Will my milk dry up with only giving 1 feed.

[MalcolmsMiss]

Hi!

I've never posted here before, but right now I am needed some advice. I exclusively breast fed my DD for 6 months, and have recently started to introduce formula before bed, and at night. She is almost 7 months now. I wish to slowly wean her off, until we are only nursing once in the morning, and pumping once before bed.

Will my milk dry up if I do this? I love breast feeding, but have really hit a wall, and finding it almost claustrophobic at times. But I don't want our breast feeding relationship to end just yet, and would love to provide just 1 feed a day, and give ebm on other occasions, preferably until 12 months.

Anyone successfully feed once a day, continuously?

Thanks girls x

 

[missk1989]

I have heard many women manage to do this successfully.

 

[mia_leacey]

I have done this successfully but I know other women who haven't. I think the key is in reducing feeds very very gradually. We went down to 3 feeds a day (1 -2 at night) at 10 months. That was enforced as I went back to work. By 15 months LO had dropped to 2 per day 1 per night and at 18 months he was down to 1 per day, dropping his night feed at around 16-17 months, just as I was beginning to despair! So as you can see, it was a very gradual and for the most part baby led reduction.

I know women who have started the transition to bottles much sooner and not kept their milk once a day and imo 7 months is a little soon. You may find as your letdown slows and it's so much easier to drink from the bottle that LO starts refusing to work for your letdown at the breast leading you to think your supply is suffering which in turn would then cause your supply to suffer. Also it's much more difficult to express milk as LOs get older as the milk has become fattier. Again this could lead you to question your supply.

So it's not impossible. I'm testament to 1 feed a day working, but I just urge a note of caution. I think if you go down this road you have to be prepared for a possible earlier cessation to your bf journey than you'd hoped for.

Could one compromise be that LO drinks a formula feed from a sippy cup?

All my advice is purely anecdotal. Just based on what I know friends have experienced.
Good luck whatever you decide.

 

[capegirl7]

I breastfed my daughter for one feed a day from about 13 months until 15 months. And I definitely could have kept going. But I agree with pp, you have to gradually wean down. I went to three feeds a day then two for a while then just one and my supply was just fine for that one feed. But not sure I could have fed her more than once

 

[AC1987]

I'm down to about once to twice a day now, the rest is either pumped bf that I have in the freezer or formula.
So yes its possible But just do it slowly however your supply will obviously start to drop since its a gradual weaning.

 

[MalcolmsMiss]

Thanks girls, looks like slow and steady wins the race then

I'm definitely not ready for our relationship to end anytime soon, so I won't be taking that risk. I'll keep doing what I'm doing now for a month or so. At the moment I'm giving 2 out of 5 feeds as formula, so ill stick to that for a little while, and then introduce another bottle later.

X

 

[capegirl7]

Good luck

 

[JessPape]

We nurse once and day and have for the past month (daughters choice not mine), and my milk still hasn't dried up.