dd 8 mo - how often does yours bf ??

[spilla]

My dd is now 8 months old and I am still bf her at least 6 times a day and 2/3 times in the night!! Would like to give up bf but will not have any other form of milk by any other way - what do I do? Please help

[brusselsbeansprout]

Has she started solids yet?

[spilla]

Oh god yes - I forgot to say this. She has 3 meals a day.

[brusselsbeansprout]

Is it the night feeding that is the problem? If so, I would say, try to get her to eat more during the day so she is not so hungry in the night. Failing that, try to settle her in another way so she is going for longer in the night without feeds? Ds went for longer without feeds and when he did, I decided that yes, this meant he could go for that length of time without a feed and I didn't then go back to say, 3 feeds a night, when I knew (because he had shown me) that he could manage on two. I think this is all baby whisperer type thinking but it did work.

Would you want to keep b/f if there were fewer feeds? It does it get much, much easier when they cut down but of course, they are still getting the benefits.

[spilla]

brusselsbeansprout - i think it probably the night feed that are getting to me now.

A typical night - last feed 8.15pm (usually fells asleep at the breast) then off to bed at 8.30 ish
will sleep then until 12.15-12.30 has a feed and then wakes every 2 hours from then until morning, not always for a feed, just sometimes for reassurance I think. I am still only getting abour 4 hours a night and am absolutely exhausted I also have a 3 yo !! Help appreciated please

[mads1]

My dd is 8 1/2 months old. She's on 4 bfs aday - first thing in the morn (7am ish) 2.30 - 3pm and then at 5pm. the last one is only a small feed at bedtime to relax her.

She is also on 3 meals a day and these include yogurt, cheese and milk for the extra calcium etc.

Are you just exclusively bf?

[brusselsbeansprout]

I worked on the basis that ds was never going to say "actually mum, having a cuddle AND some milk is rubbish" and would always, always take breast milk if it were offered. If you get your favourite person and thing when you woke up in the night, it continues to be worth waking up for. Once we knew that ds could go with only one or two feeds, I would not offer him milk if he woke up at another time. This "no reward for waking up" approach worked well as they soon start to not bother waking up if there is nothing to be had. A dummy worked well for us for this phase. Also, your dp/dh going in may help as your dd will not smell milk on him and feel peckish.

[mads1]

Sorry, was typing mine while you had already replied!!

I agree. She might need to try and eat more during the day. Might need to cut down the milk a litlle during the day and increase the solids.

Does she have a varied diet? I found introducing desserts at tea with a tiny amount of sugar in them helped my dd because of the extra calories - as much as i didn't want to do this.

Try giving water in the night if you are confident that she has eaten enough during the day. This way she might realise that there is nothing to wake up for at nights.

[spilla]

She has feed at 7.30 am - breakfast at 9am - feed at 11am - lunch at 1pm - feed at 3pm - tea at 5pm (ish) - then feeds on and off until last feed at abour 8.15pm

When she has her measl I let her guide - I feed her until she clamps lips shut telling me she has had enough

[brusselsbeansprout]

I would agree, she could be filling up on milk.

[nanneh]

My DS was waking up several times a night too until he was about 10 months old. After I started solids at 6 months, he would still wake up 2 - 3 times a night for a breastfeed, but this would only be for a minute or two and then he would fall asleep again, so I knew that at 6 months it was not hunger that woke him, just habit.

What finally got him to sleep through was crawling ! I think he became so tired during the day and spent so much energy moving about that it was finally the key to sleeping through.

I also tried a very "nice" form of cc (I would only allow him to cry for a max. of five minutes for a total of 20 minutes, never any longer) when he was about 9 months old and that really helped with getting him to sleep without any need for rocking, etc. Also cc seemed to help with fewer wakings during the night beacuse he eventually learnt to comfort himself and hug his teddy bear, instead of me !

Luckily he has slept through since 10 months old, he is now 18 months and I still bf (by mutal consent !)

Sorry, this wasn't so much advice, more like give it a bit more time and he may just get so tired he will sleep through !!

[flossygogo]

my dd has exactly the same eating pattern in the day as yours but the last milk feed at bed time (7ish) is the last. I had a problem after teething where she got in the habbit of wanting a night feed at 12 and then 0300 to go back to sleep. Once I was sure that she was not teething any more i stopped these. Her dad goes in and settles her as she only wants milk if i do. We also just moved her to her own room (she is 8 1/2 months too) as I think we were disturbing her as she seems a much lighter sleeper at the mo. I agree that bf is a nice easy comfort for them but once they are on 3 meals etc they should be getting enough calories to see them through the night so a bit of reasuurance etc should be all that is needed in the night