7month old feeding every couple of hours

[DorcasB]

I have always fed my 7 month old on demand and she still wants feeding every 2 to 2 1/2 hours during the day. Nights she feeds every 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Is this normal? A friend today suggested that it might be too much and I should try and space it out a bit more. I don't really like the idea of not feeding her when she asks to be fed though.
The problem is I am worried it is affecting weaning. She doesn't eat a great deal of solids- she's interested in trying the first mouthful but then has at most four spoonfuls, usually much less. I can't seem to get the timing of it right, for her to be hungry enough, but not so hungry she only wants milk, when I breastfeed so often.
I don't even know how much she takes when she breastfeeds- she never feeds for very long, but I'm not sure if she is ultra efficient or just snacking little and often? Sorry for the essay and thanks if you have got this far.

[TanteRose]

its normal - my DD fed every 2 to 3 hours, day and night for her first year.

they know what they want - its as much for hydration as well. And for comfort - which is JUST as important as feeding!

as for solids, just put a few things on her tray and let her feed herself. Breastmilk should be the main part of her nutrition for the first year, there is plenty of time for more food later.

she will naturally space out her feeds in time - however you should not deny her a feed if she wants it

[RitaMorgan]

I would say frequent feeds is normal and if you're happy with things as they are then carry on - once it stops working for you then change it.

A few mouthfulls of food sounds fine for 7 months - does she eat finger foods too? I always offered food an hour after a breastfeed.

[AngelDog]

It's usually only about 9 or 10 months that babies realise that food fills them up. Till then, solids are about feeding curiosity rather than feeding hunger IYSWIM. Lots of children refuse all solids till 8-10 months or much later - that's totally normal.

[DorcasB]

Its such a relief to read your replies thank you. I don't mind breastfeeding so often, although it is hard work her waking so much through the night, especially when most babies seem to be sleeping through with only a few wake ups by this point. I do wish she could sleep for longer stretches. But that's reassuring about the weaning. I have read though that they no longer get all the nutrition they need from breast milk, so they need to be getting it from solids which concerns me? I doubt that DD is getting much nutrition from food at the moment?

[AngelDog]

The WHO suggests that ideally children should get 50% of their nutrition from solids between 6 and 12 months, and two-thirds of their nutrition from solids between 12 and 24 months (0% of it from solids before 6 months).

They also recommend bf'ing 'frequently and on-demand' so it sounds like you're doing exactly as you should.

Kellymom has some good info & links about solids. AFAIK the only real issue is iron - iron stocks slowly start to dwindle from 6 months onwards. Kellymom has links on iron here.

There have been children who have existed perfectly healthily on only breastmilk for two years.

FWIW, DS was feeding at least every couple of hours in the day at 12 months (has been recently at 20 months but that's because he's teething) despite going great guns on solids right from starting at 6 months.

You could try the No-Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley if the nights bother you. It might or might not work. I used some of it with DS at that age (feeding 6 or 7 times a night) and it worked. I tried again when he was about 10 months old (3-5 feeds a night) and it didn't. From 13 months though he started waking just once a night at my bedtime (we co-sleep so I'd disturb him) without me doing anything.