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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

How many breastfeeds? 7month old

16 replies

mumblemum · 08/03/2008 21:56

Hello, I'm a newbie, although I've been lurking since pregnancy. Happily bfing my 7 month old dd, but she's down to 3 feeds a day now, and I'm worried she's not getting enough milk.

She's mad keen for the morning feed, feeds OK before bed, but now often falls asleep on the breast quite quickly. I'm now having to grab her for a third feed mid-afternoon, and she'd probably give it up if I let her.

She sleeps through 12 hours a night, so no problem there, and so far her weight gain is fine. However, none of us can tolerate dairy, so I'm worried she may not get enough milk-goodness if we go down to 2 feeds a day. That whole pint a day average is weighing on my mind.

I'm giving her some goats milk in her breakfast and some solid meals, but a bit worried her eczema is worsening. Also don't want to give too much soya milk cos of the oestrogens, particularly as PCOS runs in my family. Am adding in chick peas & pureed spinach wherever I can hide them for the calcium and iron, but have no idea if it's enough.

The main thing is I don't want to risk my bf milk drying up, as I'd be really upset to have to give formula if it dries before she's a year old.

Any advice?! Or just reassurance really. How many bfs did your LOs take at this age?

OP posts:

Walnutshell · 08/03/2008 22:03

Loads. And still! But I am bumping this because all lo's are different and I want someone with sim. experience to reply.

cookbook · 08/03/2008 22:07

My ds is 10 months and is on to about 3-4 feeds a day. I think at 7 months he was on about 4-5 still. But he is a bit of a milk monster!

Have you thought about expressing and using it in her food? I express for ds for his breakfast.

I don't think your milk will dry up with one or two feeds everyday.

I'm sure someone more knowledgeable will be along in a mo

Original poster

mumblemum · 08/03/2008 22:14

Thanks for the instant replies. Mumsnet is amazing!

I have been expressing each morning, but since she dropped her 4th feed a couple of weeks ago, I can only get 60ml max, even sitting at the pump for ages (just have the cheap hand pump tho). Sometimes use it for her breakfast, but it's not much and I try to keep up a stock so she can have a bottle once a week to keep her skills up & so I can go out.

OP posts:

Pannacotta · 08/03/2008 22:14

It does sound rather low for a 7 month old, milk should be the main source of nutrition in babies until 12 months.
Do you offer a milk feed before giving solids?
At this age I found it easiest to feed DS2 first thing at 6 ish, then at 9 or so, again at 12 before lunch, at 3/4 ish and then a feed before bed, he would also feed at night.
I'd probably use expressed milk rather than goats in her food and keep offering her the breast.
SOme info here
www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/index.html
and on kellymom generally if you have a browse.

scoped · 08/03/2008 22:16

Not more knowledgeable I'm afraid, but my dd went from 5 good feeds per day to 3 pretty quick feeds per day during month 7 (now month 9). Still bf though and she seems happy and full so not worrying!

cookbook · 08/03/2008 22:20

Personally, I think I'd maybe consider getting an electric one. If we had the added factor of a dairy intolerance in the family I'd probably be wanting to keep them on bf for a while, not sure . But even with a quicker electric one it's still boring expressing!

Pannacotta · 08/03/2008 22:23

At this stage its prob easier to try and feed her more often than express loads.
You could try expressing in the bath or shower, put a warm flannel over your breats and then express - warm water is good for let down.

Original poster

mumblemum · 08/03/2008 22:25

Sorry, should have said, she's eating loads of solids too. Had to start at 5 months as she was grabbing our food and screaming every time we ate, now on 3 good, mixed meals a day and eats everything I put in front of her. Not baby food, just what we have that's baby-appropriate, feeding herself or on a spoon if it's gloopy stuff anyway.
I could try offering the breast at mealtimes again, but she seemed to lose interest in the face of solid food.
TBH, I was finding it tough trying to cram in bfs that she wasn't asking for in between all the solid food that she was demanding.

OP posts:

Pannacotta · 08/03/2008 22:29

7 months is quite young to be having 3 proper meals a day and only 3 milk feeds.
I would offer more milk feeds and less solid food as its more important at this stage, esp given her ezcema.

Walnutshell · 08/03/2008 22:34

Hmm. Actually, I know quite a few people where their dd/ds has lost interest in b'feeding early on. So, not a worry, but bumping so you get lots of feedback.

Pannacotta · 08/03/2008 22:38

This link might help explain in part why your DD seems less interested in milk
[[http://www.kellymom.com/bf/weaning/babyselfwean.html]
It's often to do with being distracted or just a behavioural stage, as well as quick introduction of solid food.

Pannacotta · 08/03/2008 22:39

here
www.kellymom.com/bf/weaning/babyselfwean.html

Washersaurus · 08/03/2008 22:41

My 7mo eats 3 decent size meals a day (I posted the other night concerned as I thought it was maybe too much too soon), like your DC he has the same food as us mainly.

He still bf loads, generally he will have a feed between 6-7am, 10.30am, 2pm, 5pm, 7pm, 11pm, 2am (on a bad night), 4am (these are very vague timings btw)

tummytickler · 09/03/2008 19:51

HI.
I too have a 7 month old son and he has just started on 3 meals a day - he has the same as us, sometimes slightly modified (if making soup for eg i make a seperate pot for him with no salt).
i have no idea how many bfs he should be having, but he has 4 really good feeds (at 6am, about 9/10, about 2pm, and before bed at 6 - ha - just noticed that is about every 4 hours!).
He often snacks too - a quick suck for a couple of minutes here and there and has recently started snacking all night 2am - 6am a bit here and there.
There have been days though when he just hasnt been too interested.
I find he is easily distracted too and often my boobs are on display to all a nd sundry whilst he has a good nose 'round

Original poster

mumblemum · 09/03/2008 21:32

Thanks for your advice, weirdly LO woke at midnight last night starving, and I offered her bf at lunch today & she was happy for it, (but only when I strapped her down in the sling!) so maybe I was having some telepathic sense that she needed more.

Good to know more feeds is good, as most people I know are going down to very few (bf and bottle). I was missing the close contact, (was a totally convinced co-sleeper, exclusive bf-er, and slinger, but baby has crawled off (literally, she's crawling already) to her own bed already, sleeps all night and won't be in the sling unless she's tired. Hard trying to wrestle with my own separation anxiety vs. hers & not keeping her bf-ing more than she wants cos I like it.

Just so odd as have no idea how much she's getting when she feeds, which never bothered me until was trying to combine with solids. Just hard to know how much to prepare and she shouts loads if there's a delay. (Tried BLW alone & shouts even more as can't get it in fast enough herself!).

OP posts:

tummytickler · 10/03/2008 19:15

Hi - I know how you feel about the separation thing - my ds has also been crawling since 6 1/2 months, and prefers his own bed to go to sleep in (although comes in with me at about 2 am), he even set his own bed time - I would keep him up until 7.30ish - but he wants to be in bed at about 6 and starts getting really cross if i try and keep him up.
My little chaperoo is growing up!
Good luck with the bfing, hopefully it is just a phase for you both.

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