Support thread for bf 6-12 months

[Hulla]

We've passed the ebf stage but we're not quite extended bf-ers. Any other "inbetweeners" want to join me in a general support thread?

We can chat about anything - bf & weaning, night feeds, going back to work, coping with pressure to stop, biting when feeding (ouch!, whether to stop, whether to carry on...anything.

Pull up a comfy chair and lets support each other. Chocolate biscuit anyone?

My DD was 6 months yesterday so I can join in too - yay.
I never in a million years thought I'd get to this stage so am feeling very proud of myself. Didn't manage to BF DD1 past 3 months so I am feeling utterly triumphant and hoping to continue BFing for as long as DD2 wants to.
I've been on MN from the beginning this time around which has helped so much; but it's been tough going: lots of mastitis, feeding 2 hourly, PND, so much pain for the first 9 weeks and very little sleep of course.
I don't want to jinx myself but after moving DD2 into her own room last week things have got so much better at night. We co-slept for the first four months, then had her in the cot next to me for the next two, and she did a longish stretch from 6 til 10ish then fed every 2 hours or 3 on a good night. Now she does 6 til 11, when DH gives her a bottle of formula while I'm asleep, then she goes through til 4am on a good night and on a bad night also feeds at around 2. Still this is likes bliss compared to what things were like jsut a few weeks ago.
We are BLWing and having great fun with it - she seems to like pretty much everything and anything and there's plenty of evidence in her nappies that she's swallowing.
So hello everyone.

that's brill - thanks for all the info on positions - i think i will have to get more creative - i love the idea of the sitting opposite sling one. To be honest, i really thought there were only two positions - lying down and the usual side one. Thanks so much.

nadssss we often have me sat on a chair and dd on my lap kind of astride me (ahem!) with her head on whatever angle it takes to be at boob level. Especially good if she's in need of a nice cuddle.

DD has her first trial session at nursery without me tomorrow so we have to decide if she's going to have formula or skip straight to cow's milk (is 11 months). I've tried expressing but don't get anywhere near enough for a feed - and also have no idea how much she'll need in a cup. I'm hoping she'll be fine with it, since her daytime feeds don't seem to be that much - not that I can really tell of course, I guess I mean they're a lot quicker than the morning and evening. And she's a total guzzler for solids so won't go hungry anyway. I'm trying to tell myself it will all be fine and my boobs will carry on knowing what she needs and when, but it's still a bit of a wrench!

Ejbab welcome! Come and join us on BLW too if you like. I had a dreadful start to bf too but it's great when you finally get there isn't it? Sometimes I think I enjoy it even more now knowing the struggle I had in the early days.

JumpJockey will keep my fingers crossed for you but I'm sure it will be fine. My boobs have proved to be surprisingly adaptable since I went back to work PT and now have a mixture of days when I feed DD all day, half a day or morning and night only.

DrCosy exactly the same with me and work/feeds.

Jumpjockey good luck with going back. It is horrible at the start but it's fine once you get into it.

What are other people planning on doing with cows milk? I was thinking of starting BB on a cup of it in the afternoons in a few weeks time, once he's 11 months. Part of the reason is that he seems to react badly to formula on my two work days, and has problems pooing when he's had formula, so I am thinking that if I give him cows milk once a day (and BM the rest of the time), it won't be such a shock to his system on my work days. I guess I should just give him formula every day, but I hate the stuff. Silly I know, as it's just treated cows milk! I think it's because it's powdered.
Is 11 months too early?

cara the advice is 12 months for cows' milk, but I heard the other day that is for nutritional reasons rather than health ones. i.e. up til the babies are 1, it is assumed they are getting most of their nutrition from bm or formula, but when they are 1, they are usually (not my DD!) also getting a lot of nutrition from solid foods too. This means it's ok to give them cow's milk, which is less nutritious than bm or formula, as long as they are getting a balanced diet. I was thinking of letting DD try some, she's 11 months. There are no dairy allergies in our family though.

As DD is so reluctant with solids, I am only going to give her cows' milk on top of bm. At nursery I thought I would let her have formula (she doesn't, yet!) to make sure she is getting her nutrients in as many ways as possible. Planning to keep bf in the evenings [and probably night too!] when I go back to work.

Had a chat this week with a friend who has gone back to work (her DS is 15 months, still has several bf each day) and she suggested I get set up for expressing at work just in case, then I can send DD to nursery with both ebm and formula. I think that's a good idea, as it takes a lot of the pressure to "stop before I go back to work" off. Phew... Now I just need to email HR!

cara DD has been having a cup of cow's milk with her tea for a few weeks now (she's a few days younger than your DS). She sometimes drinks it and sometimes doesn't, but I feel happy knowing that she will take it as she will be staying overnight with my parents once a fortnight from january and will be having cow's milk while with them.

Occasionally I have worried that I shouldn't be giving it to her this young but I figure that she's getting less cow's milk mixed with food than she would do if eating mush, and I'm happy that she's getting a good balanced diet so she's not missing out on any nutrients.

Mostly she seems to really enjoy her cow's milk, I think she likes the fact that its cold from the fridge

Thanks people for the replies about cow's milk
Hoping for a better week with the poos as we have started doing the apple purees at grandma's.

Hi all, did post on here last week/week before, but not been back - just too hectic at home. Am reading your posts with interest though.

Well, tonight we tried DD (aka the bottle hater / the I can cry for longer than you can stand it champion) on a bottle of ebm or her bedtime feed. Well, DH tried her for about 15 mins before he could stand it no longer (the man has no stamina ), then I went up and tried DD on bottle, on cup she has water from and refused boob. She was very tired having not had usual amount of sleep today, so I thought "either you'll take the bottle, or you'll fall asleep". Well..... she fell asleep. Has been down in her cot now for over an hour and still doing huffy breaths (after crying), but not woken yet.... Will just feed her when she does. I feel so cruel, but is it too much to ask to be able to go out for an evening with a friend?

Am taking the DC to my Mum's week after next for a few days to see her and give DH a break and she is hardened to this kind of thing, so am thinking we'll try her on bottle again over there and do it at afternoon feed, where it's not so desperate. Does anyone have any recommendations on bottles - we have Tommee Tippee, which we used for DS (I figure he was so hungry when he was put on top-ups at 9 weeks that he just took whatever offered). I am rubbish at expressing (until has gotten better recently), so have not pushed the bottle - was more important to me to be able to successfully bf DD. I have 2 months before I go back to work, but would like to be able to go out with my friend in 1 month's time - just for the evening after a course, but means I won't be at home for bedtime (never mind during the day when I'm on the course)...
Ah well, am waffling, just waiting for DD to wake up. I do feel especially cruel, as I tried to cut one of her night feeds out last night - she woke at 2am and at 4am I gave in and fed her (she didn't cry all that time, she was quite happy to be awake for some of it ), so maybe we are trying too much at once with DD, but I know she didn't "need" the feed at 2am, as she's gone longer in the night before (and had fed at 6.30pm before bed and 9.30pm when she woke too)...
On repeat "this is just a phase"... "this too shall pass"
Am still loving bfing her though - hope I don't sound too negative. Guess I just want it all - to bf and to be able to go out on my own just for a few hours!

Starshine, is there any possibility you could BF you DD a little bit earlier in the evening and then your DH could put her down with a drink of water and a cuddle at bedtime when you go out? We were amazed when we managed to do this... you could try it and see?

My DD is very reluctant on the bottle or cup although at a push she will now take it from someone else but not me! I am back to work mid December, and I'm going to hope the nursery manage, with me expressing at work, and then feeding her in the evenings. The HV told me not to have the battles but to enjoy the few weeks left at home with DD, and try to find other ways round the problems.

Hi all

I think I only posted once and then didn't manage to come back... but can I ask you all for advice? DD2 is now nearly 7 months and after months of no feeding problems it seems I have mastitis now. The lower part of my right breast is slightly red, and hurts when I brush against it / touch it. She does usually empty it properly so not sure where this has come from, but do I need to take ABs or can I try treating it in other ways?

TIA!

Hi ladies, I am a latecomer to this thread but have been lurking for a little while. DS is nearly 8 months and is on 4 breastfeeds a day plus solids (weaning is going so-so). I am due back at work in January and am currently debating whether or not to introduce formula once he is at nursery as I cannot see myself having the energy (or the supply) to pump enough on an evening to last him through the day. Pumping at work isn't really viable. But then I just feel that I should be doing the best I can for him, not matter how tiring or inconvenient for me. Incidentially, I am definitely intending to continue BFing when he wakes and before bed.

Am now going to try and read through the rest of this thread so I can join in with the chat and not just talk about my own issues .

Hi all,
Feierabend do you feel well in yourself? If so, maybe its just a blocked duct at the moment but you need to be careful it doesn't become mastitis. Keep feeding DD2 from that side, try some different feeding positions to make sure she's emptying all the ducts, massage the breast while feeding and in the bath/shower. I'm no expert, but this has always solved the problem for me. Hope someone with some more help will be along soon.

Hello all, RL has been annoyingly getting in the way of my MN habit recently. Am getting close to going back to work/ DD going to nursery and I can't say there's any sign of her wanting to drop any feeds. I'm planning to express for her when I am at work, because I don't really want her having cows milk. But I'm getting a bit worried about her coping with that, and whether I should try and do something about it beforehand? I'm doing a few full days at work in December when DH will look after her so that's a trial I guess, but i have NO idea how much milk I should leave for her. Any ideas???

I've got my first shift back at work on friday night and DD seems to be upping her feeds in preparation. I suppose i'm lucky that i'll only actually be away overnight when she doesn't normally feed, but i do need to sleep during the day, so hopefully won't have DH constantly bringing her into bed for milk!

I'm not sure if you should do anything in preparation or not, KiwiPanda. I've always felt that when I'm here DD wants to bf and its not fair to deny her it, just hoping that when i'm not here she'll be happy without. Will let you know how we get on anyway.

Hi KiwiPanda what's RL? Oh, I get it, Real Life?!?

Ok, when I went back to work (only 2 days a week though) in September, I did nothing to prepare. I worked 3 days, then had the summer holidays off, and that was a useful trial. I left a fair amount of EBM in the freezer, mainly in 3oz portions. I found at the beginning that I had to express as the boobs were painful, but as time went on they adapted. however, I am happy for BB to have formula to make up the extra as I am unable to express enough for his two daytime feeds due to my job being very hectic. If you have an electric pump and a sympathetic or flexible working environment, I'm sure things would be different. The other thing BB did at the start was upped his night feeds to compensate for losing out in the day. A pain in terms of sleep for me, but at least I knew he was getting the good stuff.

So I guess my answer is don't worry too much about not being prepared. I don't think you can be, as you don't know how your baby and your boobs will react. I found that both were remarkably adaptable. In terms of how much milk to leave, I used to defrost maybe 6oz and then MIL would defrost more if needed. On one of the three days I first went back, BB refused all milk and my EBM had to be thrown He had a mammoth feed when I got home. In the early days, I would express some at work and some at home, and then leave that for the next day.

Hope that helps. When I first went back, it was very tough and emotional, but now we have both settled in, it's great. BB absolutely loves his time with his grandma and I now really appreciate the time we have together. Plus it is good to have my own money coming in. Sunday nights are still bloody awful though as I can't bear the thought of leaving him

On a separate note, I am starting to worry about how I am ever going to stop BFing!! BB seems to be living on thin air and breast milk at the moment, and turned 11 months today. He is teething, so I know that's a factor. I even tried today to give him some (warmed) EBM I had knocking around in the fridge in a beaker and he pushed it away after a taste. Only fresh will do from me it seems!

hello, is anybody still here? Hope you're all ok and your dc are weathering their first winter better than my dd (mine is a ball of snot atm)

I have a question about feeding once back at work. I've just gone back to work and I feed in the morning, then when I get back from work, usually around 5pm. If I'm held up at work, obviously that tea time bf is delayed and then she doesn't have much dinner or much of her 'just before bed' feed.

She won't take much from a bottle at lunchtime, so it adds to my stress when I'm stuck at work (worrying about her being thirsty, my boobs exploding out of my bra, getting mastitis, waking in the night because she's hungry etc etc, yes I'm a bit neurotic!!)

What do you do? And do your dc take much milk during the day when you're not there?

Tasmaniandevil Technically I shouldn't even be on this thread any more as DD was one on Saturday but I am interested to know what people think about your question as I'm about to go back to work and will have the same issues... DD is not a huge huge eater and does feed quite a lot from me during the day when we are together so I'll be expressing for her too and also have no idea how much she will take... so anyway just to say I sympathise with your stress!

hi kiwipanda, happy birthday to your dd! I'm off work now til Jan, but we were out yesterday and she didn't have any milk at all between her 7am ish feeds until we got back around 4pm and she was fine. It did reassure me that she wasn't going to evaporate because she didn't have a bf at lunchtime!

I think this thread is great. DS is nearly 8 months now. I am due back at work (FT) start of April but to complicate matters I am also moving back to the UK from Thailand only 2 or 3 weeks beforehand (timings not quite settled yet) with DH to follow in mid-April when his contract out here finishes. I have been offered a promotion at work which is fab for my career but puts the knackers on PT working for at least the next 12 months. Hoping to get at least one day a week working from home but who knows.

So will be camped out at my parents until we find a new house and need to get DS a nursery spot before going back to work. DH also has a 2.5 hour (each way) commute (arghh) and may well be living away during the week. Luckily my parents have agreed to look after DS part time so that's a big help but its still all very daunting.

With all the upheaval, I intend to leave DS on the boob for as long as he likes as poor love will have enough to deal with. Plus I really don't want to stop BFing. Don't quite know what my family will make of it, I am already a bit nervous about what will be said as DS will be nearly 11 months then.

Loved reading about all you ladies' adventures in BFing back slaps and well dones all round I think .