Is this a normal feeding pattern for a seven month old?

[TribbleWithoutACause]

I just need a bit of reassurance.

DS is seven months and seems to be a bit of a boob monster. He's on solids and is having two good meals a day and we're going to be introducing breakfast soon. He normally has one feed in the night, then one waking up, one mid morning, lunch, one around about 2pm, one at 4pm and then one going to bed and then a dream feed.

Is this standard, I seem to be surrounded by Mums whose babies are on two to three feeds a day (similar ages).

[MumMichelle]

My daughter was still on 8 breast feeds (including 3 night feeds) until 8 months and at almost a year she was still on 5 breast feeds. She is now 15 months and has stopped breastfeeding. But she is drinking a whopping 32oz whole cows milk per day (4 or 5 bottles) and having 3 good solid meals. Some babies just really really love their milk! I was the same as you - I felt like I was feeding much more often than my friends, but it's what DD wanted so who was I to deny her? Hope this reassures you. If, however, you would like to try to cut down, then why not try going an extra 15 minutes between feeds each day for a week (say in the afternoon) to see if you can eventually cut one of them out. He'll still take all the milk he needs, but will just get more each time.

[DialsMavis]

DD is 7 months and dropped from about 6 feeds to 4 at 6 months. This week she is trying to drop down to 3. Are you happy to feed the way you are? If you are then there is no problem surely? it is free, good for him and easy.

[Wallace]

i'll try to count for you over the next 24 hours - ds is 7 months next week.

9pm - small breastfeed and went back to sleep.

[kimberlina]

DD who is 7 months would like to feed at 8am, 2pm, 8.30pm, 1am, 5am. Obviously this rather night heavy routine doesn't thrill me :) so I try to feed her a bit more often in the day - she rarely demands at all in the day - and then try to persuade her to have just one night feed.

So what I'm trying to say is we tend to do 8am, 1pm, 4pm, 8.30pm and 2am which doesn't seem that far off what you are doing.

Personally I'd rather feed a little more frequently in the day than some people and only have one night feed. I just have a sinking feeling that she will drop the night feed last!

[Paschaelina]

At 9 months we're down to 7am, 11am, 3pm, 7pm, 10.30pm. He's consolidated the 1pm and 4pm into one at 3pm but no sign of any other going yet. He is on 3 meals a day (well he's offered 3 a day , anyway )

[Wallace]

Woken and feeding again

[jandmmum]

DD was similar at 7 months and I got some stupid comment from HV at her assessment that she should be on 3 (despite being told not to try to night wean on previous visit as she wasn't gaining fast enough). she is 10 months now and has been down to 3 feeds for about a month. She is a real gannet though with her solids. on nursery days (3 per week) she has 2 breakfasts and 3 cooked meals and eats the lot. She's still tiny on the 9th centile. Think she has hollow legs.

[HarrietJones]

Hi tribble!

We are v similar to you although dd3 will miss a feed if we are out and she is distracted( baby group for example) but at home/ somewhere boring(sports day!) she will feed more.

Are you comparing to bf/BLW babies or bottle/purée babies as going by my baby group I think purée babies take less milk by now especially if they started at 4m. One baby doesn't have milk in the day but mum is constantly feeding her purée/yoghurt.

[Wallace]

At least 3 feeds last night, plus one at 7am. Still asleep though :)

[TribbleWithoutACause]

Thank you, that makes me feel a lot better.

HJ Actually we seem to have gone from BLW to a bit of a mixed approached these days with DS, he couldn't seem to get food in him fast enough. Although now we seem to be going in the other direction again, .

I know it seems silly but I feel insecure and slightly freakish when everyone around me is going 'I'm only doing 2-3 feeds a day, isn't that brilliant' and theres me feeding the milk monster yet again.

I am happy to continue on as we're doing and if I'm honest I'd rather have him feeding loads during the day than at night.

[HarrietJones]

Think we said before though that bf is much easier than weaning!

[Zimm]

My DD was on about 7 feeds in 24 hours at that age. At 10 months he is now on 5/6.....I'm not even a bit worried. Milk is bets for her and I think people over-wean in the UK due to pressure from baby food makers/stupid HVs.

[Wallace]

Straight after the school run today I went to a friend's house for a cuppa. Ds was getting grumpy then so I tried to feed him a couple of times but he was too distracted. He was really just tired and fell asleep on way home in pushchair :)

[TheSnickeringFox]

I have no idea how often my 7.5mo feeds....I've never kept count! But I'm betting it's more than yours :)

I'm interested now, will try counting and report back. He's had 3 since waking.

[Wallace]

Fed again about 12.30

[Wallace]

Me neither - interesting to take note though!

[Wallace]

I think I fed him somewhere about 3ish, again at 6, tthen loads in evening. Was a really crap evening as he fell asleep on way back fro kids' swimming lessons then didn't settle til almost 11...

So in 24hrs (starting 9m Thurs) that was:

9pm bf
10.15pm bf
nightime bf
nighttimebf
nighttime bf
7am bf
10am bf(but not really interested just tired)
BLW lunch
12.30 bf
3pm bf
6pm bf
And a few more bf before 9.

HTH :)

[Wallace]

Forgot BLW supper around 5.30 :)

[TheSnickeringFox]

Ok I reckon I fed 7 times yesterday daytime. Plus gawd knows how many times at night (rough night!)