Advice on dropping feeds and supply

[FlopemOut]

DD is 8 months. In preparation for going back to work soon I am starting to actively encourage the dropping of feeds. So far we've dropped the mid-morning feed and replaced it with a snack (fruit/rice cakes) and water. The next feed I am intending to drop is the mid afternoon one, and again I will replace with snacks/water. Then finally, the lunchtime one, with the aim of her taking cows milk after lunch (at 11 months) either in bottle or beaker.

I hope that I will be able to sustain morning and night-time feeds as long as she wishes. However, in the last few days DD has been feeding every hour or so at night, which is exhausting - despite co-sleeping.

So I wonder if this is just a phase or is my supply dropping and therefore she needs to feed more regularly?

My DD has always been a regular feeder (which makes me wonder if my supply was only just adequate) so I wonder if my body simply can't adjust. Is this possible or should everyone be able to drop feeds accordingly? I guess I don't know what the alternative. I'm way to busy running around after DC to express so any other suggestions?

Sorry for long ramble.

8 months is very young to be dropping milk feeds and she is probably taking what she needs at night when it is available, to make up for the ones she has dropped during the day.

Do you think it's better to drop feeds a bit closer to my return to work? She eats so much solid food, I just thought that a gentle approach to dropping feeds would be best. After all, I'm hoping she can go 8am - 6pm with no BF, 4 days a week, from August.

I do think you would be better to bf on demand for as long as possible, Flopem. By August your baby will be about 50% older than she is now, if my arithmetic is right. That's a long time in a baby's development and milk will be a far less important part of her diet.

Thanks Elasticwoman. I'm probably over-thinking the situation and will go back to BF on demand for a bit longer.

I'd agree it's early to start dropping the feeds if you're not going back until august. I've just gone back to work, ds is 1yo, and I didn't start dropping feeds until about 6 weeks before and that worked fine, I haven't had problems with being engorged and ds got used to it quite quickly.

I'm with elasticwoman, I would take the lead from your baby-and it's looking like he has his own ideas about reducing his BF!

I've just returned to work after a year. DS feeds on demand when we are together (amount varies)and has one cup of cows milk when away from me (amount consumed varies). We didn't actively drop any feeds in preparation but I had discovered that food/water etc seemed to satisfy when I was away, so was quite relaxed about the whole thing.

FWIW I DO think my supply has been affected a wee bit, but not in a way that annoys DS in any way and he still sleeps through the night.