Problems expressing at 8 months. Should I just drop a feed?

[thetraveller]

8 month old DS currently has 4 milk feeds each day. Since returning to work part-time last week this takes the following pattern:

0730 - BF
1100 - 100-120 ml of expressed milk (I express at work around the same time)
1600 - BF
1900 - BF

The first few days at work I was easily expressing around 200ml (7oz?); now I'm struggling to get 50ml. Not sure if this is due to milk supply reducing or the somewhat less than relaxing atmosphere where I express at work (room with thin walls and frosted glass door with no lock). For the past few days I've been expressing again at home at around 1400 so that I have enough milk for DS's 1100 feed the following day.

It was a struggle to get breast-feeding established to begin with, and having got this far I'm reluctant to introduce formula. I'm wondering whether I should simply drop the 1100 feed. Would DS get enough from the other 3 feeds? If I go down this route, how would I go about dropping the 1100 feed? Gradual reduction in amount of milk / replacing milk with water and a snack?

tbh it would be a relief to stop expressing, but I want to make sure DS gets enough milk and that I don't jeapardize my milk supply. All advice gratefully received!

I wanted to find a reference to something I had in my head about daily BM intake for weaning babies -- it was something like 18 - 20 oz a day until they're a year old (???) but I can't find it now!

Anyway, my DS will be 8 months next week and is on 3 breastfeeds a day (we just cut out the midnight feed -- thank goodness BUT I also pump a lot for his food as I use breastmilk rather than formula or cow's milk in his breakfast cereal etc. I think this compensates for having only 3 feeds.

So, you could give up the 11 am feed and make it 3 feeds / day, but I'd keep pumping to make it up in his food if possible -- could you express just before going to bed, so that it doesn't harm the 7 am feed? I find it easiest around 9 or 10 pm.

Well done with carrying on this far by the way! I'm in a similar situation, found it very difficult to begin with and now stubbornly carrying on, refusing to use formula

Thanks Nelvana. I read about the 18-20oz per day recommendation too. Only problem is not having a clue how much a BF baby is taking .

Expressing today was a disaster. Took more than 30 minutes to get just 50ml. Think I will try dropping to 3 feeds a day and expressing extra to go with food. Guessing I should give extra water and a snack to replace the late morning milk feed?

I expressed at work for DS from early on and found that about 8 months my supply dropped dramatically as well and I struggled to express. It coincided with him starting to eat more solids, so I suspect he was demanding less.

I dropped a feed during the day (going down to 1 bottle), although he was still feeding in the night (I only managed to night wean him when i stopped breast feeding at 12 months, so I'm jealous of you!). I looked and couldn't find any guidance on total recommended intake, only for dairy intake in total which I think was about 20oz a day.

Not very scientific I know, but if I were you I would just drop the feed, if your DS wants more he'll just have more at 14:00.

My dd2 was 9 months when I went back to work. She totally refused to take formula and I am working full days . Expressing had become difficult and I was not happy to do it at work ( my choice ). Therefor she is only having 2 breastfeeds a day, with food and water while at nursery. This includes cereal with cows milk, yogurts etc. I do not think this is ideal but she seems happy and her weight gain hasn't suffered. We have been doing this for 4 weeks now and I have not had any problems feeding.

Are you wanting to avoid all dairy in your child's diet.

Why not just give formula for the feed at work and breastfeed the rest of the time. At eight months old your lo has plenty in his diet. Three breastfeeds a day is still fanastic.

I mix feed on days that I work and breastfeed during the day on days that I don't work. My breasts seem to adapt.

Hi again, yes I know what you mean about the quantities issue -- I just figure he's taking in somewhere between 4 and 6 oz at each 'full' feed (based on how much ebm he drank from a bottle, which was always about 5 oz but that was over a month ago (?))

Therefore 3 feeds a day is somewhere around the 16oz + mark and i make it up with bm in food. Vague but i think that's how it is with breastfeeding!

If you do drop the feed it might suddenly get easier to express maybe? Good luck with that!

My DS has lunch at 11.30 am but for various reasons when its delayed i do give him a little snack, seems sensible. i also mean to give him a sippy cup of water available any time of the day, near his playmat or something ?