Extended Breast Feeding - how does it work?

[RoRoMommy]

My DS is 8 mo old, and I've noticed my supply going down. He's getting hungier, though, so we've been supplementing with EBM and solids. So, two questions:

What should I do about the decrease in supply? I think my supply is going down because I pump M-F and I just went from three expressing sessions to two per day because I was uncomfortable on the weekends with the fullness. Have I caused this decrease? He has also started biting, which seems to be because there isn't as much milk...

My second question is this: how does extended bf work? Will there come a time when I don't have to pump during the day anymore, and DS will feed in the morning, evening and at his otherwise favorite times? Or is it more complicated than that because I am away from him 9-5 M-F?

Advice appreciated! As always...

Yes, feeling less full makes me think my supply is going down, plus he doesn't feed for as long on each side, and the biting thing, and the fact that he still seems hungry after a feed. I will try to bf more, but the biting makes that a bit unsavory (he used to feed whenever the boob was out, but now that he's exploring more he's got to be really hungry before he'll settle enough to feed). Thanks for that.

With my second question, I think you answered it. If you were at uni all day and didn't have to express, but still were able to feed your DD, and bf long term until age 2 (good on you!), then perhaps I will be able to stop expressing at some stage. Was your DD taking a bottle of EBM during the day? Or eating solids? Or formula, or other milk? How often did you bf DD when you were around her?

I really appreciate your help! I just want to know what bf long term is going to look like/be like/feel like.

Yes to the second question. I went back to work when DS was 8.5 months and from that point nursed him morning and night (and once or twice more at weekends) and he had formula in the day (I was never any good at expressing -- may experiment with other pumps next time).

DS is nearly three and we've still been nursing twice a day (and often a third time at weekends) until very recently -- but I'm 22 weeks pregnant and it's tailed off a bit (I don't think he's actually nursed at all the last couple of days... but I'm reasonably sure he hasn't given up altogether and we'll end up tandem breastfeeding).

I think after 8 mths or so my boobs never felt full - prob due to weaning so less feeding, but I fed until 19mths fine. For the last 6 mths or so this was only twice a day, sometimes only once a day, but I was confident the milk was there. Your boobs become more efficient.

Biting may be frustration but it may be a bad habit! If you say no sharply and put your boob away when it happens he will realise biting = no milk and will prob stop!

biting also in this house - ouch! when she's not that hungry so starts 'playing'.

with ds1 and 2 who were in more of a routine they had 2 milk feeds a day from about a year so that would go well with working. it was only 3 a day from aroud 8 months i think

That's great news! So perhaps I could give up pumping altogether in a few months when he's taking less milk in the day and more solids?

I'm still feeding 15 month old ds once a day and never feel full, he rarely feeds for more than 10mins. I think this is just because older babies are more efficient at getting the milk out and your body gets better at making exactly the right amount. He went to nursery at 10 months and had one bottle of formula in the day, bf morning and night, I didn't express and never had a problem with supply. I'm sure you will be able to give up pumping soon - when he is eating well during the day he will probably be fine just with solids and water/juice when you're not with him.

I'm still feeding my 2 and a half year old, and fed my other two until they were 18 months. I never worried about my milk supply - just assumed that as long as they fed the milk would be there. They've sometimes gone days of feeding just once or twice, then have gone back to 4 or 5 feeds a day. There always seems to be milk there - or at least if there isn't I don't know it. BTW my breasts never feel full either and I never leak. Sometimes my son only feeds for 5 minutes and then he's off, other times he feeds for 20 minutes.

Have you heard of the expression "natural term breastfeeding", which the journalist Analise Barbieri used in an article about bf her 4 year old. I think it's a great way of describing breastfeeding a toddler!

I'm still BF my 2.9 year old - I think she is heading towards self-weaning because sometimes we go 24 hours without a feed now and then it's only a couple of seconds long (like she needs to reassure herself that they're still there ) but I don't think I have any problems with supply. I think a time will come when you don't have to pump - when I went back to work with dd1 she was only 6 months - it was only 2 days but I managed to feed her as normal the rest of the time and just morning and evening on those 2 days without pumping.