Am I giving her too much food? DD refusing breast!

[Dreemagurl]

DD (6 mo) has twice refused the breast today and I am incredibly engorged and frustrated. She is having 3 meals a day, sort of self feeding with a bit of help. She had bf at half 7 this morning, breakfast of crumpet and strawberries with an Ella's kitchen pouch (fruit purée) at 9, then had a tiny bf at 12-ish, lunch at half 1 of some chicken and another pouch of purée vegetables. She refused breast just now (3.45) and I'm wondering if I should cut back in the food so that she takes more bm? Really confused about the whole weaning thing, no idea if I'm doing it right, and worried that she's getting all the wrong calories and no nutrients from bm. Or will she just make up for it tonight? ( she usually has 2 feeds at night anyway). Please help, really not sure what to do! TIA

No Dreemagurl, it is normal for babies to want less milk when they start weaning (that's sort of the point!)

DD's doing nothing wrong, you're doing nothing wrong - if she's happily eating the food you're giving her then carry on. She can't get 'wrong' calories from normal food, and she will get all the nutrients she needs provided you offer her a healthy balanced diet alongside the BM that she does take :)

Your milk supply should settle as her feeding pattern changes.

It all sounds good to me!

Thanks Flisspaps - obviously I know they start having less milk, just didn't expect it to be so much so soon! After a rocky start with bf, was just starting to really enjoy it, and now feeling a bit sad that the end's in sight. :( Silly really! But thanks for your reply, very reassuring. :)

Some take to it quicker and some like my son are still having massive of bm for months after weaning. Just follow her lead, offer food and milk regularly.

You might want to express if she has cut down very suddenly as some women get mastitis in this situation.

Thanks Albrecht, had to earlier after a leaking incident followed by breast refusal!

When did you start weaning OP? It is normal for babies to start replacing milk with food but at six months it should still really be about experiencing new tastes and textures while receiving the majority of their calories from BM.

If you feel solids are replacing too much of her milk, (and it sounds like they might be if you are engorged) there is no harm in cutting back a little. And taking it slowly.

We've been doing a bit of BLW from about 5.5 months when she started showing an interest in food, but only started really giving her more and having set meals since 26 weeks. She did wake for 3 long feeds last night so I've cut back on solids today to see how it goes. Thanks for your reply Mummyberry, that's kind of what I thought and why I was worried.

Good luck

DS had a point where he was less interested in the breast and more into food - he was also cutting a tooth at that point. A week or two later he got a cold and refused food for a couple of days - now he's back into it. I find it peaks and troughs, though now (9 months) I can't see myself stopping BF at a year - he's still way too keen. So the end might not be in sight at all!

That's very interesting blackcurrants, about an hour after my original post I noticed that her first tooth had just cut through the gum! She is definitely more interested in food rather than milk at the moment but I cut down on food yesterday and last night she had a mahoosive feed at 11pm and then went through till 5 which is brilliant for her! Thanks everyone for your replies, it's really helped :)