How much is enough at 9m? DD reducing BFs and I am paranoid... (sorry long and prob boring!)

[happypiglet]

DD is my third DC and all have been BF. I prob went thru this with the DSs but can't remember! DD is exclusively BF and has 3 solid meals a day. B'fast is hit and miss, lunch is a good meal and tea she always feeds to herself so can be a bit erractic. I have had so much conflicting advice. My HV said I should cut BFs to 2 per day (which I have ignored!). I have read in other places that she should have '4 goof BFs per day'. And others say '(solid) food is just for fun until one'! Here is the issue. She feeds well when she gets up and at bedtime from both sides (although she has a preference for my left boob)- prob 4-5 mins per side from let down. Then I offer 2 more BFs after her morning nap & pm nap. These vary. One of these is usually very little (today she took 1 min from right boob after let down) and the other OKish.
I don't feed her 'on demand' as she doesn't demand it in the day at all and I don't want her just relying on solids yet. Plus she doesn't drink much water yet.
So does this sound like enough to you? Should I just give up on one of the daytime feeds to avoid the angst! (and the biting!)
Thanks

[Sazisi]

I expect she's getting most of her nutritional needs met from her breakfast, lunch and dinner at this stage.
DD3 was only having one daytime bf at that age (late afternoon), a big bedtime feed, tiny bit when she woke in the night, and a feed in the morning; sounds pretty much the same, no? It sounds like you might as well drop one of the daytime feeds if she's not really going for it with gusto.. I'm absolutely not an expert in anything though so do what you think is right!

DD3 is my 3rd too, and I can never remember what the other two were like when it comes to stuff like this; in a couple of years I will be useless on the subject once again no doubt

[grouphug]

So she is having 4 breastfeeds. Mine is 8 months and has 5 feeds a day and will not take any water. I think the HV saying 2 per day is wrong and you a right to ignore this. I would keep doing what you are doing and make sure she has a calcium rich diet which I am sure you probably are.

[pulapula]

My DS is 10mo and i've just gone down to 2 feeds through my own choice as DS wasn't always that bothered - i went down to 3 feeds when he was 8mo.

My HV said to drop to 2 feeds anytime between 9mo and 1yo but its total quantity which is important not frequency. At nursery he refuses milk most times.

I think they need around 20oz a day. DS has 5oz on his cereal, a couple of yogurts (apparently there's 2oz in a little pot) so i reckon 2x5oz feeds (he's bf so i can't tell) should give him enough calcium.

If i were you i'd either carry on offering it, or drop the mid-morning one first which might encourage a good feed in the afternoon.

[flossish]

I'm mixed feeding DD so its all probably different but at 7 months she has 4 bottles daily, usually a couple of BF's overnight and also first thing in the morning.

[Klonky]

Right, found it! Ha ha - our DDs sound VERY similar! yes, I'm getting the biting and the indifference on the daytime feeds! I'm glad I'm not the only one who is totally confused!

As mine is still having a very hearty feed in the night, I'm thinking that maybe the mid-morning feed can go. She might actually eat some lunch then!