Reassure me pls - my supply is OK?

[FrumpyPumpy]

Sorry this is long but I need reassurance or clear actions to increase my supply please! I have a DS 15wks, 17lb, vast majority bf with occasional formula - max 20 feeds so far, and only 1 or 2 in the last month. I've been expressing to allow others to take him out, dh and I to go away, or to go out for dinner occasionally.
Before the hot weather he was feeding every 2.5 - 3hrs, and waking once in the night. He fed more often but for shorter periods while it was warm - fine by me - but I stopped expressing as he was feeding too often it seemed to make it worthwhile. I usually expressed straight after morning feed, and at about 8pm (feeds at 6 and 10ish).
Last few nights he has woken twice, and I've started expressing at 8pm again but only got 60ml each time, when was more like 100 - 200ml before.

So:

• Is this a growth spurt (he's now on 91st centile...) thought more like 4mths and he's 3.5.
• Will I be able to get a bit more expressed each day as have an overnight stay with work at the end of the month and want to have a couple of litres in the freezer ideally. (Not back at work yet though).
• What else should I be doing?
• MIL keeps saying I will have to give him solids to fill him up as he is a big boy (tall rather than fat) - will I?

Thanks for reading. Would appreciate some guidance or reassurance.

i don't know anything about expressing as i didn't do it.

if you want to increase supply then feed more and don't give formula.

don't give solids to fill up, bm is more calorific. sorry curt but swinefluboy droopy on my arm.

Don't give him solids - he's still far far too young. If you wean before 17 weeks it can damage their gut. Six months is recommended, four months is absolute absolute minimum. Fishie is right - full fat milk has far more calories than a pureed carrot!

I've found that as DS has got older I've been able to express less and less, and whenever I take a break the amount I'm able to express goes down. It's a pain as I work three days a week so need milk for the nursery to give him on those days - we went away last week and now I'm struggling. I do an extra expressing in the evening after DS has gone to bed and that helps build up a stock and build my supply back up. I can never get quite up to the levels of his newborn days, but on a good day can get 100ml at a time.

(And I'd just like to have a rant here because people will understand: when we went away my DH managed to turn off the fridge and freezer, so I had to throw away about 500ml of milk that had been frozen. I'm not sure I'll ever get over that!)

Am not an expert, but take a step back. He's on the 91st percentile. And this is based on b/fing? Well, this is fab, and you are doing a great job! I don't understand this viewpoint of 'the baby is big, so whatever you have been giving him/her isn't enough...' of course it's enough! He has been thriving on this!

Babies do not need anything other than breast milk for the first 6 months. This is the government advice, this is the advice of the NCT, the UN and goodness knows how many other informed people/organizations.

Relax.

I think this age is classic growth spurt time. (yes that may be 4 months, but the problem is no-one told the babies that it should be 4 months not 3.5 or 4.5 ). I know ds1 (who was ff) started waking in the night at around this age having previously slept through. However, I think the night feeds are particularly important to build up your supply, so in that respect its a good thing.

Provided that he's still gaining weight fine (according to the bf baby charts, not the standard ones in the red book), I wouldn't worry. He's too young for weaning, so don't cause yourself and him lots of stress by trying just yet.

Finally, I am at you for getting a whole night away at this age already! With ds2 I still haven't managed it and he's now almost 14 months....

Good point Academic re: growth spurt. Had to laugh about babies not being told...

Thanks everyone. Last night he slept from 7 until 4,30 this morning as a lovely birthday present I got 6.5 hrs uninterrupted sleep! then felt like jordan even after a feed so expressed loads.

THanks for the reassurance, will keep expressing - thanks Rhian. It's just such a pain washing and sterilising pump even twice a day. Am too lazy for ff obviously!

Thinking about it I have previously felt secure if have a stock in the freezer as I know i won't have to resort to formula if dh ant i go out, and there was very little due to us going away.

Thanks again. So pleased found Mumsnet as there is no way would have got this far without it.