Reducing feeds - how does supply work? Returning to full time work soon.

My DD is 16 months old next week and *still* feeds approximately 2 hourly. I'm going to be returning to work - full time in october but doing 4 hour shifts twice a week until then.

I just wondered, how can I go about reducing her feeds in the day time. I've stopped offering her boob, but will give her some if she asks for it - which she's very good at by the way, even states her preference for which side she wants at any given time :D

I hear about people getting their kids down to one feed a day etc, and wonder how this works with supply....... can you keep this up for significant periods of time? Doesn't your milk just go completely when you reduce the feeds? We can't wean completely - and not that I want to because i feel very strongly about continuing - because DD feeds to sleep and will not settle any other way than on boob.

Just wondering how other full time working mums manage?

Ta
Sue

It works - your supply goes down (of course) but it pretty much matches what they drink.
My DS was 10 months old, and on 7+ feeds a day when I went back to work.
There was always a big feeding frenzy when I got home, and there were many more night feeds than usual. He would still feed on demand on the weekends, and Mondays could be uncomfortable. He pretty much weaned a few months ago (at 3), though he still has a little "drink" every few days (there's no supply now).

The main thing is that you have to encourage other food and drinks - so trying things like "yoghurt first then boob" can help there.

all the best!

I went back to work when DS was 11 mnths and he was a very regular drinker. It was a consecutive 3 days. OH was looking after DS during these times and he just adjusted. He would continue to nurse as normal on the days I wasn't at work and then just have milk (not my choice I would have preferred water cause by then I wasn't able to express).

What happens now if you are not around for the day? you also mentioned she feeds to sleep... how many sleeps does she have now? maybe if she is having 2 sleeps cut it back to one so that it is easier for her carer to get her to sleep just the once.

I also think it's acceptable at this age to go from offering feeds to only feeding her when she asks... a bit like don't offer but don't refuse.

We fed right up until DS was 33 mnths. As he got older some days he wouldn't feed as much as others... often the extra feeding was due to oncoming sickness. My situation is a little different because I never went back full time and finished work when DS 15 mnths but the principles are the same.

[QUOTE=MummaSue;2882146]I hear about people getting their kids down to one feed a day etc, and wonder how this works with supply....... can you keep this up for significant periods of time? Doesn't your milk just go completely when you reduce the feeds? /QUOTE]

Your DD is not so not 16mths YET.....is she really :o

Im not a full time working mumma so I hope you dont mind my 2 cents about the dropping feeds. DD has 1 feed a day at 22 months and has been doing this for a couple of months at least. We have only fed off the right side for gosh, it must be about 6 months and my supply is still there. Enough for what DD is requesting anyway. There is very little in the left side but I can still get a drop or two out after all that time (and it is NEVER used). From my understanding milk doesnt completely go (except under exceptional circumstances) whilst ever your DD is using it. :)

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Your DD is not so not 16mths YET.....is she really :o

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She most certainly is :o

Thanks so much for your responses girls, it's good to know what others have done. I was going to ring the ABA helpline but think that I'm right now after hearing what you guys have said.

Sue, my DD was down to two bfs a day only a few months older than your DD (I worked at least one day a week away from her). She continued on those two bfs until she was three, when I cut out the night time one. She still bf once a day until a couple of weeks before she turned four!

So you can certainly cut back to fewer feeds and still bf. It's more about how committed your DD is to holding on to what's still on offer!

My DD has been on one feed a day (to bed) for ages (maybe 6months now?), occasionally will have an extra one if I need a bit of an afternoon rest or she gets hurt/upset but for the most part it is just to sleep (she doesn't nap anymore). Supply still there, even being 17 weeks pregnant so definitely able to continue with a small number of feeds! Was actually kinda hoping being pregnant would motivate her to drop breastfeeding all together but she loves her milkies haha.

I still need to reply here but i read this blog and thought you might like it Working doesn

Thanks for that.

I don't need to worry about child care taking over anything because DD is going to be home with DH - he's taken a year off to be with her.

I guess I just wondered how the supply thing worked, and to be honest, she still feeds at least 3 hourly overnight and I don't see that changing so I guess my supply will be fine :D I'm also planning on expressing at least once a day when I am at work - just so that she does get some breast milk in the day time. There's no need for her to have cows milk when I have plenty in that department :)

Thanks everyone!