different BF routine 3 days a week

[RRMum]

Hi everyone.  I've just transitioned out of pumping (i was way over it, and starting to resent it, and not getting much during pump sessions - probably becuase I was resenting it) in combination my DS (15 months) moved to a part of our day care that doesn't handle breast milk.  So on the 3 days a week he is in daycare he only BFs morning and bedtime.  On the other days he also nurses to sleep for nap time.  At first I tried to offer breastmilk at pick up time, but it seemed to really spoil his dinner and then he would wake up much earlier wanting milk.  Do I need to worry about supply issues on the 3 daycare days?  anyone dealt with different schedules on different days of the week before? if so what happened?  I don't want to push DS to wean early, but he doesn't seem the slightest bit phased by this.  Thanks for sharing.

[Anna Phor]

I quit pumping a year ago, and nurse morning evening and overnight on weekdays, and all day on weekends. My supply has been fine so far, BUT when I first quit pumping my son did nurse a lot at night (so maybe 6-8 times in a 24h period while I was at work for 9h, and then 8-10 times x day on weekends). If you are nursing 2x per day your situation may be different, not sure though!

[sunnygir1]

My ds is 2yo, and I've been working 3 days a week for quite a while.  When he was 15 months old I nursed him at pick up (because he wanted to, but if he didn't mention it I didn't either).  I have never had supply issues that I know of.  It is clear that he is getting milk -- and I am STARVING all the time, so I'm pretty sure I'm making plenty of it.

Now he still usually wants to nurse when I get home.  So, we nurse when he wakes up after 5am, usually another time before I leave at 9am, when I get home from work, and before or after dinner.  We don't nurse at bedtime anymore, and he is night weaned until 5am.

On the 4 days a week that I'm with him he nurses more frequently if he asks.  I try to keep each session a couple hours apart because I hate the feeling of him nursing on empty breasts.

I think at 15 months if you eat well and drink plenty of water and nurse on demand when you're with your lo your supply should be fine.

[RRMum]

Thanks Anna and sunnygirl!  This is really helpful, nursing has been erratic, but the no pumping is going fine and I don't seem to have any engorgement problems on work days, or supply problems when I am with DS.  Thanks for the reminder to drink lots of water - I needed it.

Cheers!