How much milk does my 15 month old need?

[*EJ*]

I have been breastfeeding my DS for 15 months. I actually have been thinking about weaning as i'm pregant but was still getting my head around HOW.

Last week i think my DS started showing me he had other ideas as he started biting me A bit upsetting to think this is the way it's going to end and it reallly hurt.

But it could be his way of telling me he's done and doesn't like my milk anymore and i think i will also take this as my way out.

My question is i'm pretty much only feeding him if he wakes during the night now and none at all during the day. He was having about 3 feeds during the day. As i've only ever breastfed i have no idea about 'amounts' he should be having. How much cows milk should i be offering him during the day now? I've been giving him about 50-100ml about 3 times a day does this sound sufficient?

Thanks ladies

[MantaRay]

Congratulations on your pg and well done - 15 months of bfing is a fantastic effort!

During pg, milk supply reduces. Some babies are happy to feed through this, however others decide to stop bfing at this time. Your little one might still keep going yet. With the biting, it is probably frustration at the reduced milk. Some things you can try are taking him straight off and saying no, or some mums find that gently pushing his mouth into your breast stops the biting and as it is unpleasant deters them from doing it again.

With regard to the amount of milk, there is really is no minimum amount of milk needed. Breastmilk is recommended for at least 2 years because of the immunological factors and range of nutrients. It surprises many people to know that it is not a good source of calcium. There is no need to replace breastmilk with any other milk. Many mums choose to introduce cows' milk to help meet the daily calcium requirements - which are 3 serves of calcium a day. However, it is quite possible to provide enough calcium without milk if you choose. Other dairy products such as cheese and yoghurt also are high in calcium, and there are many other sources - see this list: Vegetarian Network Victoria - Complete Nutrient Summary.

Actually, instead of there being a minimum amount of milk, the current dietary guidelines suggest no more than 3 cups of milk a day (up to 150ml in a cup) - so the amount you are giving him is right in line with that.

Good luck with it all, whichever way he goes!

[*EJ*]

Thanks MantaRay. I've decided i do want to wean him so i'm happy to do that now, i didn't expect him to take the lead though He's still happily having a feed when he wakes during the night and i'm happy to do that for a little while yet (as long as he doesn't bite).

Thanks for the reasurance on the quantity of milk, he's never had a lot of it until recently as he was having quite a few feeds but now i'm offering it as a 'drink' and thought it was a source of calcium (not as much as i thought obviously) but he does have cheese and yoghurt aswell.

I'll stick with what i'm doing for now and see how we go.

Thank you