Interested to hear your advice as my health visiting team just seem to be not very clued up on breastfeeding beyond a few weeks.

Our little girl is 8 months old and enjoying 3 meals a day. She has been enthusiatic about solids for the last month or so and as a result is not too bothered about most milk feeds. I just don't know if I should be 'letting her' cut so much breast milk out at this stage as she's still 4 months away from being given any cows milk as a drink? I keep offering milk and sometimes she'll have a really long feed but mainly now just quick ones.

For example first thing in the morning I have always offered milk before her cereal but she really isn't that bothered and this morning I had a lie in and her dad gave her her breakfast so for the first time she started the day without a milk feed. Is that ok? is my milk going to dry up? I don't want it to as she will not drink from a bottle! i can get small amounts of water into her with a doidy cup but she isn't confident at this yet. she always has a breast feed before bed and i offer it throughout the day.

 Any advice?

 Kids do 'wean' themselves, in my experience anyway. You could try to get someone else to feed her from a bottle, they tend to o it best for anyone but mum! I understand you don't want to use cow's milk yet, but you can get follow on milk from any supermarket or Boots, or Spar, pretty much anywhere really. I liked doing this when my brf one moved on, as they have loads of vits and tho it wasn't told to me at the time, I have since been told I should have been giving the brf one vit D. With my first wasn't even told to take vit D in pregnancy, but apparently they tell you this now, and to take it if you breastfeed? Dunno, if I decide to ever have a third may find out lol! It can take a while to make changessome kids seem quicker than others, and it sound like yours is happy to take loads of good things with calcium and vits in, so I wouldn't worry

Thanks for your replies. Jodidi she prob has 3 feeds in the day and a couple at night. all quite short or interrupted by her coming off to 'chat' to me in between, she's very distractable and not that 'interested' in bfeeding anymore! I feel i have to offer rather than she asks as before.

when she is ill she feeds more and we have no sign of teeth yet.

Cheers.

I think breastmilk changes in properties as baby gets older- so the nutrients become more concentrated so your baby may be getting less but taking in enough nutrition. My daughter reduced her intake - but still put on weight, weed, pooed and did all the stuff babies should do so it made me feel I was doing something right, :)

Hi Ladymarm - how are you doing?

It's interesting reading your post as I'm wondering the same thing....although you're ahead of me. LO is just 6 months and we're struggling with night feeds. He wants to be fed every 2-3hrs during the night so HV said he needed solids. We've been giving him some solids now for almost 2 weeks but the sleep has not yet improved. Over the last 2 days he has not semmed to be drinking as much at his breastfeeds and I've noticed that my boobs don't feel that full anymore. Think maybe I'm giving him too much real food so he doesn't want as much milk. And only over the last few days have I thought that he nay be feeding in the night as a comfort - as he doesn't seem to be on that long anymore (up to 10mins whereas before it could be 30). Your situation sounds pretty normal to me as she is 8 months now. I think you can expect her to not want as many milk feeds now - as long as she's having some then she is probably getting enough. I'm worried though as my LO is only 6 months and I know he should be having more. Like you say...the HV are not great about breastfeeding issues. I too am worried that my milk is drying up! Let us know how you get on xx

(PS. I've noticed a BIG change in nappies - he has gone 3 days without having a poo since starting solids. He's not constipated though as when he did go it wasn't hard...but like an adult poo - is this normal?)