BF'ing mums who've expressed when weaning

[Sherlock]

Galen is 4 months tomorrow. BF'ing is going great and I've no plans to wean until 6 months unless he really needs it. Atm is doing just fine and when last weighed 2 weeks ago was 16lb 9ozs

Anyways, dilemma of sorts. I plan to BF past 6 months along with weaning. But I don't really want to express feeds then. I'd rather keep going with my boobs.

Question is, how much were your LO's feeding from you when doing BLW or weaning from 6 months onwards. Did the BF'ing drop dramatically or gradually. I ask as I think I am going to sell my electric pump (its seen no use in weeks now) and try to get by just on my boobs until he weans himself off them. Is this realistic? Or should I keep it as it may see some use. I'd rather not get LO on to an EBM bottle as I hope to go straight to a first feeder cup and skip the whole bottle thing if possible when weaning. I can express manually maybe or use a hand pump for occasional feeds.

We have the odd night out planned but LO would be fed and settled before we go and all being well will still be sleeping through so won't need a feed till morning then.

Any suggestions or thoughts?

Thanks.

 

[valentine]

Hi Sherlock,

Its a personal choice. I did, not for leaving DD for the odd evening, but I expressed a couple of ounces every morning from 6 months to 9 1/2 months for mixing with DD's porridge as I wanted her to have my milk on her breakfast to begin with but, apart from the odd childminding/babysitting session (rare for us), thats the only time I used expressed milk and it was fine doing this manually (with manual pump) as it was only a couple of ounces a day.

If DD woke up in the evening after 6 months, I rarely fed her (she rarely woke up anyway and has never woken overnight 10pm onwards since she was 7 months old ), we would just resettle her or offer a drink of water. Therefore there's no reason why the odd babysitter couldn't do the same.

Once DD was on 3 meals a day plus fruit/yoghurt for pudding at around 7 months, I was down to 4 feeds a day - one in the morning on waking, one mid morning snack, one afternoon snack and one pre-bedtime feed. This dropped to 3 feeds at around 8/9 months when DD dropped the mid-morning breastfeed.

I lasted til a year when DD self-weaned on booby feeding alone (with solids from 6 months obviously). We used a sippy cup for water from 6 months and a non-drop sippy cup (not my ideal, but to differentiate it from water sippy cup) for cows milk from 12 months. It definitely is possible.

16lb 9oz!! My DD weighed that at about 10 months! He's so big and healthy Sherlock, you must be so proud of him.

I hope this is helpful. I'm not really clear what your dilema is but if its getting rid of the pump then go for it, it shouldn't be a problem. I only expressed every day 'cos I was anal about LO drinking only breast milk and introducing cows milk in cereal a bit later (not sure why now, maybe just wanted her to get as much booby juice as possible!) - just do what makes you and Galen happy and your lives easier.

Valentine Xxx

 

[Melanie]

Thea only had breast milk until she was 18 months and i rarely expressed any once she was on solids after 6 months. When i did express i found it easier to hand express then for some reason. I seemed to get more that way than with a pump.
Once Thea was fairly well established with soilds (about 8 months) i found that she gradually dropped her feeds herself. I never needed to give her a bottle (good job as she wouldnt have it anyway!).

 

[-Kelly-]

I started weaning Oliver a week before he was 6 months and he's still on at least 8 feeds a day, so he's dropping them very gradually - it's tended to be shorter feeds rather than less at the moment. I do express, but only for using in sauces/porridge and putting on cereal and I do that by hand. There's no reason at all why you can't get rid of your pump and just use boobs if that's what you want to, Oliver has never had a bottle and probably won't now - he'll continue BFing until he self weans and drinks water from a cup.

 

[Squiglet]

I only express for work and on the weekends I don't bother... If I was a SAHM I'd never bother expressing... I hate it.

I don't think lil miss has actually reduced her feeds... she still has around 8 or 9 feeds a day and some are really long and she has 3 meals a day, one with dessert and 2 snack times. Shes a true booby monster But I think half her issue is that shes a bog hungry baby but is constantly sick so needs to keep filling up.

Lil miss doesn't have formula at all... she has breast milk on her cereal and the only cows milk she has had was when I made cauliflower and cheese sauce. I was afraid the breast milk might curdle and I would have been so annoyed if I'd have wasted breast milk... so I used ordinary cows milk.

tbh your boobs alone will be fine

 

[Sherlock]

Thanks ladies

He's doing so well on breastmilk alone. 4 months old today and weighed in at 17lb 6ozs! He's staying nicely on the 75th centile, having been on the 91st at birth and for a fair few weeks afterwards. HV was really impressed and said I must have some great booby milk

I think I'll sell the electric pump as I've not used it in weeks and don't like or need to use it now. I really want to manage on giving Galen his feeds from my boobs rather than expressing. Even if it means he still feeds a fair bit, its the one thing I was determind to do for him for as long as he wanted it. If I do need to express the odd feed past 6 months then I shall do so by hand. Same for it I want milk to mix in with his foods when weaning.

I hope to do BLW and as said, use a feeder cup of some sort rather than a bottle for water etc. And all being well nightfeeds will be well and truly past by 6 months. He's not had one in over a week now anyways. I just hope breastmilk is enough for him for the next two months. He is such a big lad and soooo active and strong. Into everything. I hope it contines to give him enough energy and to gain weight well.

Squiglet, I worry he'll still feed lots even when weaning. Like Lil miss, he is a boobie monster and feeds every 90 minutes to 2 hours in the day. But I figure he needs it so Am just hoping that he might drop a few feeds once weaning really starts

Once again, thanks for your input ladies Much appreciated.

 

[IsaB]

I'd rather not get LO on to an EBM bottle as I hope to go straight to a first feeder cup and skip the whole bottle thing if possible when weaning.

Just wondering if there's any reason why you couldn't/shouldn't give him EBM in a cup rather than bottle?

 

[Sherlock]

I'd rather not get LO on to an EBM bottle as I hope to go straight to a first feeder cup and skip the whole bottle thing if possible when weaning.

Just wondering if there's any reason why you couldn't/shouldn't give him EBM in a cup rather than bottle?

No reason at all I'd rather go cup than bottle any day. Don't like the whole bottle rot thing and also as I am not planning on introducing formula I don't see the point of bottles then.

I'd just rather he have my milk from me than in a cup is all. I'd prefer water in the cup and start how I hope to go on.