HVs advice re.breastfed 8mo wanting frequent night feeds

[jasper]

"Have you tried him on formula?"

my hv even wrote in dd's red book: "feeding some formula", which I had't. are hv's
a)mad
b)bad
c)dangerous...
(sincere apologies to any lurking, sensible hv's)

mine is nice but nutty.

or d) all of the above

Frequent night feeds at that age can also be linked to a stage where babies need to be more nurtured by their mums (they usually hate being left with others,...)... it coincides with a developmental stage and it is therefore fairly common.. sorry I couldn't resist being serious amid all that HV crap !

Yes, with my first, my hv wrote in his red book about starting solids at 4 mo. "mother is keen" even though I'd told her I was absolutely not going to start solids until 6 mo.
Jasper, have you tried controlled crying? I did it with my bfed ds at 6 mo. to cut out the nightfeeds. I had to redo it periodically until he was 15 mo. or so. I always gave him nightfeeds when he was ill, though.

I made the mistake of telling my HV that I was doing Gina - she dissaprovingly wrote "REGIMENTED" in my red book

At 5 months, one of mine (I've got about 6 HVs, aren't I lucky) told me the WHO recommendations were covering thirld world countries where hygiene is difficult, so exclusive breast is not for us, and to cut b/feeding down in order to get solids into him. She said don't b/feed in the morning (time of the best milk supply), give him cereals instead. I haven't been back since.

Prufrock, this is the same HV I had a bit of a "set to " about Gina - she started to completely misrepresent GF to a group of mums and I found myself in the unexpected position of GF defender ( HV claimed GF was all for bundling up babies and letting them cry.... she is NOT!)
SofiaAmes prepare to have your brain picked....have not tried CC but will reconsider it when Ds is older. My work pattern is such that I can snatch a few hours extra sleep during the week...if things get intolerable I will be back to ask for your advice

Jasper - what was the sleeping pattern of your other 2 children? I remember you saying that you were not successful on the B/F front with them.
Perhaps CC is the answer. Certainly at 8 months B/Feeds are not required for nutrition but your ds obviously likes them. If it doesn't bother you then it should not bother anyone else. If it is driving you demented then something needs to be done. I do not think formula is the answer but it might be easierf that cc.

Mears, can't remember as they were on formula by now and dh was dealing with it! think they woke about once in the night for a bottle feed.
I m not demented quite yet...........
I understand the HV was only trying to help.
I always thought CC was a great idea .........until I had a wee baby I loved to distraction!