she hasn't had much milk during the day I give her a big yogurt - which will be enough for her calcium needs. DD2 has water in a sippy cup at mealtimes - so she is getting enough fluids.

This has been going on for a while! At my last months La Leche meeting I mentioned this and they said to persevere with the daytime feeds but if she doesn't have them, then not to worry about it.

So perhaps 2 feeds are enough? Sometimes dd2 feeds more some days than others - depends on teething/how hungry she is etc. I know she is fine so am not worried - but would be lying if I said it didn't stress me out a bit!

Like you I want to get to a year - I go back to work when dd2 is 11 months.

HTH

thanks hotmama, sounds v familiar, am getting used to being poked and squeezed rather than eaten! will see how we go over the next couple of days. i think if the breakfast and evening feeds are ok i will try to relax but if he doesnt fancy breakfast again maybe it is down to the cough / cold. do you give actual cows milk or formula for breakfast? i am giving ds a stick of cheese and yoghurt for tea so hopefully he will get plenty of calcium and protein from that.

Notnigella - I give organic full fat milk to dd2 on her brekkie (as this is what dd1 has - I'm not getting it especially!) I haven't given dd2 any formula as I hope to bf until she is at least one and then she can have cows milk when not having bm - well this is the plan! Diff story to dd1 who was ff from 10 weeks - trying to be "successful" with dd2.

The yogurts I give on the Little Rachel ones from Rachel Organic - just yogurt and fruit puree - nothing else. A big yogurt is equivalent to a full feed - so this makes me relax a bit.

hi hotmama, thanks for this. i too have discovered the little rachel yoghurts, the little dish ones are also good. i must be giving ds one helluva tea if a yoghurt is equivalent to a milk feed. might explain while he's packig on the pounds, or rather ounces, at the moment ;-)