Reducing The Number Breastfeeds - What To Think About

There are so many reasons you might be considering reducing breastfeeds with your baby.

Some of the common reasons are; when your baby is eating more food, to return to work, introducing some regular bottle feeds, working towards stopping breastfeeding. Stopping or reducing breastfeeds can be a tough choice, there are many emotions caught up in feeding your baby so it isn’t something to rush into. Think about your options and seek support if you need it. For example women can feel they need to stop feeding due to medication or medical conditions. But there is a wonderful organisation called Drugs in Breastmilk who can help you with expert information on your medication.

Whatever your reasons it is usually best to reduce feeds gradually. Your body has adapted to the feeds you give your baby in terms of the amount of milk and the frequency you normally feed at. You notice this when your baby has a slightly longer sleep and are aware of the discomfort that comes when your breasts fill up in preparation for the ‘normal’ feed time.

When you want to cut out one feed you can just stop that feed, or if you baby is still feeding frequently and a bit randomly, reduce by a feed in 24 hours. Remember that if you replace that breastfeed with a formula feed your baby might feel fuller for longer as formula takes longer to digest and your baby might not breastfeed until a little later. This might lead to you feeling full in your breasts which can be uncomfortable.

E.g. Usual feed times are 8am, 10am, 12pm. You breastfeed at 8am, formula at 10am, your baby might not be hungry again until 12.30 or 1pm. Instead of a 2 hourly breastfeed it is now 5 hours.

Your body needs time to adapt to these changes in feeding patterns. When your baby makes changes they usually do it fairly gradually with feeds spacing out a little bit. Some do make big changes to sleep time and up the hours they sleep which can also need some management.

If your body is producing milk for feeds that don’t happen, your breasts can fill up, becoming engorged. This can cause discomfort for you and might make it harder for your baby to latch as the breast is now hard rather than slightly softer.

To ease this discomfort it might be necessary to express a little milk. This is usually best done by hand expressing, just the amount need to ease the discomfort. Don’t forget if you pump to empty the breast, your body thinks that milk was needed and will continue to produce it. Sometimes a warm or cold compress on the breast can help ease engorgement as well.

When you are in this situation – skipping feeds and breasts becoming engorged – it is possible that you can get blocked milk ducts which can lead to pain and infections. To minimise the chances of this happening it is recommended that you reduce one feed every 3 days to allow the body to adjust. So if you are reducing several feeds, for example, daytime feeds for a return to work, you need to plan for this to happen over a couple of weeks.

If you will be replacing breastfeeds with expressed milk you will need to consider a pumping/feeding schedule considering whether you can pump at your ‘normal’ feed times. Timings might be adjusted if you are pumping at work or because you are away from your baby for a period. As above, manage any discomfort or engorgement and be aware if the number of feeds/pumps or the amount of milk you are pumping change.

Depending on the age of your baby you might consider whether you want to switch to a bottle or cup for milk feeds. For babies under 12 months milk is still a significant part of their diet and your baby will need breastmilk or formula throughout the day (and night!). It is recommended that babies switch from bottles to cups around 12 months so if your baby is close to this age you might prefer to just start with cups rather than trying to introduce a bottle only to phase it out a month or two later. Babies will be used to drinking water from a cup so this might be an easier route if your baby isn’t used to using a bottle.

Making that transition away from the breast to a cup or a bottle can sometimes be a challenge. There are lots of things you can try if you are struggling. You might try different cups or bottles, make sure the feed is paced for your baby to control, you might need to go out. Not just stand on the other side of the door, go out of the house and let someone else feed. Try the bottle or cup at a time when your baby isn’t too hungry, sleepy or upset. In those cases they just want a breastfeed and offering milk in a bottle might not be the answer.

This is very much a generalised overview. If you are planning to reduce a few feeds it is worth having a chat with a feeding specialist. This could be the National Breastfeeding Helpline or your local feeding support group.

Reducing feeds for any reason can come with mixed emotions. Even if you actively ‘want’ to reduce feeds (rather than circumstances making it needed) it can still leave some very mixed feelings. Be kind to yourself, look after yourself mentally as well as physically and if you need some support reach out to feeding support groups, your health visitor or the National Breastfeeding Helpline as above.

And one piece of advice I remember from when my baby’s were tiny was ‘never give up breastfeeding on a bad day’. We all have challenging times but if you are going to stop, make that decision from a good place.

Beth x