Dropping feeds

[faille]

Can I have your experiences please of when your LO started dropping feeds after you started weaning?

For example, did they start gradually taking less of one particular feed / all their feeds or did they start refusing certain feeds etc?

Once they dropped a feed, did they want any more at any other feeds at all and how much did the timing of the other feeds change?

I'd like any experiences you've had please.


TIA x

 

[Lu28]

I think you know our story already but anyway! Aisling started dropping feeds coming up to 8 months. She used to have one first thing, 10.30am, 2.30pm, 5pm and 7pm. She wasn't bothered with the 10.30am unless I offered and if I did I found she messed about with that and the next one. Once I stopped offering, she wasn't bothered but feeds much better for the afternoon one. I don't bother offering the 5pm one either because it was just an excuse for her to nap on the boob

 

[faille]

Cheers hun x

So she still has first thing, 2.30pm then 7pm? or have the times changed at all? Does she feed for longer at any of them?

 

[Lu28]

The times are a bit fluid. The first is whenever she wakes up, any time between 6.30am and 8am usually. The second feed is after her lunchtime nap which may be later if she woke later in the morning so takes the nap later. Today for example she had it at 3.30pm. The last is always just after 7pm as part of the bedtime routine.

The morning and night ones are the same length they have always been and I'd say the mid afternoon one is also the same length as she used to have before solids were introduced.

 

[Blah11]

Amelie doesn't refuse them but she generally doesn't cry for a feed during the day anymore. She goes to nursery and quite happily goes from 5am to 4pm with no feed. I sometimes feed her at 4pm, sometimes I don't and she doesn't get another until bedtime at 7pm.
She didn't gradually drop them, for us she couldn't have any during the day because I had to work and she wouldn't take milk from a sippy cup or bottle. She doesn't feed any more at her sittings to make up for the dropped feeds, she just replaces them with a snack and water.


Oh and I forgot to say on the weekends she has a sneaky BF at about 10am and we have a nap in bed together

 

[faille]

Thanks girls

I'm just really confused about what to do.

Violet got into such a predictable routine with her bottles that I'd have one ready for when she was due so that she didn't have to sit crying ages for it.

She wanted feeding every 4hrs on the dot and I've kept to every 4hrs since birth and now I don't think she needs it so often. If I let it go past 4hrs, she won't cry for it, but then she doesn't refuse it if offered either.

However, she is taking less of every bottle offered. She's been having 4x8oz bottles as well as her food but this week she's only taking 6oz of all of them.

So, should I drop to 4x6oz or try to actually drop a feed? And if I drop a feed, do I offer 6oz (as that's all she's taking at the mo each time) or go back to 8oz??

I know she'll quite happily go more than 4hrs as yesterday she went from 8.30am - 2.30pm and only had one then because I offered it, thinking she'd "better have one as it's been 6hrs".

I know I've caused this myself by just giving her a bottle every 4hrs but I didn't wanna make her cry for ages waiting and now I don't know what to do

 

[Lu28]

I'd have been exactly the same if I was ffing, I wouldn't want her crying for it either... I'm guessing if she's not crying for it then maybe she doesn't need it? How about dropping one feed to start with and see how she does? Sorry I'm not much help!

 

[Blah11]

Can you tell if she's going to start crying but only at the fussy stage IYKWIM? Maybe you could wait until she starts fussing but not completely screaming before you offer her a feed? After a few days you'd be able to know what times she needs a bottle at and can have it ready for her before she needs it.

 

[mumtosam]

I'm in the same position as you faille. I keep offering Sam a bottle at the same times as I did before we started weaning as I am just used to doing so. I have noticed this week that he is not taking as much at each feeding though so think he could probably drop a feed now but not sure which one or how to go about it! I know that milk is a really important part of his diet so don't want him to not get enough. I'm hoping we will just naturally fall into a routine soon.

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

As you know Faille I am in the exact same position. I would do what Blah11 suggests BUT I just wouldn't know if the fussing was due to hunger! Sometimes she's tired, bored, frustrated at the same time as a feed is 'due' and that makes her fuss. I think it's going to be trial and error really. I've taken Ruby down to 6oz for 3 of her 5 bottles (one of these is a dreamfeed that I'm far from convinced she even needs anymore but that's another tread entirely)

 

[faille]

Thanks everyone.

I think I'm going to try what Blah suggested and just try and tell when she's hungry. It's going to be like having a newborn again

 

[Lu28]

Good luck!