Not ready to stop bf but feels like my body is - help?

[lovecloud]

Hello dd is almost 9 mths and since better has always been a very fast breastfeeder. My first dd until 8 mths fed for 20 mins at every feed, dd2 nows feeds 7am and 7pm. Both of these feeds now last just 3 mins. I am worried that she cant be getting all she needs from these feeds plus the let down feeling does not feel as strong - before I could feel the milk rushing through, since last week it just tingles slightly.

My boobs have gone really flat too.

I love feeding her and wanted to continue until she was 1yrs but I am not sure if she is taking less and less and my body will just dry up.

She loves food and has three good size meals a day with deserts. I do give her cheese sauces, custards, cows milk on cereals etc so I guess she gets calcium from those but everytime I give her yogurt she then brings up bits of sick throughout the day like she did when she suffered from reflux as a baby. It cant be a milk intoerlance as she is fine after her cereals, custards etc.

I am just worried that her milk intake from feed with her shorts feeds is not enough for her. She is developing fine and has actually ahead of text books soI am happy with that but she not chubby like most babies her age and the hv are happy with her weight ans said that I should not worry. BUt surely if her feeds are 3 mins now and getting less every month - soon she will stop!

I have tried to give her formula milk but she just wont drink it from bottle or beaker. She drinks water from bottles happily so I just think she does not like the taste.

What do you think?

I never ever fed either of my children for longer than 10 mins (from birth) and it got less as they got older .. I think DD was feeding for 5 mins at about 9 months old.. not because I stopped them but because that's all they needed

I think I wouldn't worry ... your body is just adjusting to how much she's taking

i think she is getting enough milk from you in the 3 mins and that she isn't heading for calcium deficiency. just keep doing as you are doing. let her feed whenever she asks and she'll be fine. it is rare for babies to self wean before a year, just never refuse her. you'll soon find something else to worry about her.

Thanks - i definitley dont want to stop and I will carry on until I feel ready to stop.

I just want it to be my decision and not my bodies??? - if thats possible

Twiglett - how many times a day did you feed your little one at 9mths. She was feeding four times a day but at 7mths she stopped wanting her lunch time feed, just before turning 8mths she decided she did not want her 10pm feed. So now she just feeds for a few mins at 7am and 7pm.

Now since crawling started, the world has become unbearably exciting and she just wants to be on the move 24hrs so i guess that is why her feeds have got even shorter too. The morning feed is proving to be getting more difficult these days as she just wants to get going and the slightest sound around her distracts her away from me.

The last few nights she comes off my boob crying too and as soon as I put her dummy in she goes asleep so I am not sure if she is crying because there is not enough milk or because she just wants to sleep???

Also any ideas about her always getting sick after yogurt but not after custard, milk and cheese?

Any other ideas for great forms of calcium too? (maybe i should start another thread for that)

thank you

busy here tonight - any bf's around ?

hey, if she wanted more milk a dummy just wouldn't do. maybe she wants a nipple but no milk hence coming off crying? i find if dd is overtired she wants to use me as a dummy to help her sleep. so i have also found that a dummy calms her too.

i think she is getting enough milk - and calcium too. give her turnips/swedes. they are a good source of calcium. I once linked a great page but not sure if i will find it again.

here is one but it isn't the one i was after. the other one mentioned turnips as a great source of calcium. from a practical point of view, look for calcium fortified oj, white beans ie, baked beans. if you there is a home made baked beans recipe in either 'recipes' or 'food' that also takes black strap molasses, another source of calcium if you are into making your own.

Thank you!

Will use as many of those foods as I can.

You know there is always something to worry about with them

I know it will be something different next month!!!

lovecloud - just a suggestion - do you ever try bf BEFORE her solid meals ? the problem is if they get too full on food at that age, they take less milk.

i was abroad for 3.5 weeks when my ds was around 8 - 9 months old and because i wasn't sure about the food in the country i was in, i just bf most of the day (also he woke 3 - 4 times during night) only gave him porridge and fruit in that time and he was absolutley fine living off mostly my milk for a few weeks

if you wish to increase her bm intake (just until she is 1) and may be boost your supply, try bf about an hour before each solid meal and see how it goes

it is true that infants under 1 rarely self-wean, but too much solid food can speed up the process (please read kellymom.com on solids - i went by her recommendation to bf followed by food)

Thanks yellowrose - i will try that.

I doubt she will feed though as she is just too interested in exploring, since birth I had to hide away in a dark room for her to feed during the day - it was a nightmare. whenever i tried to feed her out and about she would be crying, sticking her belly out, milk splurting out everywhere. with dd1 i fed her everywhere, on trains, high street benches you name it.

she does love her food and i guess that is why she is taking less milk.

i will have a go tomorrow anyway and see how she goes.

i know exactly what you mean ! ds was and still is very very nosey, anyone walks into the room and he will turn right round to look with nipple in mouth (oooouuucccchhhh)

yes, can totally understand the dark room thing too - once he was around 4 months it was the only way he would feed properly, dim lights and no talking or tv ! people used to ask me WHY i go into another room to feed, they thought it was because i didn't like feeding in public, when in fact it was all because ds wouldn't feed in public - so very very active since birth !

good luck lovecloud - you can only try can't you ? if she still isn't that interested in feeding more often/longer there isn't much you can do other than feed however she wants it