Normal for 6mth to 'go off' bf- once starts food??

[kirstykoo]

Hi everyone
My 6 month old started food and seems to LOVE it. No problem there. However I am struggling with the 'routine' of how often to breast feed, and food feed. There is an additional problem that she is now distracted, and wriggles lots when it is time to breast feed, so she rarely empties my boobs.
Beforehand she woke just once a night, now it is every 2 hours and it is KILLING me.
Last week I got mastitis for the first time, which I think maybe related.
Oh in addition- we now live in Italy- it is REALLY hot here, so it is all the more important she bfs regularly in the daytime.
So what do I do? Do I up the food? Up the feeds? I would love to have the energy to pump my milk instead, but not sure I am up to it (she is baby number 2, and the lack of sleep is having an effect.)
I am on the verge of stopping breast feeding, but had wanted to do a year.

Does anyone have any advice please....
Thanks

It is normal ours is the same. They still need at least 500ml of milk at that age in addition to food, be it formula or breast milk. We try to give milk before food so he doesnt fill up on food, but sometimes he gets so excited we have to give a part feed, then try with milk again when he's not so hungry. We dont increase the amount of food offered unless he's drinking more than 500ml of milk. Dont feel guilty if you have to give up breastfeeding youve done fantastically to get so far. We combination feed at this time due to nursing problems and it has massively decreased our stress and we have a happier baby. Good luck with the sleep xx

I recall 6-8 months being a bit of a weird time with feeding (both breast and solids)

The development of your baby increases (rolling, crawling etc); therefore 'things' are more interesting than boobie! And when they do eventually latch, they're on/off or pissing about Normally in the middle of a cafe so you flash an eyeful to the nice man drinking his afternoon latte!

I found taking dd to a quiet darkish room (normally my bedroom) to feed during the day. Lying down too, so she was comfy. If out and about I'd fine a coffee shop and corner of it and face her towards the wall so she couldn't get distracted; it sometimes worked.

I also just offered it all of the time. She would be off playing and just 'forget' to have milk. As much as I'm a believer of on demand feeding, dd would be genuinely hungry/thirsty but would forget she'd need to stop to have milk.

DD too increased milk feeds at night and I'm sorry to say it hasn't improved really. She is 12 months old now and her milk feeds are still every 3 hours at night (but can go all day without ) and she eats like horse too. I'm just riding it out (haven't got the added pressure of a 2nd dc like you) but it is hard sometimes when you need to function the next day having had yet another night of broken sleep.

Hope some of this advice helps, hopefully others might be along to add some more tips!

Forgot to add the bit about solids.

I agree with other poster about making milk main source of food, so milk first, then offer solids. Just have them with you when you eat and go from there. Obviously milk is more calorific than the veg he is probably eating at this early stage of weaning.

Thanks SO SO much for your comments everyone- you are really kind. It has really helped. Although it is my 2nd, the challenges are so different to first time, so it helps alot.
I'm only sorry GodisaDJ you are still up every few hours....fast forward 6 months, and I might too be in the same position.
All the best to you all and sincerest thanks again