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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

HV says my 7.5 month old should be on only 2 BF per day & none at night of course!

26 replies

Tapster · 21/06/2007 16:05

I thought I was doing rather well getting down to 4 feeds during the day and 1 (this week 2 as she is teething) during the night.

I was demand feeding but since she started eating solids at 6.5 months she has spaced out her feeds naturally one at 7am, another before her nap at 12.30pm, 3.30pm and 6.45pm. Don't think she needs the 3.30pm give her a couple of rice cakes at 3pm and she isn't asking for it yet at 4pm - had tried to cut it out a couple of weeks ago but she wan't ready.

Two feeds only seems very little at this age, is this right? DD doesn't eat breakfast really probably due to night feeds.

She is still on the 91st percentile weighting 20lb 7oz so she is doing well on all this "evil" BM.

HV asked when I was giving up BF as follow onn milk has iron and she may be lacking this as she won't eat much meat yet...

OP posts:
Jackstini · 21/06/2007 16:09

Some HVs (not all by any means) talk a lot of crap!
You are doing really well still feeding and to go to only 2 feeds a day does seem an unnecessarily sudden cut down.
My dd is 15 months old and she still has 3 a day 7am, about 5pm and 9ish at bedtime
Hopefully some bf counsellors will be along soon with proper info but I think you are doing great

NoBiggy · 21/06/2007 16:10

Where do they find them???

She doesn't need follow on milk, carry on bf if you (and she) want to.

Mine are veggies (thankfully, so is my HV!)

Mrscarrot · 21/06/2007 16:13

Just tell her he's fine on 4-6 feeds as you're always careful to give him steak and chips on a friday.

Furball · 21/06/2007 16:14

well we'd all love a baby that slept through from x months, but it doesn't happen. My ds although was on bottles at 6 months didn't give up his night feed until 12 months. Others sleep through from 12 weeks. They are all different. Go with what you are doing, it is only a problem if you and DD aren't happy.

doggiesayswoof · 21/06/2007 16:15

Adding my support here - around that age, my dd had 4/5 feeds during the day (I was mix feeding by then, so probably 2 of those would be bf) and sometimes 1 bf at night.

Dd's also veggie, and has never had meat or follow-on milk - and she's fine!

lemonaid · 21/06/2007 16:16

HV is a loon and is talking complete bollocks.

In real life pretty much every bf child I knew was on at least 4 feeds a day up until at least 9 months or so, and often with at least one night feed or a dream feed on top of that. I think DS was on (roughly) 5 feeds a day and a couple at night when he was 7.5 months.

Plenty of other foods have iron in other than meat apricots (fresh or dried) are one that I can think of off the top of my head, but you can google for others. Absolutely no need for follow-on milk. And no need to see the HV again sounds as though you and DD will be better off if you don't, TBH.

doggiesayswoof · 21/06/2007 16:17

Oh - should also say my niece, who was formula fed, was also on 4 feeds per day at that age.

mumzarello · 21/06/2007 16:36

DD is 9 months - on 3/4 bf per day

Listen to your DD but I'm sure 2 is too few. Don't listen to your HV whos sounds as if she soesn't know what she is talking about - did she give you any advice on iron rich foods etc etc? I thought not.

You're doing great

terramum · 21/06/2007 16:59

She is talking crap

My almost 3 yr old still has at least 3 feeds a day, usually 5 or more if we are at home not doing very much. Heck he had a growth spurt recently & went back up to 6+ times a day for a while as well as eating HUGE amounts of food. He fed even more when he was ill a few months ago & went off his food. Babies will take as much as they need if they are left to feed on demand & they gradually cut down on their own. No need to be feeding x times a day at any age. It will depend on how hungry they are, how hot the weather is, how they are feeling mentally & physically, what you are doing, what they are doing etc etc....bfing are far more than just food - its also drink, & comfort as well.

The iron thing also shows she has no clue about bfing & has been listening to the formula reps a little too much . Yes bm has less iron in it, but its in a more absorbable form so your dd will get just as much iron from you as she will from any formula, its just that less of it will end up in her nappy . Chances are she still has plenty of iron stores anyway as they only start to deplete between 6 & 9 months.

Kellymom has a good page on iron fyi: www.kellymom.com/nutrition/vitamins/iron.html

Wonder how the human race has survived for thousands of years before this lovely iron rich formula came along?

If I were you I would either stop seeing this HV or go back & ask her some questions about her advice - ask for references/further information about everything she had said - that always makes people change their mind when they have no idea what they are on about

sparklesandwine · 21/06/2007 17:23

just wanted to add my support to you really tapster

The best thing you can do for you and your DD is to go with what you feel best doing and it sounds like you are doing a fabulous job and that your DD is really thriving - well done!

most of the HV that i have encountered with my 4 have talked the most complete and utter shite! i got fed up with listening to them make me feel like i was doing it all wrong with DS1 and was in tears after every visit they made, so when DD came along i refused to see them beyond the statutory visits

I must add that i am fully aware that not all HV are like this - in fact the HV came to my house today to do DS3's 9 month check and she was lovely and i wish i'd have had someone like her from the off (must add though that DS3 is now 13mths they overlooked his 9mth check even after i made 6 phone calls )

Do not let them force you into doing anything you don't want to do you know in your heart what you think is the right or wrong way if you do something you are not 100% about you will only end up feeling sad

DS3 is 13mths and still has 3 9oz milk feeds a day plus his meals

fillyjonk · 21/06/2007 17:27

your HV is a loon, and should be sacked for such wrong advice but hey, who'd replace her . Clearly there is a special School For Crap HVs somewhere, and you are fortunate enough to have one of its graduates

It is COMMON for babies at this age to eat VERY little and be subsisting mainly on breast milk (or formula).

I actually think she NEEDs more than 2 feeds a day, tbh. At this age most of her nutrition needs to be coming from breast milk (or formula). She does not have mature enough digestion to cope with a mainly food diet, IIRC.

fillyjonk · 21/06/2007 17:29

oh and the iron thing is a BIG MYTH. It really is rubbish.

bf babies do absorb less iron but it is in a state whereby they can easily use it. The iron added to formula is not, I think, easy for babies to utilise productively.

There is, IIRC, NO evidence that bf babies are actually low on iron at 6 months.

Oh and at 7 months-do they EAT meat? (I dunno, my kids are vegetarian but I thought the guidelines were to eat it later)

am most at this apology for a HV.

fillyjonk · 21/06/2007 17:30

and there should be no target number of feeds per day

ffs what is this woman ON?

Do you have a phone no for her?

ViciousSquirrelSpotter · 21/06/2007 17:35

Has anyone yet compiled a book with a comprehensive list of idiocies to worry mothers from HV's?

I swear, if no one else is going to bother I'm going to have to go through the archives and cut and paste myself. There must be a fortune to be made! Only trouble is, there would have to be more than 1 volume

fillyjonk · 21/06/2007 17:38

that is a very good idea squirrel

i always wonder if it might be possible to identify comments by "type". Eg age/region/hair colour of HV. Are redheads statistically more likely to push weaning at 2 weeks, say, as opposed to a mean of 3.7 weeks? And so on.

Original poster
Tapster · 21/06/2007 17:53

The group of mothers I meet with each week suggested we buy a set of scales between us and never go to the weigh-in again. I did just look at her with startled amazement at what she was telling me - oh that pulses were no way as good as meat but if you had to them they were better than nothing...

Found out HV coming round soon for her 8 month check - a different HV but probably just spout nonsense which I will also ignore.

OP posts:
fillyjonk · 21/06/2007 17:57

tapster what are you going to do?

you KNOW the iron thing is rubbish, don't you? do you need links?

are you still trying to cut feeds? There really is no need from your dd pov, unless YOU would like to, which is of course reasonable.

kels666 · 21/06/2007 17:59

My HV also said the same. I ignored her of course. My 11 mth old has 4 feeds per day, loves his solids, so no issue really

sparklesandwine · 21/06/2007 18:01

good for you tapster! when the HV came for DS3's (late) 8mth check today it was the first time he'd been weighed since he was 6 weeks - call me a bad mother if you like but i just couldn't be bothered with them!

......surprisingly enough he is 'normal' weight, height, etc for his age

I can undersatnd your worries if you are a first time mummy we've all been there, but it is mostly common sense and you sound like you have plenty of that - plus MN will be of more help to you than any HV ever will everyone is wonderfully knowledgable on here

Mellin · 21/06/2007 18:03

Tapster my dd is the same age and has 4 feeds during the day and 1 during the night. I saw my HV this week and she said this sounds about average and congratulated for doing so well with bf! So not all HV's are loons.

Did you say anything to your HV to suggest you were unhappy with the current situation? As long as you are happy and dd is thriving there really is no reason for her to be suggesting such big changes. Ask to see a different HV next time maybe?

Jacanne · 21/06/2007 18:08

Does you HV get commission from the formula companies? Why would you give up BF to give follow-on milk (which is just a big advertising con anyway)? As everyone else has said, complete bollocks - milk should be their main source of nutrition until 12 months and what better milk than BM.

fillyjonk · 21/06/2007 18:11

i always wonder if its worth reporting crappy HVs to their supervisors.

esp when doing something like pushing formula. i mean thats a clear no no

moondog · 21/06/2007 18:21

What a fucking idiot.
Seriously,pushing bloody crap like follow on milk is soooo irresponsible.

MaeBee · 21/06/2007 19:07

apricots have a lot of iron, if she'll take them, i puree up some dried apricots and add it to things like yoghurt for my boy.
but agree that the iron thing is big corporate bollocks!
my 9mth old is fed on demand still and has about 6 or 7 feeds a day!!! so you are all doing really well at getting to 4 or 5! ive given up feeding at night tho so am dropping them down gradually.
to hell with your hv! she knows nothing.

Seona1973 · 21/06/2007 19:26

my formula fed 8.5 month old ds has 4 feeds per day. He gave up his night feed of his own accord a few weeks ago - he was getting sporadic with them before that and I did limit him to a maximum of 4oz if he did wake for one. 4 feeds seems about right to me as he takes 4 or 5 oz from the 3 day bottles and 6 to 8oz from his bedtime bottle which adds up to pretty much what he should be taking along with 3 solid meals.

I think your hv is talking rubbish and you should give your lo as many feeds as you and he wants.