cutting out night feed and maintining your supply

[sunshine_sieben]

Hi,
DD is going o be 14 months on Sunday. At the moment she still has 1 night feed, usually between 12am-2am. I am thinking about cutting this out in the hope that she will stop waking up at other times. She's pretty good some nights, only waking for that one feed. Other nights she wakes every 2 hours. Mostly I just go in and pop the dummy in her mouth, help her lie down then leave. Most nights, I put her into her cot awake and she self-settles (never thought it would ever happen, but it did all of a sudden through no effort on my behalf!).
So I guess I'm hoping that if she knows that waking up at night doesn't mean a feed, she will eventually stop waking...
But, I am worried about my supply dropping too much. As it is, she's such a little busy body, that it is hard to hold her still long enough for a good feed. At the moment I feed her first thing in the morning when she's still sleepy and comes into my bed for a cuddle. Then I feed her before her nap, when she's tired. We lie in bed together. She doesn't go to sleep on the boob, but will snuggle after the feed and go to sleep. I feed her again when she wakes and is still a bit sleepy. Then I don't usually feed her again until bed time. Then the night feed. So that's 5 feeds a day.
She usually only has one side per feed and has been doing so since about 2 1/2 months. I used to have a huge supply but it has dropped a lot since DD moved into her own bed and we cut down on the night feeds and day sleeps.

So do you think that's enough for a 14 month old? Would it be alright to cut out that night feed? I don't want to risk her self weaning because my supply drops so low and she loose interest.
I usually give her a bottle of cow's milk in the afternoon. But only around 150ml. I have tried to offer the breast more often, but she only has a few sucks and then wants to run around. She's very active. I have sometimes been successful by sitting in front of the TV while feeding her and basically being a contortionistso she can watch while feeding. But it is extremely uncomfortable and just not nice. It doesn't feel right.

Thanks everyone for your input!
Saša

[Eugenia]

I'm no expert but 5 feeds seems plenty for a 14 month old. At this stage it's very normal for them to be interested in doing other things rather than stop and drink. Many other kids this age make do with just 1 or 2 feeds a day and your body should adapt to make just the right amount of milk she needs.

I had a lot of trouble when my DD was born as I was given some very bad advice saying I had a low supply. Even after I saw a IBCLC who confirmed there was nothing wrong with my supply I still took a long time to stop worrying about it. When DD weaned herself at 24 mnths and 2 weeks she was only down to 2 feeds a day and I had no trouble making just that amount of milk. I think the only reason my milk dried up fairly quickly afterwards was because I am pregnant. I only lasted a couple of months though, I have colostrum already and have that beautiful full boob look back . (Sorry, couldn't help myself as I've always had v small breasts)

Anyway what I was trying to say before I got sidetracked is that as long as you take it slow your supply should drop only enough so that you are still making all the milk she needs but you won't still have that overfull feeling or be spouting milk everywhere. Oh yeah, since we cut out all the night feeds for DD my boobies were flat and really empty feeling and yet I was still making all the milk she needed (about 4 or 5 feeds a day at that stage) so don't get fooled by what it all looks or feels like.

Good luck and don't worry too much.

[Willow]

5 feeds a day is plenty for a 14 month old, I know 15 month old twins who are only having 2 a day - one on waking and another before bed time.

Your supply will adjust to meet her day feeds if you want to cut the night feed out. I think at 14 months, that's very reasonable. You might even find she's a bit more interested during the day.

[Je$$_84]

Just wanted to post and say YAY On the Booby feeding at 14 months and still going... Thats AWESOME... were approaching only our 2nd months with DD. Bit worried as i only lasted til 3months with DS. I'm hoping to still be feeding in 6 months when i return to work... little goals for now.

Good luck

[sunshine_sieben]

Je$$_84, thanks for the encouragement. I hope you get to feed for as long as you and your DD enjoy it.
Eugenia & Willow, thanks for your posts. There is not all that much info out there on BFing beyond the first year, so I just wasn't sure...
So, if some wonderful mums feed into the second year but only twice a day, do they offer cow's milk on top of it. Or is booby milk still the only milk DD needs, even if it's only twice a day?

I'm not one to worry about my supply usually, having developed good trust in the supply and demand function. It's just that I'm not all that sure anymore whether she jsut sucks a little for comfort or actually gets some milk out.
I can't pump much anymore. But that is no surprise. Before her first birthday I had to pump for a couple of days because of a cracked nipple. The first time I got hardly anything. Then I realised that a little massage got things going and ended up getting around 1/2 litre per day from one side only. My boobs had already settled down to being really soft and feeling empty all the time by then. So I was very surprised that I was making almost a litre a day... but that was before cutting out the numerous night feeds.
I've never been one to feel let-down, so it is a little confusing, not being sure whether she's sucking effectively or just using me as a dummy....
But usually, when she's had enough, she pulls off and asks for her dummy (when I feed her before a nap), so there must be a difference for her between boobs and dummies....???

Saša

[Eugenia]

DD was not too fond of cow's milk while she had the boob but she loves it now. Back then I made sure she had yoghurt and cheese during the day so she would have enough calcium.

I never was good at getting much milk out with a pump so I don't know about that. I used to pump for 20 to 30 mins on each side just to get 50 mLs from one side and 80 from the other, and this was at the beginning when my breasts were full!

I know I used to hear DD swallowing so I knew when she was drinking and when she was just sucking, but the sucking didn't bother me too much as it was a great excuse for me to get off my feet for a little while. If you can't hear the swallowing have a look at her throat to see if you can see it. Other than that I wouldn't worry too much, just enjoy the journey while it lasts. I was surprised at just how much I missed my bf cuddles.

PS Good luck Je$$ with your bf. If you run into any trouble don't hesitate to ask for help. The ABA are very good or you could try an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, they are worth their weight in gold.