will my baby ever stop feeding so much?

[wheezie]

My baby is coming up to 8 months now. he was exclusively breast fed till 5 months and now happily eats 3 meals a day and takes water from a cup. he has never had a bottle or any formula. in a month i want to return to work 1 day a week just from 9.30-4. i am planning on getting a nanny for the day. am so worried though and thinking of not returning as he so dependent on me. cannot sleep at all unless he had milk and will scream and scream if not. at my wits end with him. i jsut dont know if he will ever cut down on milk from me although i think a lot for comfort. even harder is hsi brother at his age was left from 7-5 and fine at same age. was even thinking of asking nanny to come meet me with him at lunch so i can feed him. have never expressed and really dont want to start but i think its the comfort he likes. any suggesdtions how to crack this???

Wheezie, you are worrying too much. If you are with your baby, he will not see why his access to the breast should be restricted. The nanny will be some one different and he will not demand milk from her. Getting your baby accustomed to being without you for part of one day per week will be what you pay the nanny for. Even if (worst case scenario) baby screams the place down, you will not hear it and it won't do your baby any harm. Much more likely is that baby will enjoy nice change with the nanny, from 30 seconds after you've gone.

wheezie - I returned to work 3 days a week when DD was 8 months old and she wouldn't take a bottle at all (we had tried), longer days than you are talking about too

She just didn't have milk during the days when I was at work, and was fine.

Mahoooosive feed first thing and again as soon as we got home (and breast pads for me!)

And if I was home with her she would feed frequently

As soon I wasn't there, and she was so stimulated by nursery and being around other people, she didn't mind

HI, thanks for that. really reassuring. i just have visions of him screaming and i away from him and noone able to calm him. i know it will do us both good, i desperately need time away as he such hard work. just need to get his night sleep sorted now.