Coming to an end :(

[rom17]

Hi all. I'm sad writing this thread but I think our BF journey is coming to an end. DS is 9 months old and loves breastfeeding. I introduced a bottle at 4 months just before bed and expressed. The expressing stopped as stopped getting as much and then stopped expressing completely due to busy lifestyle. I still breastfed during night and day but night feeds started taking a toll on me. He stopped latching properly (I think due to teeth) and it was switching my mood too easily and didn't like it so introduced a bottle through the night which was great and only meant one wake. He's now doing the same with the morning feed and I'm just really struggling to give him what he needs. I know my supply dropped during this time as now when I pump I can't even get 10ml after 15 minutes. I'm SAD about it.

I loved breastfeeding in the beginning. I found it hard but I could give him everything he needed. He's had antibodies from birth, even after my covid jabs I felt I was giving him life. Now he will have no protection which worries me as he has a health condition.

I'm still bfing in the day but my supply is pretty low. He feeds for a few mins at a time and is distracted elsewhere. Our routine is basically bottle in the am after wake up, breakfast and then will BF before and after naps, when grumpy, when upset etc and will then go back onto formula after around 4/5pm.

I guess my question is do I need to stop during the day? He's obviously not hungry as he just snacks on the boob every 1-3 hours. Will he be getting enough from me in the day?

Idk how milk making works tbh

Do you give him food? I starting weaning my son at five months when I went back to work, but my daughter breast fed until her first birthday, though by then just once before bedtime and she was eating real food by then (she never took a bottle). So by then it was just comforting not really adding much nutritionly.
Your baby will have had all the benefits of breast milk and have built up his own immunity. If you are really in doubt consult your health visitor (or clinic, I never had a health visitor due to shortages). I'm sure they can reassure you and help you.

You don't need to stop if you don't want to. At 9 months a lot of babies aren't having milk at night and he'll be getting a lot from those bottles so your supply will have adjusted to his needs during the day.

Expressing is a truly rubbish indicator of how much the baby is getting when feeding direct.

But if you want to stop ir slowly cut down then obviously that is great too.

Nothing wrong with suiting yourself and your baby.

I went back to work when ds2 was 6 months and was only bf when I got home, bedtime and first thing at 9 months and it was fine. Didn't bother expressing as he decided to refuse bottles during the day but he got by no problem with food and a drink from a cup.