If you breastfeed your 8 months old...

[onemumtwocountries]

... would you mind sharing your routine with me?

I can't work out how to move forward. DS is happy and chubby. Has taken to solids really well. His routine is as follows:

6-7am BF
8.30 up
10.30 breakfast/morning snack (fruit, toast)
11am nap
1-2pm BF
3.30pm nap
5pm BF
7pm dinner (what we have or similar)
8.30pm bedtime
Midnight-1am BF

My next step is replacing the 1pm BF with a solid lunch I guess.

Do I then need to drop the night feed? Bring it forward? I know a baby this age doesn't need to be fed in the night. I used to do a BF at 8.30 just before bed but this encouraged him to feed to sleep, and also it's too close to dinner. Perhaps I could get him up at 10.30-11 for a dream feed?

Any advice appreciated.

[TooMinty]

I can't remember the exact timings but I think our routine at that age was:
Bf
Breakfast
Nap
Bf
Lunch
Nap
Bf
Tea
Bf (down stairs in noisy bright room)
Bed
Night weaned so no feeds at night.
When he got to 12 months I gradually replaced each bf with a cup of milk or water and a snack.
I wouldn't bother with a dream feed at that age.

[onemumtwocountries]

Thanks Minty. He's soo nosy so feeding downstairs is quite difficult. But I can definitely try to feed him and keep him awake!

[nuttyslackster]

At same age:

7am BF
8am Breakfast
9am Nap
10.30am BF (offer but may not take it)
12pm Lunch
1.30pm Nap
3pm BF (offer but may not take it)
4.30 to 5pm Dinner
6.30pm BF
7pm Bed

Obviously some days vary.

I cut out the dream feed at 8 months (on basis DC was on 3 good meals a day). Happy days!

[TooMinty]

I used to work on the principle that if he was hungry then he'd give bf his full attention, if not then I'd just stop! Also seem to remember he was pretty efficient at feeding at that age, could probably do both sides in five minutes...

[onemumtwocountries]

That's very true!

[Smartiepants79]

If I remember right we were definately on 3 meals a day by that age. Milk offered after food and before a nap. 8 months was about when we stopped the 11pm feed as well.
I also made sure she didn't feed to sleep and never used it as a comforter.

[wrinkleseverywhere]

We were definitely on three meals by then & both DC (2yr age gap) were on a breakfast at 7ish, lunch around midday & tea at 5pm routine. They had a bf on waking, DC1 (who didn't take to solid food for months) would have another about 9am, both had one after lunch, a quick one before bath time & then another one at bedtime. Both DC were still having an 11pm feed & a 2am feed at that stage.
With DC2, I went back to work when he was 9mths and we just dropped the lunchtime feed so I was able to continue to bf him without needing to express or anything.
With both of them, I do remember the 3 meals & lots of bf being a bit of a nightmare as there didn't seem to be any time to do anything else other than prepare food, feed them & clear up.

[fuckoffdailysnail]

I'm breastfeeding my 9mo DD.
She breastfeeds once when she wakes up and once to get her off to sleep, other than that she has food and breast milk as and when she fancies it-sometimes once through the day sometimes more

[Eminado]

With both of them, I do remember the 3 meals & lots of bf being a bit of a nightmare as there didn't seem to be any time to do anything else other than prepare food, feed them & clear up.

Exactly!!!

[RedLemonade]

Your routine sounds amazing. I'm very jealous of your nights!

Here's my 8.5 mo routine.

Wake 6am- BF
BF to sleep for nap 8am-9/9.30
10/11am breakfast of weetabix and fruit
11.30/12 nap till 1ish
1pm quick BF
1.30/2 lunch of egg, fruit or bread/cheese finger food
4ish BF and cat nap
5.30 dinner
BF at 6.30 and bed
Then the fun begins with wakes on average every 2-3 hours through the night, approx 4 night feeds during that.
Do a work in progress!

[onemumtwocountries]

Thank you all.

Red he doesn't always sleep through between his midnight feed and 6-7. Some nights he grumbles once/twice but I don't feed him unless he's unwell. I just shush/pat/offer water or fennel tea.

It's tricky! I've been told they should be on 3 meals a day by now but also that food before one is just for fun so I have no idea how much milk to offer.

Thanks everyone.

[carnassials]

I have an 8 month old too.

We don't have a set in stone daytime routine either.

Nightime feed at 4-4.30 am
He wakes up between 7-8 am.
Breakfast after waking - normally porridge
Then BF
Nap between 9-10 am
Bf on waking
Nap 12-1 pm
Lunch on waking, bf after
Nap at 3-4 pm, bf on waking
Dinner at about 5.30 pm
Bedtime routine starts at 6.30 pm with bath, an expressed bottle of breast milk and then he is normally in bed by 7.30 pm. He sleeps until 4.30 am to start all over again.

Sometimes he skips naps if we are out and about and I will double up breastfeeding him. He also gets sips of water. I try to keep him flexible! Each baby is different though.

[onemumtwocountries]

Thanks carnassials. I work two days a week and DS is either with DH or soon to start nursery on one of those days, so I'm trying to make sure other people know what he needs/when to express etc.!

I try to be flexible when I can, after all BF can be just part of a meal too. I'm probably overcomplicating this!

[Bangkokbaby]

When my twins were 8 months they had a breastfeed on waking, before their naps and before bed. They fed on demand between those times so the amount varied day by day. They also fed a lot at night.
I prepared 3 meals a day for them but they mostly picked at it and ate what they wanted.
I don't think that at 8 months every baby should be on 3 meals a day. It took my girls a while to get into food! At 2 1/2 they now eat everything and anything and only have a quick breastfeed before bed.

[Sweetpotatoaddict]

9mth old here.
7am bf
8am porridge and fruit
Nap if in car/ pram/sling
12pm lunch
Nap
2/3pm bf
6pm dinner
7.30pm bf
8pm bed
3-5 am up for bf for 20mins.

So I guess 3 meals a day and snacks with 4 breast feeds, fairly evenly spaced. She's just settled to this naturally