Ellee, it is really confusing and stressful when things change and nearly all mums worry that their milk supply is to blame. The good news is that your supply is very unlikely to be the problem. You have been feeding for 8 months and milk just doesn't "dry up". This is a myth. Milk supply is driven by demand - as long as your DD is feeding, your breasts will make milk. Feeding less frequently will affect supply, and this is one of the problems with using formula.

Ellee, there are a few things that are NOT a sign of low supply. These include frequent feeding, not leaking and not getting much out when expressing. Frequent feeding can be a sign of many things - illness, growth spurt, anxiety, overtiredness, or maybe a tummy ache from the food - is there any history of food allergies or intolerances on either side of the family? Not leaking is a not a sign of anything, some mums leak and other don't, and sometimes mums do with one baby but not another. Not getting out much when expressing is just a sign that your body hasn't been tricked into thinking that a plastic pump is the same as a baby's mouth.

Another myth is that a baby drinking a full bottle is not getting enough breast milk. When a baby breast feeds, they need to suck to get the milk out. When they drink from a bottle the milk flows into their mouths and if they don't swallow they choke. So often babies will drink all the bottle even if they weren't hungry at all. If you think your DD is still hungry after a feed and won't take any more, you can try again in 20 - 30 minutes when your breasts will have refilled. If she really needs more she will drink it then.

It is also reassuring for many mums to know that they can tell that their baby is getting enough milk from the wet nappies. As long as the wee is coming out (at that age maybe 4 -5 wet nappies would be expected), then there is enough milk going in. Also, weight gain over a 3 - 4 period is another sign - at that age it is the breastmilk which is giving her the nutrition to grow, not the solids. It might not be a big gain at that age, but any gain is good.

Ellee, from what you have described, there could be a few causes for this unsettled behaviour. Certainly the solids is a possibility. It might be one particular food, or just the solids in general. Digesting food takes a while for a baby's body to get used to and can cause discomfort which is eased by sucking. Or sometimes there is an allergy or intolerance causing an issue. It could also be overtiredness - how was her sleeping during the day before this started happening? 40 mins sleep during the day would not be enough for most babies. It might be that she's so tired she doesn't know what to do and feeding is providing her comfort. Or it might just be a growth spurt - this is an age when many babies are getting ready to talk and walk, and sit and crawl if she's not doing that already. The rapid brain development needed to prepare for these milestones needs fuel - from milk - so many babies will go through a period around that age of feeding seemingly constantly. This is very normal and does pass (although it is very tiring for the poor mum!). There are a few other possibilities like the return of AF or pg too. Do any of these sound like they fit?

Often during these times, mums find that wearing their baby in a sling a lot can help. This helps with the comfort side of things so this can reduce the number of feeds the baby demands. Otherwise, frequent feeding until the demand slows down does seem to work well most of the time, as hard as that is for a while. Are you able to get any rest during the day at all?

Ellee, you are doing a fantastic job hun and have nothing to feel guilty about. Every mum finds it hard to figure out what is going on when the rules change. All you can do is the best you can. You are doing the best you can and doing a wonderful job for your little girl