Just a bit of reassurance needed please...

[shirleycat1]

I am coming up to 6 months of breastfeeding. Ds has always been a big eater, when he was tiny he just wanted to be on the breast ALL the time, which I found really stressful, but in the last couple of months it has really settled down and got really easy. But he has never been on a schedule and literally everyone I know with babies the same age tell me that their dc's eat "every 3 hours". Now I'm thinking "am I doing something wrong?, is this normal?"

He wakes up and feeds, then after a couple of hours he has a nap and I feed him before he goes down - I don't feed him to sleep, I put him down awake. Then he feeds when he wakes and before his next nap again, and sometimes a bit in between. Then on an evening before bed he feeds on and off quite a bit.

He wakes up every 2-3 hours in the night, which I am finding really tough at the moment and it's been suggested that if I try and spread out his day feeds, his night feeds might follow suit.

Now coming up to 6 months, I don't know what to do. I've read that feeding gets even easier after 6 months but I don't really understand how and why. What's different? I know they start eating solids, but I'm planning on doing BLW and am anticipating it being slow and now having much impact on bfiing for a while. Can anyone explain.

Also, is what I'm doing normal and right? I know that's a rubbish question because ds is so happy and smiley and thriving. But I'm just having an off day and I'm tired and having a crisis of confidence.

Sorry for the long ramble...

Cheers...

[Longtalljosie]

Firstly - you're doing brilliantly. Secondly, adults don't get hungry / thirsty bang on schedule and babies don't either.

I don't think feeding him less in the day would encourage him to feed less at night - quite the reverse, in fact...

Is he perhaps having a growth spurt?

[dinkystinky]

You're doing great. My DS1 and DS2 were the same - they just liked lots of shortish feeds rather than one long feed. Introducing solids does tend to give you a bit of structure to your day so you may well find you end up BFing in the morning before breakfast, offering before naptime (though he may not want it) and after nap time (mine preferred theirs then) and before meal times - but other than that will probably be more of the same. I did find that DS2 was less interested in milk when he started on solids but still had a few BFs a day (and night) though did have to introduce day time bottles shortly after that due to returning to work and he certainly drinks much less milk during the day now but takes lots of calcium rich food in.

[StealthPolarBear]

DS was exactly the same - if awake wanted feeding! went on quite a while but was normal for him.
dd much easier & at 8 weeks is probably already one of those 3 hour babies - i don't pay attention but am amazed when she happily sits & watches us / refuses a feed!
DS still feeding, morning & night at 2 1/2, he's just a milk monster

[shirleycat1]

Thank you. I can't believe how being tired affects my confidence so much. Normally I just get on with stuff but this parenting malarky makes me question all my decisions and when I'm knackered I get all stressed. Support here is good. Thank you...