Q re: BF nearly 11mth old & expressing/supply issues

[zenifa]

Okay I have exclusively bf my nearly 11mth DD so its hard to know how much milk she is having. We usually have 3 large bf/day and usually a couple of smaller bf. She is demand fed, so I just give her boobie whenever she wants it. DD is having three solid meals/day plus water.
I really want to keep bf, but have recently started a part time job, so I am expressing and trying to leave 3 x 100ml bottles for her (to have between 7am and 4pm) 3 days per week.
I am finding that its harder to express, my supply may be diminishing, as its hard work to get the 300mls plus give her the feeds when I'm home. I feel like I'm expressing day and night to get this for her. She has been finishing the bottles and when I pick her up, she is clawing at me for boobie (despite having her solids and water plus the 3 bottles).

I don't want to give her cows milk til she's a year old, which is about 5 weeks away. What are the problems that can develop if she has it earlier? I really want to keep bf and expressing til I can replace the day feeds (when I'm working) with cows milk and keep bf morning/night, until she self weans.

My questions are
1. What are the best ways to improve/increase my supply (for the interim, month or so)?
2. Would it be better to have a hospital grade/hired electric breast pump ie are they more effective than my manual Avent ISIS?
3. What is the best way to wean her off bf during the day (whilst keeping the morning and evening bf), which I am planning to do in just over a month?

Thanks in advance!!

[the_queen]

1. Fenugreek, fennel tea, and getting bub to drain the breast as often as possible. When I was expressing for DD as well as feeding her, I'd express from one side while feeding from the other, it seemed to work better.

2. Yes, a hospital grade one probably would get more from you.

3. Can't help you with that one :)

Are you a member of the ABA? They can give you wonderful advice, even if you're not a member.


Re: the cows milk though, DD got put on formula full time at about 5 months old (long story) but at 9 months old she just refused to drink it anymore, and because she'd already had other dairy products without any reaction (yogurt, cheese, custard) the GP said she would be alright on cows milk for a drink. The main reason they tell us not to give it before 12 months is the possibily of allergies, and that it could upset their digestive system. Have you given her any other dairy products? Does she really need the bottles or could she have a big "meal" of yogurt and fruit instead? If it's stressing you out to keep expressing, then your supply could be low because of the stress (that's why I had to give up BFing altogether, I wish I'd known about fenugreek back then :() so perhaps you could just give her cows milk during the day and keep going with the morning and night BFs?
I'm sure Goosie will be along soon, she always has fabulous advice :D

[zenifa]

Thank you Queen - will try the ABA and the fenugreek/fennel.
I guess starting a new job/change in routine and having to express has been an extra demand on me the last week or so, so perhaps you are right, stress could be affecting my supply.
DD loves cheese, custard, but finds natural yoghurt/baby yoghurt too tart. I might start giving her a little cows milk w/ her cereal in the mornings and see how she goes with that.

[MamaSage]

Call the ABA. I have heard some things about expressing and the time it takes for a 'second letdown'. I don't know much about it, but there are tricks to expressing.

[draught]

Hi Zenifa
I work part time three days a week and was expressing at work to leave bottles for DD2 - it got harder and harder and was taking longer and longer to get less. At about the 11 1/2 month mark I decided to give it away and introduce milk on the days I wasn't home. She actually wasn't that interested in cow's milk at all - but with solids, yoghurt, cheese etc, didn't miss her bottle at all. I still fed her on the days I was home and my supply didn't seem to be affected. I eventually dropped the midday feed altogether about two months later and kept going with the evening and morning ones for a few more months.

So - based on my experience - if you have trouble with your supply for expressing, it doesn't mean that you have to introduce cow's milk, and it doesn't mean that you have to stop feeding. Not sure if that helps or not!

In terms of your specific questions - the other advice about increasing your supply is good, I have no idea about another pump....and for weaning off the midday feed I first of all changed our going to sleep routine (I had been feeding her to sleep) then started giving her a bit more lunch, offering her cow's milk in a cup, and putting her to bed - she didn't protest the missing feed at all from memory (I stressed a lot for nothing:rolleyes: ).