How often should 21 week old be bfing?

[noolia]

I'm very happy with my little routine - dd feeds about every 3 hours, but sleeps through from 11.30 to 7ish. This seems fine to me - great in fact. But MIL has just been to stay, she is (now) quite supportive of bf (apart from thinking I should be weaning her now) but thinks that I am spoiling dd by feeding her so often 'You are a spoilt little girl aren't you. You are very lucky to have a mummy who does just what you want' GRRR. She is very much of the 1960's babies formula every four hours school.
So now I am questioning myself - should she be going longer between feeds? Reassurance please.

IMO no way! My 15 month old is still bf on demand, usually every 4 hours or so when I'm here but if he's a bit under the weather it can be every hour or 2!
If she wants it and you're happy to feed her that often then it is the best thing for her!

????

DS was feeding every 2 hours at that age, and waking every 2 hours or so at night

Ignore your MIL

My son is 21 weeks today and feeds every 2 hours, or sooner if he wants.
He is happy and content and it won't be forever, so I am just going with it.
I think it would also be hard now to lengthen the time in between feeds, and he sleeps through so I wouldn't want to change it.
If she is happy, go with it!

Sounds very normal to me. I'm sure ds fed every 2-3 hours at that age - even though the books assured me he should be feeding every 4

It sounds like you are both doing great - ignore your MIL, she doesn't know what she's talking about.

Thank you lovely ladies! I kind of knew I was right but MIL always makes me feel unsure!

Your MIL is being unpleasant

DH needs to have a word.....

Personally I think anyone who is seriously calling a baby of that age 'spoilt' is a bit odd (and that's the charitable way of putting it).

Ha, very glad to read this.

My DS is 5 months and feeds every 2 and a half hours through the day but then sleeps from 7 straight through to 6.30.

After reading in a book that BF babies should now be able to go 4 hours between feeds, my DH has been nagging at me to try and stretch the time between feeds. Now I can tell him he is wrong

I think your baby's haven't read the books and are doing what is right for them. My 14 month old is still demand fed and never goes more than 4 hours, usually much more frequent. Would your MIL like to come and stay with me noolia?

At that age ds3 was feeding every 2 hours during the day and 3 hours at night. I suspect if you tried to stretch out the feeds during the day you wouldn't get such a long stretch at night. You can't 'spoil' babies

Perhaps people who think babies should last four hours between feeds could try that for themselves - no food and drink at all for four hours at a time, no matter how hot, tired or hungry they are.