Breastfeeding: am i a weirdy hippy?

[allyco]

Because the HV thinks I am. I have breastfed all my five, the youngest being nearly 4 months old now.

The HV asked me how feeding was going and I said it was fine and she asked me some various questions about routines and how often I feed in a day and so on. She seemed genuinely interested, and said she was asking because so few women on her "patch" BF and she would like to be able to help out if she could by answering their questions and so could I tell her how often I feed etc.

Well. I don't know how many times a day I feed DS I really don't. I just nurse him when he wants it. Likewise at night and he sleeps with us.

She looked at me most peculiar and said she couldn't believe I had no idea of how many feeds a day and didn't I know it was dangerous to sleep with a small baby?

Aarrgghh.

Now I've probably forgotten more about BF than she's ever learned but of course it's set me off worrying. Hormones probably. Please tell me I'm not the only one who doesn't watch the clock or add the feeds up or sleep with DS? Or am I really a WEIRDY HIPPY?

that winds me up to the whole 'when is due her next feed?' thing. MIL always says 'we'll pop over when she's had her lunch, when will that be?' dd's 11 weeks fgs.

I have no idea how often I feed either and not sure how HV feels about co-sleeping my usual one is on scondment but she loved my prenting choices cause she was exactly the same.
MIL goes on about how many minutes I feed ds for to make sure he has enough. erm i feed till he stops.

MIL is always telling me that DS should be feeding less often and sleeping through by now. He's 10 weeks ffs. DS was in hospital 2 weeks ago having two inguinal hernia repairs (HV told me it was trapped wind and gave me a leaflet on massage techniques!) I kept him in the put up bed with me both nights. The nurse thought I was a hippy having him sleep with me and still BFing.

thepoppy, you've reminded me that the only time in my life (I have 3 lo's) that I've been told off for bf-ing in 'public' was in an NHS hospital!! St. Thomas's x-ray dept to be exact.

DS3 (5 months) used to sleep through for 12 hours and now doesn't anymore for some reason, and I don't care 'cos he might be my last baby and I like breastfeeding him in my bed.

breastfeeding on demand implies not counting the feeds
however when my 6,5 month old lazy dd wouuldnt start on solids, andit seemed like i was feeding her all the time, i did limit it to every four hours during the day, and not at night. two days and she realised i meant business about the solids. other than that time, i dont think i know how often i feda ny of my three.