Breastfeeding, bottle feeds and naps

[Jllo]

Hi all,

Breastfeeding

Just looking for a bit of advice, I’ve tried my local NHS infant feeding specialist but (as lovely as they are) she seems really reluctant to answer any questions around weaning off the breast.

I have been, still am, exclusively breast feeding my 5 month old, we are heading quickly toward 6 months. She’s growing fine (staying on her percentile). While I don’t have a problem with nursing per se I’m really keen to regain some of my bodily autonomy and work towards weaning for a myriad of reasons (please no judgement, the Mum guilt is already doing a number on me). We have started to introduce a bottle (still my milk) to little one, was hard at first but she’s getting the hang of it now. We’ve only replaced one nursing session a day thus far.

So my questions are;

1. Any advice on how to get her to nap without nursing her off? (I feel like we’ve tried everything (walking up and down, rocking, car rides, walks in her pram or baby carrier - she does eventually go off but the moment you try to put her down she’s awake and shouting), she’s never been a big napper but without being nursed off it’s torturous)
2. How many ounces of breast milk should we use per replacement feed? She’ll happily (ish) take 4-5oz but obviously isn’t as settled as she is after nursing.

Thanks.

Congratulations on your baby and getting to 5 months.

ill try to answer your questions. First though at 6 months with introducing solids babies will naturally start to drop milk feeds. It could be by 7/8 months a baby has dropped one daytime feed freeing up some time for mum. By 9/10 months most babies will be fine with water and solids for much of the day (say if mum has returned to work) and breastfeed at other times.

All this to say, soon you might find you’re feeding less anyway.

Now to your actual questions;

1. At this age, if feeding to sleep works…. It’s one of those things that can just be easier to go along with. However, you can start introducing another sleep trigger. A song or piece of music for example. Play this while doing the nap time feed. Eventually the baby will be able to associate that as well as milk with sleep time.

2. 4-5oz should be fine. She’s in control of how much she takes the other times. It might be that she prefers being at the breast for all the other reasons babies breastfeed. If she’s only just getting used to it, this adjustment might take some time.

You’re doing great.

Hiya, I'm similar to you in that I'm slowly trying to stop breastfeeding. I started introducing formula at 4 months and she had one bottle per day. Now she's on 3 bottles per day at almost 6 months . Volume wise it can be anywhere between 3 and 6oz. I usually offer 5 or 6oz. Thing is, I'm finding she is still wanting to breastfeed a lot during the day and night ! So it's not going as planned at the moment! Might have been easier to go cold turkey. I don't really have any good advice unfortunately. But it's great your little one is taking well to a bottle

I started with 1 bottle a day and then a week later, 2 bottles a day, then the next week 3 bottles a day, then alternated breast and bottle every feed, and then went down to just 2 breastfeeds a day, then one and then none.

Someone has already mentioned sleep cues. So when you are breastfeeding to sleep, sing a particular song and then do the same when you want her to go to sleep without breastfeeding.

@NorthFacingGardener how did you find night weaning ? Or was your LO sleeping through the night at that point?

Sorry no advice on bottles as mine refused - but have you tried the pram stationary or using a Rokit? I did that until mine was well over 12 months. Mine has never napped much, was doing 3 x 30 mins at 6 months all in carrier or pram. If your nights are OK i wouldn't worry about naps.

I honestly can’t remember.. my youngest is 2 now and it’s amazing how quickly you forget things.
He definitely wouldn’t have been sleeping through the night - would have been having 1 possibly 2 bottles a night once I’d stopped breastfeeding.
There’s no right answer really.. you just have to do what feels best and most manageable.