Confused about breastfeeding at six months +

[heles7]

My mum's been on at me today about how I have to try and get LO to drop his afternoon bf now he's being weaned. She never breastfed and hasn't got a clue so I'm taking the completely ignore her option but I realise that I don't really know what to expect or aim for over the coming months as I never thought we'd get this far!

Currently James is having a feed first thing and a small top up around 10am. He's then having an afternoon feed around 3pm although sometimes two smaller feeds throughout the afty and then again before bed and then a couple through the night which is a lot less than before solids.

I haven't really thought about self weaning that much but I don't feel like I want to stop yet. I go back to work when he's around 12 months and I wondon't want to be expressing so any day time BF's have to come to an end but I think I would be happy to continue offering bed time BF's.

What are my options? Will I need to give him formular for nursery after 12 months or is it okay for LO to have only a diet of solids/cows milk?

Stupid mothers got me all in a tizzy - I'd love any words of wisdom

 

[Bee]

Can't help much on the self weaning bit but just wanted to say that your LO can have cows milk from 12 months so that may solve your nursery/expressing problem if you don't want to express/breastfeed any more by that time

 

[charlie84]

As Bee said from 12 months LO can have cows milk so you dont have to worry about formula then.

I havent purposely dropped any feeds since weaning Calleigh. I have just continued to let her lead me with what feeds she wants.
She has settled down into a kinda rough pattern and she does have less but she has decided that.
This is how the day usually goes for us

7.30am - Breastfeed
9am - Breakfast
11.30am Breastfeed
1.30pm Lunch
3.30pm Breastfeed
5.45pm Tea
7pm Breastfeed then bed

she may choose to have little breastfeeds in between as snacks but not always.

If your happy to continue to feed then carry on hun, i am continuing till i return to work then she will only beable to have milk from me morn and night any milk in the day will be from a cup and will be formula as i am not going to express then.

 

[purple13]

As the others have said, cows milk is fine from 1 year, although there is absolutely no reason why you should stop bf-ing in the evening? It may be that your LO isn't psychologically ready to be weaned so that evening feed could be important to him.

I'm planning on letting Connor self-wean, which generally happens between the age of 18-24 months.

I think the reason that 6 months is touted as a target is because so few people bf beyond a few weeks in this country. I think if 2 years was heralded as the norm when mothers struggle at the start, then perhaps it would seem more unobtainable and cause more people to quit.

As far as the number of feeds go now, Connor still feeds as and when he feels like it. I've always fed him on demand and will continue to do so - as a general rule, he cluster feeds in the early morning, then has a feed mid-morning (pre-nap), then another after lunch (pre-nap) then cluster feeds in the evening. He tends to sneak in a few snacks here and there too though

Keep going for as long as you want hon, you're doing a sterling job

 

[clarey]

My mum's been on at me today about how I have to try and get LO to drop his afternoon bf now he's being weaned. She never breastfed and hasn't got a clue so I'm taking the completely ignore her option but I realise that I don't really know what to expect or aim for over the coming months as I never thought we'd get this far!

Currently James is having a feed first thing and a small top up around 10am. He's then having an afternoon feed around 3pm although sometimes two smaller feeds throughout the afty and then again before bed and then a couple through the night which is a lot less than before solids.

I haven't really thought about self weaning that much but I don't feel like I want to stop yet. I go back to work when he's around 12 months and I wondon't want to be expressing so any day time BF's have to come to an end but I think I would be happy to continue offering bed time BF's.

What are my options? Will I need to give him formular for nursery after 12 months or is it okay for LO to have only a diet of solids/cows milk?

Stupid mothers got me all in a tizzy - I'd love any words of wisdom

Thats more or less what we are doing now, dont know if its right though! I am just taking her lead really but the HV told me to try and get more calories into her during the day to drop the night feeds, its not made much difference so far but then i that was the time i was told to try giving her corned beef and i havent done!
the daytime feeds are getting shorter though, I have been contemplating giving her expressed milk in a sippy cup in the afternoon instead but im not in too much rush, i figure she will drop them eventually as she gets more into her solids

 

[heles7]

why on earth did they recommend giving your LO corned beef??? I love making corned beef hash but pretty sure the salt content would be off the scale and an absolute no no?!?!

 

[clarey]

I have nooooooo idea! Not what I would consider healthy and nutritious food for a 7 month old either, I have ignored the tip but enjoy telling the story to other horrified mummies
Can only think she thought it was an easy way to add meat and calories to Evas dinners, she does spend 80% of her time working with Mums in disadvantaged areas where maybe people dont eat well themselves, nevermind feed their kids well, but then when they are started on processed meats its no wonder lol, bring on the sausage rolls and chips

 

[heles7]

i meant to say thanks to you all earlier,

it's so reassuring to hear how you are going on!

 

[trixipaws]

do what u want honey- my mum's the opposite she BF me for 12 months and my lil sis for 18 months- never bottle-fed and is one of those who is really pro-BF and on her soap box about it! i think when i stopped BFing after 8 months (which i think is a decent amount of time!) she disapproved a bit!

but i must say one of my reasons for quitting BF was i went back to work after 8 months too- and its just too much hassle- i went home sick the first week with engorged boobs! u will kno when ur ready to stop. some folk stop within weeks, some BF beyond a year and love it- 8 months was about right for me. i wanted my bpdy back, and she had started pulling at my top which made me feel a bit uncomfortable.

at 12 months, cow's milk is fine. cows milk and solids are fine

 

[IsaB]

My mum's been on at me today about how I have to try and get LO to drop his afternoon bf now he's being weaned. She never breastfed and hasn't got a clue so I'm taking the completely ignore her option but I realise that I don't really know what to expect or aim for over the coming months as I never thought we'd get this far!

Currently James is having a feed first thing and a small top up around 10am. He's then having an afternoon feed around 3pm although sometimes two smaller feeds throughout the afty and then again before bed and then a couple through the night which is a lot less than before solids.

I haven't really thought about self weaning that much but I don't feel like I want to stop yet. I go back to work when he's around 12 months and I wondon't want to be expressing so any day time BF's have to come to an end but I think I would be happy to continue offering bed time BF's.

What are my options? Will I need to give him formular for nursery after 12 months or is it okay for LO to have only a diet of solids/cows milk?

Stupid mothers got me all in a tizzy - I'd love any words of wisdom

Thats more or less what we are doing now, dont know if its right though! I am just taking her lead really but the HV told me to try and get more calories into her during the day to drop the night feeds, its not made much difference so far but then i that was the time i was told to try giving her corned beef and i havent done!
the daytime feeds are getting shorter though, I have been contemplating giving her expressed milk in a sippy cup in the afternoon instead but im not in too much rush, i figure she will drop them eventually as she gets more into her solids

I'd have to agree with Clarey's HV on the more cals during the day thing (not the corned beef advice though! ) - if anything I'd be working to try and drop a night feed rather than a day one. I love your attitude toward your mother's advice though heles7 - a girl after my own heart! Just go with what feels right for you - your LO will probably start dropping feeds as he gets more sustenance from solids - only he knows how hungry he is.