Hi,

Those first early weeks of starting solids can really be confusing. "We" have often pinned so much hop on the experience. Breastfeeding can feel like a big responsibility, and we are keen to move onto the next stage and we hope that the introduction of solids will make our workload easier. It's often a big letdown. Early solids make just about no difference to their milk intake or sleeping patterns, and may even cause extra problems as their systems adjust.
I wanted to tell you a story about breastfeeding my first child (the experimental model!) At 3 mnths due to "poor weightgain" he was virtually entirely on formula - well the amount of formula he took far outstripped the amount of milk I now know babies to take! By 6mnths he was back on the breast, with solids. By 8mnths I tearfully went to my health nurse to tell her I was "over" the expressing and topping up. And he was refusing the breast anyway. It was actually about this time of the year and I was working fulltime. She suggested I give him extra food and drink, stopped the expressing and make it through to the end of the school year, then I could breastfeed him through the hols and then he'd be 10 mnths old and he could go on cow's milk - no need to reintroduce formula (the advice about when to start cows milk has changed since then!) It made sense, so I plugged away, even though he was *really* fussy at the breast, never slept except on my boob. Anyhow, long story short, I fed that baby until he was 4 and a half years old! I never thought I would breastfeed him past 6 weeks, let alone 6 mnths. I bless that nurse for giving me the encouragement to hang in there a little longer. After 12mnths Zac took over, he learned to love the breast and gently coached me into being a longterm breastfeeder.
You guys have done a fabulous job. If it all ends now, you have just done a fabulous job. But it's not over til it's over!
Barb