When to switch to giving first BF of day AFTER breakfast

[Taurean]

Hi Girls

DD and I are gradually weaning (I feel a bit of this and a bit of this but that's a whole other thread!) and I'm wondering when I need to switch to giving her solids before her first breastfeed of the day.

At the moment, I give DD her first BF when she wakes up then within the hour, I give her breakfast (usually cereal and fruit, sometimes toast with avocado or some other spread). Lately she's a bit more restless on the breast and I know my supply has dropped in both sides, but a lot in one side in particular (as we are down to two BF a day now). Should I give her solids first when she wakes then a BF a bit later or is there no need to do that, should I just continue what we are doing until we are ready to fully wean?

I hope that makes sense!

[wysiwyg]

Hi, My DD is a few months older than yours and we do the same as you, first BF when she wakes (normally in bed with me) and then breakfast. Her next BF is then when she goes down for bed at about 6:30pm. I like to give the BF before breakfast because she is less distracted then and so sucks for a good length of time (sometimes even doses back off so we get an extra snooze together). If I tried after breakfast is likely to be a shorter feed as is more distracted and ready to be playing, the fact she has had a BF doesn't seem to affect her appetite for breakfast at all.

[Jas]

Hi,

I have pretty much completely weaned now. Just after 12 months ds dropped his afternoon feed and went to 1 feed perday which was his breakfast feed. Just after 13months I just didn't offer him the breast one morning and went from there, I would feed him when he asked for it, which he did every few days and but otherwise he would just have solids for breakfast. He then changed to asking about once a week for a feed and he hasn't had a feed for about 2weeks now and I don't have anything to offer him really cause last feed he had I could tell there was nothing and he only took each side for a second each.

The point of that long story is I never switched to solids before breast feed. I liked feeding him in bed and giving myself a bit longer to wake up lol

[MantaRay]

Hun, I think sometimes we make things more complicated than they need to be. At around 12 months food becomes the main nutrition source, so many mums choose to offer solids first at around this time. Other mums have already switched before then, others continue to breastfeed first. Sometimes mums do different things on different days. I don't think there is any "right" way to do it. Whatever works for you is the way to go. FWIW my boys had a breastfeed before solid breakfast until they weaned because it suited us both. They would usually come in to bed for their feed before we got up for the day. I think whatever you are doing, or want to do, will be just fine!

[Taurean]

Thanks so much for your thoughts girls.

MantaRay - I think you're right, we do make motherhood a lot more complicated than we need to! I've got the words of my MCHN at our 8 month checkup in my head....'Four breastfeeds still? No, she should only be having three a day and offer her solids first then her breastfeed'. I've chosen to ignore her advice (until recently) as she also told me it was a good time to start weaning and 8 months was a great effort despite me saying I was happy breastfeeding and not ready to wean .

I don't know why but her words have been playing in my mind, I've been questioning myself a bit lately. But after the comments from you girls, I'm going to continue doing what I'm doing. DD is very happy, healthy and settled into a beautiful routine she has created on her own. Why the hell would I want to mess with that?!

Thanks girls!