Reducing BF at 7 months, any advice?

[dawnrise1]

Hello all. My Lo is 7 months, has been exclusively BF and has been on solids since 6 months. We still BF on demand and the problem I have is that I want to reduce daytime BF's in preparation for my return to work. The worry I have is that my LO has never took to a bottle, the only way he will take fluids is through a sippy or open cup and I am not sure of the best way to reduce feeds and to ensure he is having enough fluids throughout the day. Ideally I would like to stop BF by the time he is 10months old, really unsure how to go about it. I wonder if he will refuse a lot of liquid in day and make up for BF during the night etc, or will he adapt and start having daytime feeds of milk alongside solids, he still feeds on demand approx feed times are 8am, 11am, 2pm, 5pm and 7.30pm, 1am and we co-sleep after that so if he wakes he feeds any time from 1am-8am when he wakes for day, any advice appreciated. I would be happy to continue to BF at night in morning, if thats possible, but, it is the day that I want to reduce. Thanks ladies x

 

[DittyByrd]

If you are eliminating breastmilk from his diet at this age then you will have to supplement with formula during the day as LO is supposed to be on breastmilk/formula until one. I don't think you can expect him to fulfill his BFing needs overnight and rely on solids during the day. At this age solids are not the meal, they are fun and milk is the main nutrition.

And if you are stopping BFing at 10 mos, are you starting cow's milk early or doing formula?

Sorry if I am misunderstanding you. I just don't see a way to shift away from feeds during the day at his age unless you are supplementing with pumped milk or formula.

 

[dawnrise1]

sorry it wasn't clear, yes using formula instead of breastmilk during day, but, unsure how to drop feeds, he rejects a lot of formula and waits for me to feed him, thanks x

 

[DittyByrd]

If you aren't there, I am guessing he will take formula. My LO holds out for mommy all the time. I haven't been there, so I can't comment. Sorry.

 

[kitabird]

I'm in the same boat, I need to cut out the daytime breastfeeds before I go back to work. My LO used to take a bottle of formula but he went off it, so I gave up. It seemed a waste of time and money when I was battling to get an ounce into him! I think when I'm not there he'll have no choice but to take it though. At least, I hope so! He probably won't drink as much formula as he would have had breastmilk, but will make up for it when I'm home or with solids.
I've bought some new bottles to try (breastflow) and he seemed ok taking expressed milk from them, although still didn't drink a great deal. If your LO is happy with a sippy cup there's no reason he couldn't have his formula in that.
I'm holding off on starting the switch until maybe a month before I go back to work. Hopefully he'll be having fewer feeds as he gets older which will make it a bit easier.

 

[Rachel_C]

It's actually very common for older babies (e.g. 10 months) to go all day without milk and then just feed in the evenings, night and morning when their mum is there. At 10 months, he will probably be taking an okay amount of solids and yes, his biggest source of nutrition will still be milk but he can get that when you are there.

I wouldn't introduce a bottle after 4 months anyway, even if for expressed milk or formula. You can just give it in whatever cup he will take - better for teeth and easier to get rid of later. So can you try some expressed milk in a cup, if you would consider expressing for while you're at work, or some formula? Try different temperatures as he may not like certain things. You could try straw cups, open cups etc too.

I wouldn't expect LO to stop BF during the day NOW, but at 10 months things may be very different. A few months is a long time in terms of baby development At that age, it wouldn't worry me if LO was having water during the day, as long as he was getting enough fluids overall and breastmilk was freely available when you're there.

 

[dawnrise1]

Thank you all for your helpful advice

 

[tinytabby]

I gradually cut down bfs. LO would only take an oz of formula in the beginning (when she was about 7 months) but she slowly took to formula and we went at her pace. I offered the bottle first and then let her onto the breast when she refused the bottle. It took about 6 weeks to replace daytime feeds with formula. She now has 3 formula feeds of 5oz average each day. I still bf at night and first thing in the morning, although those feeds are decreasing now, I can see them ending soon.

You can just offer formula in a sippy cup if your LO doesn't like bottles. That will save you trouble weaning off the bottle in the future.