BLW - how much 'should' 8mo baby BF?

[lucylookout]

I know there'll be no definitive answer, just wondering really. Currently feed 8mo ds first thing in the morning, mid morning, afternoon (sometimes twice) before bed and then often twice during the night. I also occasionally offer him a bf after a meal (if we're going somewhere for eg and I want to make sure he's definitely not hungry). He's normally not interested but sometimes has a little after meal times. He LOVES food and shovels it into his mouth as fast as his chubby little hands let him, and I don't think he has the same attachment to bf as DS1 did. I think that he would be quite happy if I replaced mid morning and afternoon feeds with a snack instead, but should I? Or should I keep BF this much? BTW he very rarely 'asks' for a bf, it's almost always me offering.
Thanks!

Until he's one the current advice is bf an hour (roughly) before offering the solids, if you want to drop a feed or two though it might be worth talking to a BFC, have you got the helpline numbers?

Thanks JJJ, I'd heard somewhere else that a 9mo needs no more than 2 bf a day (morning and night) so I guess that's what got me thinking. But no, I don't have bfc numbers. Is that breast feeding counselling?

They probably could get away with 2 feeds on some days, say if you were at work but really the main source of nutrition should be the BM. Anyway I'm not trained so it probably is best to speak to a BFC (Breastfeeding counsellor). Here are the numbers .

2 feeds a day is very little for a nine month old. My 11 month old has 4 most days (first thing, mid morning, mid afternoon, bedtime). At nine months he tended to have a minimum of five feeds.
Perhaps feed him as per routine first thing, bedtime and mid afternoon and see what he demands inbetween. I would hold off on adding snacks on top of three meals a day for a couple of months as milk is much more important than solids.

Ok, thanks katandkit, sounds like I'm doing alright then. He has about 6 feeds a day at the moment (still a huge reduction in the 20 or so he had before starting weaning!) I'm happy to carry on bf, just didn't know whether feeding him so much was actually slowing down his weaning unnecessarily.
Just one other thing, yesterday morning I left ds2 with dh, taking ds1 to the cinema. I expressed a bottle of milk (over the course of about a week - I hate expressing). Do you reckon once in a while (about twice month) it would be ok to give him a snack instead of the bottle? I don't mind if I need to make up that extra feed at night.

yes, I think that would be absolutely fine. After all many mothers have to return to work at 9 months so I'm sure their babies have more solids in the daytime and more milk in the evening/night/early morning. You'd only have to make up the feed in the night if your DS woke up hungry for it.
However, I'd make sure if you are going out there is milk available in case he doesn't take to the idea of having a snack instead. I hate expressing too and don't get much anymore so I leave formula in case it is needed but if your DS has taken to solids really well, a nice yoghurt might do the trick instead.

Thanks for this thread OP. My health visitor told me by 8 months my dd should only be having 2 bf a day. I was very sceptical as that's only 2 months away and she had at least 3 feeds in the night and 5 during the day. It's always good to have your 'mummy instinct' proven!

My HV told me the same thing! I have not yet met anyone with a BF 8 month old who is down to morning and night only. Not a single one.