Back to work and feeding all night

[mamaduckbone]

Has anyone else had this, and if so how long did it last for you?

My 11 month old ds is still b.fed morning and night, but since going back to work full time he's been having very little milk in the day - he won't touch formula, I haven't got the time or energy to express, so he's having perhaps between 150-200ml of full fat cow's milk in a beaker over the course of the day. He eats well and is robust and healthy, so I'm not too worried about that.

BUT, he's feeding up to 3 times in the night - proper feeding, not just 2 slurps and back to sleep, and this has coincided almost to the day with me going back to work. I'm guessing it's mostly comfort and getting his share of 'mummy time', as he wasn't b.feeding much in the day before anyway, but it's wearing me out.

Any ideas how long this phase is likely to last, and when might be reasonable to say enough is enough? I don't want to traumatise the poor thing when I've suddenly disappeared in the day (he's with his dad so happy and settled actually)by abandoning him at night as well, but not sure how long I can keep this up for.

Thanks and sorry if this doesn't fully make sense.

God no, he's so wriggly that co-sleeping I don't sleep at all! Sometimes when he wakes after about 4am I bring him in with me but I tend to then sleep very lightly.

So is that the reason behind it then - to keep my supply up? I have wondered whether he's getting enough at the bedtime feed if my supply is dwindling, but he still feeds for a good amount of time and seems to be gulping well, and I feel quite full by that time of day.

Thanks, I'll have a look. Maybe I'll feed him as soon as I get home in the hope that might cut out at least 1 of the night feeds.

I'd quite like to wean at 12 months but he's such a milk monster I can't see that happening As soon as I pulled my top up tonight he did a sort of pirate 'ah ha' and launched himself at me...

I'd be quite soft-hearted. I could not wean my dcs if I had just gone back to work. This night feeding is not just physical, it is emotional as well. If you are not too knackered during the day, I would just put up with it.

I know, blueshoes that's why I'm just going with it at the moment - at nearly 12 months old there's no way he needs this much milk so it must be emotional. I'm trying to see it as lovely cuddly time to make up for being away in the day but I am tired...

...and Butterfly I know what you mean about it being harder to wean now - ds1 took a bottle from about 7 months and pretty much weaned himself from the breast at about 10 months when he couldn't be bothered with me any more - I found that hard at the time because I'd not long been back at work and felt that it hadn't been my choice to give up.

Now, the reverse effect! Even my mum who think it's a bit odd that I'm still feeding him has said "He'll be one of them pulling your t-shirt up when he's 2"!

I'm with you mamaduckbone My DS is 10 mo and only breastfeeds with a bit of cows milk in a beaker occasionally. I just went back to work last week. He seems fine without feeding during the day but as soon as I get home he clamps himself to the breast and then feeds quite a bit at night. But we co-sleep so it doesn't bother me too much. I am tired at work just now though...

I had a similar experience with DD when I went back to work around similar age. I stopped feeding her completely around 14 months so I guess the level of dependency on bf must change (if you want it to) after a while.

Mamaduckbone, I can totally sympathise . I went back to work when DS was 9mo and he upped his night feeds ridiculously for a while afterwards. It definitely calmed down after a few weeks, though he's still partial to his night feeds even now at 14mo .

When I get home from work he launches himself at me and says "boo" over and over again!

It's good to hear that it calms down, Kalikaroo...I'll be waiting for that then!
CoonRapids - did your dd instigate the weaning or did you? And did she just have cow's milk in a beaker then? I'm worried that because he doesn't have a bottle he won't get enough milk of any sort when he's not bfed, although I know the quantities go down after 12 months.

I would try feeding him when you get home from work to reconnect, incase it is an emotional thing for him? DS and I do this. It screws up dinner etc (I have to cook the night before because I run out of time in the evenings) but it is lovely and he sleeps well and doesn't look for extra feeds most of the time.

I tried that tonight logrrl so we'll see if tonight is any better.