Breasfeeders beyond 12 months - how many times a day do you feed?

[Tinker]

Do you feed to schedule, as and when, what? Work during term-tmes so this one normally fed at morning, when get home and bedtime (plus numerous times in the night!) But wjen I'm off feel I'm being mauled all the time. Normal?

first thing and before bed. An occasional mid pm or even mid am feed if dd is fighting sleep, seems fractious or whatever

I bfed ds on demand until he was about 14mo. He was always an avid bfer and it was becoming a bit of a pita as he was wriggling and wanting to stand up throughout the feed (and then trying to walk off with my nipple halfway through - ouch!).

I stopped because my periods hadn't come back and we wanted to ttc, but tbh it had stopped being much fun for me to feed him during the day.

I do miss it if he's upset or hurt, but it would have been a real struggle for both of us to feed some times but not others as he used to get pretty persistent about it - it was easier in the long run to go cold turkey.

very of people who can just do 3 feeds a day (as opposed to oooh about 25...)

ds is 2 in September and bf soooooo much, always has done. dh counted the oher morning and he' had 8 in-between breakfast and lunch. he wants to be feeding all the time. think am going o try snd cut dow - he must be having about 20 a day, I reckon. making me tired, I think. havn't got a clue how to cut him down though.

though when I work and dh looks after him, he doesn't miss it at all and eats LOADS, lol

Normal I'd say.

My 3 all breast fed past 18 months. I fed on demand and demand seemed high!
My middle daughter (who is generally high maintenance anyway !)was feeding every 2 hours, day and night at 17 months. I only stopped because I was worn out. If she had been happy to make it 4 hourly I would have carried on but it was just too tough to cut it down so I stopped.
I was 6 months pregnant with her when I stopped feeding my eldest so maybe she thought it was payback time.

Hope that helps.
It's whatever you and baby/toddler feel comfortable with really. As long as your health isn't suffering because of it.

I b'fed DD until she was 2ish.
After 12 months it was morning and bedtime and one after lunch to make sure she had a sleep.....
But there could be a rogue session any other time she happened to see my boobs go past, such as in the bath, etc.....
Mostly I would comply with her demand but because I work three days a week, I tried to keep to vague routine....unless she was ill or needed comfort, etc.... She self-weaned at 2.2. And then I got fat. Harumph.

Dd is 2 & still feeds on demand. Co-sleeps so
feeds on & off in night & I would say at least
7-8 times throughout day. But if out at say a soft play area will probably only have 1 quick
feed as she'll be so busy.

Well, my DS is becoming less interested in daytime and evening feeds. (I still attempt 4 feeds a day).

He will ALWAYS have his morning feed and really pushes for that.

During the day though, its me that initiates feeding - he doesnt seem so bothered except when very tired.

When im at work I often only feed him first thing and mid morning and thats it for the day. He refuses a bottle/beaker of ebm in the evening so he just has the two.

He is 13.5 mths btw.

Dd2 is 15 months and I feed morning and evening, plus an afternoon feed on my 4 non-working days. Pretty much the same as what I did with dd1, who was down to morning feeds only by 20 months, and then stopped completely at age 2. Now I read this it occurs to me that I could feed more often, especially as dd2 is often incredibly grumpy and would probably be pacified by a feed. But funnily it's never occurred to me to offer it. Just recently she has started patting my chest and lifting my t-shirt in a not unsubtle way, but I guess I'll try to stick to my 3 feed routine. I use finger food as a major diversion to calm her down.

Am relieved (I think) that this is normal. Would love to be able to feed to schedule but can't see how I could. Plus, it's great for getting rid of a bunged up bottom (hers!!!) - she's just exploded all over me.

I only feed ds (2.5) at bedtime and have done since he was about 14 months old - mainly because he got really grabby at that age and was 'helping himself' to my breasts all the time.
As I'd been through a similar thing with dd1 (who stopped bf at 3.5 and would have probably gone on until leaving for uni if I'd let her!) and wasn't keen on a repeat of it all I cut his feeding down to a bedtime one (and of course I'd make exeptions - air travel, injuries, that kind of thing). But generally I'd just say no and distract, which was easy then (would be a nightmare now at this age though).

thanks for this thread!
DD(14mths) is Bfed 3 times a day - before both morning and afternoon naps and at night before bed (plus occasional nighttimes when teething, etc).
I'm surrounded by bottlefeeding mums and thought I wasn't normal and should cut down, but now I see that everything is fine. She sleeps really well after a feed so I was dreading changing the routine in order to Bfeed less... now I see I don't have to!

Ahh there are people out there like me...I was begining to think I wasn't normal!

Ds3 is 19mths and would feed all day if i let him.If I'm not around then he is quite happy to do without but as soon as i show my face or should i say boobs he wants to feed. So many people that I know have expressed surprise that I am still b/f that i was begining to feel a bit awkward about mentioning it to anyone. After reading these posts I feel much better. some days i do feel a bit like i'm being mauled to death but other times i look at him when hes feeding and nothing beats the closeness i feel.

My dd2 no longer bfs (she's 2.5) but I fed until age 2, when she gave up of her own volition.
Until then I bf on demand - some days it was every 10 mins (!!) other days it was morning and evening only. It all depended on her and what she chose for that day. Tended to be more if she was tired, or ill, or something had upset her. She gave up at age 2, asying 'mummy milk all gone' (which it hadnt, but her reading of the situation) and it has been a pain free weaning for her. It s been a great experience feeding 3 kids, I wish I had been able to feed them all till 2 but pregnancies intervened and my nipples couldnt take it!
I would say do it and damnn those who dont like it, for as long as you both are happy with it!

Between 15 and 20 months ds suddenly wanted to feed all the time. But now at 21 months, he has a little feed when he wakes up, and one when he goes to bed, and one before his afternoon nap. and if he wakes up upset in the night he wants the boob and it is a good way to get him to sleep quickly. He isn't feeding a great amount at the moment, maybe he is weaning himself, or maybe he'll go through another spurt and want more again, I don't know yet!

I wouldn't say we have a schedule exactly but I definitely say no if it isn't convenient etc. so ds doesn't feed on demand. He does feed more often if I am there al day so being at work part-time makes the difference really. We don't feed outside any more and haven't done since he was about 8 months old.

Even if I were a full-time SAHM though I really don't think I could have stood bfeeding on demand for 18 months

In the end it is about what suits you and your child. Some children demand more (as ds seems to be doing now) and some less but in the end it is after all up to you how often you feed after the initial months where breast milk is the only nutrition they get.

You just may choose to leave it to the child to decide, you may decide to implement some rules or you can try and strike a balance between the two.

If you have a child who wants to feed a lot though and you don't want to bfeed so often you may get some tears (I know I do sometimes).

One thing to note is that ds went from being a baby not really bothered about feeding to being a real boob monster at about 14 months old. He also has days when he refuses if I offer and if I stopped offering he might go quite a while without feeding but he always seems to come back to it.

hi, everyone, a revelation! yesterday I told ds that he could only have nums () on the chair in his room. and - so far - it's been great. he's come to latch on a couple of times an I've said, no, just cuddles now and nums at bedtime/nap time.whichever and he's accepted it and had a cuddle instead. so today, have only fed him when he work up! argh! the dizzying freedom!

honestly, Kama, I can't believe it. he was feeding ALL the time, about 6-8 before breakfast. perhaps he wanted to stop but thought he had to keep doing it, lol

Weeeell, today I'm glad I'm still feeding. Had her first high temp last night, has been off food completely so at least feel I can give something. Atm.

Cor, that's good - over 12 months before first temp.
Yes, it is so brilliant when they are poorly.

hope she's better soon, Tinker