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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

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Original poster

How often should my 8mo DS BF in 24hrs? so confused!

13 replies

jenny260906 · 07/06/2007 21:19

My 8mo DS is now on 3 meals a day and i currently BF first thing in the morning and at bedtime. I WAS BFing at around 3/4pm up until last week as my health visitor said he didn't really need that feed anymore (water would be ok).

My question is... is DS getting enough milk from these 2 feeds? he has Whole cows milk on cereal for breakfast and natural greek yoghurt once a day.

He always seems tired (this passed month or so). He wakes up at about 8am is ok for an hour then is tired again, when he sleeps for about 30mins. Then he is tired again at around 1pm, when he has about an hour but after only being awake for an hour he is grumpy, tired and irritable again... could this be a lack of iron maybe? or just that he isn't getting the full benefit from his naps?

Sorry for all the questions!

OP posts:

jetjets · 07/06/2007 21:21

Message withdrawn

coleyboy · 07/06/2007 21:24

Sounds like a normal 8mo to me.

Not long after ds went onto 3 meals a day, he only bf'd morning and night - his choice.

Would offer him water throughout the day, and maybe encourage more sleep if that's possible.

cylonbabe · 07/06/2007 21:26

feed him as much or as little as you wan tto.
at 8 months i inroduced a bottle of formula because i wanted to stop breastfeeidng. at 8.5 months i didnt breastfeed anymore.

Original poster

jenny260906 · 07/06/2007 21:27

Thanks for you comments..

So do you think i should just keep putting him back to bed each time he seems tired? I think he needs to sleep for longer, especially at his afternoon nap as he seems to wake up due to his sleep cylce (when he goes from light to deep sleep etc)... not sure how to get him to sleep for longer. Any ideas?

OP posts:

coleyboy · 07/06/2007 21:36

A dark cool room always helps.

Rather than extend his sleep, how about a late afternoon nap? Would this work for you?

If not, try to extend the 1pm nap by helping him get back to sleep as soon as he wakes up. This may not work at first, but if you keep doing it and he gets back off to sleep ,he may eventually extend the sleeping time by himself.

jetjets · 07/06/2007 21:46

Message withdrawn

dollydumps · 07/06/2007 21:51

I have never been able to get dd back to sleep once she wakes from her nap. I have now introduced a late nap about 4.30 for about 20 mins. Gets her through to bedtime at 7, and she still sleeps through the night.

Think your little one is probs getting enough dairy from 2 bf plus cereal milk. After 6 months when I gave up bf I gave her 2 bottles of formula but she never took more than 10 oz all together - never a big milk fan - I just had to get more creative in getting dairy into her diet. Yogurt is always a winner! xx

Original poster

jenny260906 · 07/06/2007 21:57

jetjets...

DS has a black out blind in his room too amd he always sleeps on his tummy now (with his little bum stuck up in the air!) Bless him!

His bedroom is always stiffling hot though (22-23 degrees at the moment). He leave his window open slightly and door wide open during the day but at night shut his door when we go to bed. he doesn't have a blanket/sheet as it's so hot.

During the day he tends to sleep in this push chair (or car seat if we're out in the car) as it's the only way i can get him to sleep in the day. Maybe i need to let him 'cry it out' and try to get him to sleep in his cot?! oh this parenting lark is so tricky!

OP posts:

jetjets · 07/06/2007 22:04

Message withdrawn

Seona1973 · 08/06/2007 10:15

my bottle fed 8 month old still has 4 milk feeds (ranging from 4-6oz for the 3 day ones and 6-8oz for his bedtime one). I thought milk was supposed to be most important till the age of 1 and that they were supposed to have around 18-20oz per day.

How did your hv know your lo didnt need that extra feed - surely it should have been for your lo to decide whether he still wanted it or not? (sorry, hv's have a habit of sticking their noses in!!)

What I'm saying is, if your lo wants a feed and you want to feed him then just do it - milk is good for them and offers more nutrition than water. I am being guided by ds and I will only stop the feeds when he cuts them down by himself.

Amberjee · 08/06/2007 10:26

i thought it was strange too the the HV said he didn't need that feed ... none of their business. if your LO wants it, and you are happy with it, go right ahead... i don't see any benefit in cutting out unless that's whatyou want to do.

thequeenofcontradiction · 08/06/2007 10:59

My DS is almost 8mo and still has about 8 BF a day, as well as his meals. During the day they're generally very short feeds, as if more for a drink than food, in the morning and evening the feeds are longer. However if I have to leave him with DH he isn't bothered about not having it, he'll have some water.

He usually has 3 naps a day - one about an hour after waking in the morning, one after lunch and one at about 6pm. He goes to bed at about 10pm normally. I know that he gets so grumpy if he hasn't napped enough!

dcb · 08/06/2007 14:07

my dd had about 4-5 bf during the day at that age. i still give her 4 feeds a day at 11 mths but have changed the mid morning and afternoon to formula in preparation for nursery next month. initially she took about 3-5oz at each feed but now doesn't seem so interested so planning to drop them soon
hth

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