Need advice about BFing and weaning!!

[MistressSeuss]

Hello - I need some help!

I have BF my ds for 6.5mths now, and in the 4th week of weaning.

I don't know what I should be doing about his milk feeds - I am getting engorged breasts some days as he seems to be feeding less.

What pattern should I aim for re meals and BF - he has been demand fed but no longer 'demands' so I have fed him every 4hrs instead. My HV said just use cows milk in porridge etc and he should start dropping BF.

Current day is:
Wake 7-7.30am, feed if he hasn't fed in the last 2hrs
porridge/fruit 8am
BF offered 11am (very short feed now)
BF offered 2.30-3pm
Meal 5pm
BF after bath 6.30pm
Then I have in the last 2 weeks tried a dream feed in the hope he would go through - he isn't and is waking up for the 10pm feed now (as well as at sometime between 3-5am, I envariably feed then, having left him him for a bit to see if he self settles rather than fully wakes)

I'm not actually trying to have a (GF) routine - but we have a regular pattern to the day.

What should I be doing next? I've lost my confidence as it was so much easier just demand feeding!!!

And how long should I continue BF for? when can he be fully weaned from me (and should he then be on formula or is there a time I can avoid formula completely?)

Phew, I think thats everything!
Anyone?!

Bump

(am in exact same position!)

I wouldn't expect him to drop any further feeds til around 9 months.

He should be breastfed, or have formula instead, til he is 12 months.

He should still be having breastfeeds as well as his solids. You could give him a breastfeed before solids if he isn't keen after. Make sure you aren't giving him too much at meals times - it should only be a few spoonfuls - milk should be his main diet. No need to start dropping feeds till he is older and established on 3 solid meals a day as wastingmyeducation says.

Sometimes babies start to wake more when they start solids possibly because they get more thirsty. I would offer a breastfeed at least 3 hourly probably TBH.

You can avoid formula completely by breastfeeding to 1 year. Once he is about 8-9 months you can replace breastfeeds with water (or very dilute juice) with meals.

Congratulations by the way for getting this far

I have the same routine as you and I had this situation for a few weeks while we were getting DS more established on solids.

I eventually bit the bullet at 7 months and gave lunch at 11:30ish and offered bf after lunch. After a week he was taking very little and I dropped that feed altogether. He started taking a little more at 2:30 which was much better for us (he was often refusing this feed and then having to go all afternoon with me randomly offering milk and worrying that he wasn't getting enough milk overall). He is now 8.5 months and we've been happily doing as follows for about 4 weeks (and I no longer have random engorgement):

bf at 07:00
lunch at 11:30/11:45
bf at 14:30/15:00
dinner at 17:30
bf at 18:30

I also offer water and a few raisins or 1/2 rice cake around 10:00 and 16:00.

I aim to keep offering the 14:30 for as long as he wants it but I'm going back to work later in the year so will probably replace it with a drink and a snack when he is about 1 year old.

Sounds like you are doing fine, it's just a bit of an odd time because the amount of food varies a bit when getting established and trying new foods.

Thanks for your responses - I thought I wouldn't be the only one getting confused!

He eats alot at his 2 solid meals - he sits like a cuckoo mouth agape wanting more! He also self feeds with the spoon if I'm going to slowly
He currently gets a yoghurt pot size portion of savory inc pasta etc then yoghurt or fruit/fingerfoods as well. So alot more than a couple of spoons - I hope this isn't too much.

I dropped the dream feed last night and he woke at 2am for a feed (fed well from both sides), but he's ill at the moment so not going to try to drop the night feeds any further...

If I'm BFing at 12mths, is this twice a day or more? Would I stand a chance of TTC then?!

Thanks o' wise ones, my HV is naff

Just wanted to say that I kept the dream feed until 7.5 months and he didn't wake in the night when we dropped it.

I'm planning to give a morning and evening feed only after 12 months. He will have (cows) milk in cooking too. Someone else is likely to be better placed to advise you on TTC (I'd be interested in views on this myself). My periods started again when I was only feeding DS 3 times per day so in theory I could but I'm sure fertility might be slightly diminished with even 2 feeds a day...I'm sure everyone's different too.

re: TTC I got pregnant twice whilst BF, (neither of them were going through the night) within the first yr so it is possible.
Depends on your body I suppose and how often you manage to Do The Deed.
FWIW worth, you also don't have to have had a period just have ovulated once and it's surprisingly common - happened to me (again twice!) on the plus side it means you can go for years with no periods.

Hi MM - I decided not to do the dream feed last night, but he woke at 11pm anyway, so I fed him and he wenmt through to 6.30am

Its so irregular I think it must be hunger(and currently coughing)

Thanks for the advice - I'm only 6-7mths into this game

MistressSeuss - I got pregnant breastfeeding a 7 month old 4-5 times a day!

LOL - I'll let nature take its course then in a few months time!