It's not just mums of newborns who ask 'How much is she getting?'

[prettycandles]

I'm still breastfeeding my 19m dd morning and evening, but half-way through the evening feed she always asks for a beaker of milk, gulps down 5-6oz, then goes back on to the boobs for a little longer. Given that she's drinking so much formula, how much bm is she actually getting, and is it worth continuing with this feed?

bump

I think the evening feed is probably helping to maintained the morning supply -- even if she doesn't get very much at night, nursing then makes your hormones respond to make more the next morning.

Ots worth it if it is part of her bedtime routine or comfort. Every drop of bm she gets is adding to her immune system. Take her lead, if she wants to breastfeed then let her.

By the way at 19 months you don't need to use formula, just normal cows milk will do.

I know I don't need to use formula, but ordinary milk doesn't agree with her. The only reason I give her a beaker is that she asks for one! She doesn't miss the breastfeed when I'm not around, perfectly contented with just the beaker.

Where could I find out more about the hormones, I wonder? TBH, if the feed is just comfort then I might drop it (it's not at all comfortable for me, she's a very violent feeder! ) but if it helps maintain the morning feed, then it's worth keeping.

prettycandles - your milk supply is so well established that you could stop the evening feed if you wanted and continue the morning feed only for as long as she wants. Just depends what the 2 of you want to do. As long as she feeds, even if it is only once a day, you will produce milk.

Thanks Mears. Gosh what a difficult decision I have now (as my mum would say 'May this be the hardest decision you ever have to make' ). It was easy enough to drop the daytime feeds, but every time I contemplate dropping the evening feed...I discover that I can't bear to do it . But why am I putting myself through the pinching, thrashing, tugging, twisting over and over roughness of dd's feeding, if ultimately she doesn't really need it?