OK I've got some probably ridiculous questions about BF...

[MamaG]

BabyG is now 22 weeks (), still ex BF with no expressing going on.

I'm not going back to work and am very relaxed about continuing to feed as long as he wants it, don't feel a huge urge to get him onto EBM so I can have a break as he's settled into a nice habit of a decent break between feeds.

Now, I've never fed a baby this long and I'm starting to wonder about weaning. Not going to start until he's 6 months, but I do like to be prepared (as my many threads on pg/bf will testify!)

1. Would I give him food and a BF at the same time?

1. What will he realistically end up doing (morning and night feeds? Will my body just adjust? Or should I try to express in between?)

1. Do you think he'll sleep through the night when he's on food? (yeah yeah, the million dollar Q, but he is five months old now and I didn't sleep all night when pg so its been a while!)

1. What is likely to happen wiht his weight gain? Have a history of ishoos with weight gain with DS1 - BabyG is a different story at 24lbs 5oz last week (!) but I want to reassure myself in advance if he levels off IYKWIM

1. Do you think I am bonkers?

Thanks

1.) offer breast and then food.

2.) who knows??? ds2 fed more frequently than ever when we first started solids, and then went back to every 2 hours instead. it's a how long is a piece of string question if he does drop feeds there is no need to express in between

3.) no. well, he might, but there is no guarantee. again, ds2 didn't. but some do.

4.) no idea, sorry! food is generally less calorific than milk, but as long as he isn't replacing lots of breastfeeding with solids then his weight gain should be ok. you could just stop getting him weighed, then you wouldn't need to worry

5.) no!

I offered food at meal times, and bf when DS wanted it. Seemed to work fine.

He'll just drop feeds when he feels like it. The ones in the day usually go first, so you end up with morning and evening

Who knows on the sleeping !

His weight will slow anyway on the undifferentiated charts as bf babies gain slower at this stage

I have always offered food first at mealtimes and BF at other times. If DS is still hungry/thirsty after a meal then I offer BF.
Now at 8 months DS is quite specific and if he wants milk but not food will cling on as I put him in his highchair and start grabbing my top. In those instances I will give him a feed and then food afterwards.

I have very recently stopped offering BF at all around lunchtime. He has BF when he wakes up, breakfast about 45 minutes later and then another BF before he goes down for his nap. He usually wakes around 12:30/1 and then has lunch 1/1:30pm. He has water with his lunch and is often quite thirsty and will gulp away but I don't offer a BF at all. This gives me a good long break during the day when I can go out and about in 'normal' clothes. Not that I mind BFing in public at all, it's just nice to have some time off sometimes!
I then usually BF him at about 4, and then he has BF and dinner at 6:30ish. Then another little BF before bed. He is still waking for feeds during the night - very random patterns though. Tonight he was fast asleep at 7:30 but woke at 8:30 and wanted a feed. Had a big feed and then straight back to sleep. Other nights he will sleep all evening and wake at 11/11:30. The night before last he woke at 9pm for a feed and then slept until 6am!

Sorry I've really waffled on here, I find feeding and sleeping are all one subject though really as one affects the other so much. I hope I've made some sense.