Milk drying up

[Annasmum]

My DD is 8 months old and has been sleeping solidly for ages. In the last couple of days she won't have an afternoon sleep and has been waking of a night. I don't think I have as much milk as she needs as when I express I only get a small amount compared to what I used to get. I am happy to put her on formula, but what is the easiest way to do this? Another question is - I have changed her feeds so that she has solids first for lunch and dinner. What is a reasonable expection for solids, milk then sleep? I have been doing 7am milk, 7.30 solids, 9 sleep, 10.30 morning tea (fruit or biscuit), 11.30 solids, 12.30pm milk, 1.30pm sleep, 3.00 milk, 5.00 solids, 7.00 milk and then bed)

[draught]

THe amount that you are able to express is not an indication that your milk is drying up. While my DD2 was 10 months old I was expressing at work during the day and after 20 minutes was lucky to get 80mls whereas at 8 months I was expressing 150mls in the same time - but she was feeding fine, putting on weight etc. I am still feeding her twice a day now at 15 months and she is still getting milk, but I can't express any to speak of.

The drop in the amount you can express is more about your body adjusting to the amount she is taking, rather than your body dropping the amount it is giving her - if that makes sense?

At 8 months I wouldn't worry about putting her on formula to deal with the sleep issue - she is on solids and getting plenty of breast milk so that should be enough. The routine you have outlined sounds quite like the ones I fell into with my girls and it worked well. If it is the 1.30 sleep she is not going down for, maybe try to make it a bit later so that she is more ready for it. If she is having a 9.30 sleep I would aim for 2.30 for the second one and see how that goes.

If you are worried about her being hungry then filling her tummy with something like baby yoghurt or custard before she goes to bed can reassure you that she is not hungry. The sleep issue might just be a behavioural thing - my daughters have both gone through stages of waking more or less which in hindsight had nothing to do with food and a lot to do with other things going on. Teething can do it (Grrrr....) different weather, visitors, stress in the home.....the list goes on.

I am not anti-formula but my experience is that if you don't need it then it goes to waste - the tins only last 3 weeks and then you are meant to throw them out. (Of course if you want to wean that is a different story - then you need to start introducing bottles to replace breast feeds one by one.)

Hope some of that rambling helps!

[JanetF]

After you've bf for a while you can find that expressing is no longer possible. It works great for some of us and not for others. Breasts get very particular so the amount your daughter can consume is going to be vastly more than you can express. I feed a 2 yr old and can't express anything at all LOL. But I know he's getting heaps! :)

[wattle]

I started to wean ds at 8 months. I loved breastfeeding, but he was getting a bit frustrated with my milk taking a while to letdown. I introduced a bottle to see how he went and after getting used to the taste of formula he was much happier because it was instant. It's a personal choice, but I'm glad I tried all the options and let ds decide for himself.

For a while he just had a bedtime formula feed, and breast during the day. I would still feed him in the same chair, snuggled into me. We would then read together too, so really there was very little difference as far as the 'bonding' experience. Now hubby can also feed him, and his grandparents too, and they just adore it.

You'll probably get lots of different advice, so good luck in working out what's best for you and bub.

[Goosie22]

I agree with janet on the ammount you can express. It is not an indication of your supply. If you are set on weaning then :- Can the baby drink form a cup? then why not wean onto a cup and save yourself the work of bottles and weaning from them also? Drinking from bottles for extended lengths of time has been linked to Maloclussion and dental caries (incorrect positioning of teeth and holes):eek: and otitis media (ear infections)