13 month old asking for boob 20 minutes after feed

[INeedNewShoes]

DD is 13.5 months and eats well 3 meals day plus snacks.

We are down to 2 breastfeeds a day most days, one first thing in the morning and the other directly before bed in the evening. Occasionally, if we're at home, she'll have a feed before her afternoon nap.

In the past week she has started asking for a feed not long after having had one (10-30 minutes after finishing a feed).

I was worried my milk might be drying up but I expressed yesterday and got 50ml which is normal for a pumping session for me.

This new two feeds in a row habit is frustrating because it's now meddling with bedtime. I don't mind so much in the mornings.

Do I just need to be tough and refuse the second feed so that DD makes the effort to take enough on the first feed?

It's important to me to continue breastfeeding as DD has a dairy allergy so I can't give her cows milk in a bottle and the dairy free formulas have soya which I'm not comfortable with her having (I have a low level soya intolerance which went undiagnosed and led to various health problems).

Hopeful bump...

I would go with the flow as it is so very hot at the moment.

I would say she is thirsty! It’s very hot this week.

Another vote for just letting her have it. It’s very, very hot this week and she probably needs it. Make sure you drink plenty too

Agree with pp, it's so hot. She's probably just taking what she usually does and then realising she's still thirsty.

I guess waiting a bit means she's back to the more watery milk as well, which is more hydrating than calorific.

Thanks for all your responses.

I will give her the benefit of the doubt!

I agree, she is probably thirsty. Make sure she has plenty of water too (or maybe some diluted juice, if she won't drink much water).

She's probably thirsty? I have a 2.5 yr old who was down to feeding two or three times a week but has increased it back to every day with the hot weather!

I just fed when they asked, it could be very frequently or a couple of times a day. It is probably the heat but they can also ask to feed frequently if getting unwell (their bodies will instinctively tell them to get lots of milk for antibodies) or going through a developmental leap and need the comfort.

The great thing about feeding as they get older is you can use it to stop tantrums, if they fall and hurt themselves, if they go somewhere new and are unsure, when they get sick and can’t eat, etc.

There is a great fb group ‘breastfeeding older babies and beyond’ for babies past a year, it can be helpful to see what others with older babies do and what’s ‘normal’ for that age.