How many bf should an 8mo have?

[BouncingTurtle]

DS has been at nursery for over week, absolutely loving it. But he has not drunk any of the EBM I have expressed
He will not take a bottle and won't take it from a cup, but he has been drinking water from a cup - the staff offer him sips of water through the day.
He is eating plenty at nursery, including lots of fruit, and he has a feed when he wakes up in the morning (between 5-6am), another at around 7am then he next has a feed at 5pm when I pick him up. He also has a feed before bed at 7pm, and at least one feed during the night. So in total he is having at least 5 feeds a day. At the weekend he had 3 extra feeds but didn't eat as much as he would at nursery.
I'm having great difficulty expressing, my job is busy and stressful, and I only ever seem to get 2-3oz out which I am now using to make cereal for him to eat for breakfast at nursery.
I've just tried expressing now and I am not getting anything out at all!
It is seriously stressing me out, so I just want to get some reassurance that he is getting enough BM. My feeling is if he wasn't he would feed more often during the night - he typically wakes up 2-3 times, last night he only work up once) and I am happy for him to do so as I'm not feeling too knackered. DS has never slept through the night so I'm used to it I guess

Your thoughts people?

Anyone?

BT - there's no benchline above or below which bf babies of this age 'should' or 'should not' be - after all, you don't know how much volume he is taking each time, anyway.

So - where's that leave us? With common sense

And my common sense tells me he (and you) are making the most of the time you have together, he's having between 5 and 8 bfs a day, and is clearly thriving. No risk of dehydration and a growing list of healthy foods which he likes.

Does that sound ok???

I would say 5 feeds is plenty. My Ds was on 3 or 4 feeds a day at that age, from memory. More evenly spaced through the day though.
The fact that you are getting stressed about expressing probably isn't helping with your milk production IYSWIM?
waking 2-3 times a night seems alot, is he waking because he's hungry or waking because he just wants a cuddle? If he is hungry then maybe he isn't getting enough.

Oh he is definitely hungry Mabel, but I don't mind if he is, he is a lot better that he was, he has always fed regularly during the night!

Tiktok - Yes that's what I wanted to hear, I knew it already but I just need validation from others! Been feeling a bit down about it today especially as GP who did my medical was a bit at me still breastfeeding and at mine and DH's working hours...
Basically he was a bit of a twat.

if you are ok with the night waking and it's not too tiring for you, then I can't see a problem.
You're GP does sound a bit of a idiot, 8 months old is hardly extended BF!!

Message withdrawn

Definitely stopping expressing. I didn't feel that uncomfortable, just a bit achy on the drive home. Might do on Monday after a weekend of more feeds!

My dd 8 mo has lost interest in her feeds in the day too.
I am still at home but i think there is so much going on she doesn't bother.
She still feeds in the night and feeds well.
I think if he is eating and drinking in the day he will be fine.
Just the night feeding get's a bit wearing but it deosn't go on forever!

Yeah I figured he might start sleeping through when he goes to school

I am just 100% positive she will be sleeping through when she turns into a teenager and i can't drag her out of bed
Only 12.4 yrs!

My dd (now 14 months) had around 4 good bf's through the day and one through the night from 6 months-ish to around 11 months-ish when i went back to work. She then dropped to just morning and night feeds.

She now only has morning feeds, and thats only when she feels like it.

I think you're both doing fantastically

hi bt!
Dd is getting 4 bf a day now. When she wakes and goes to bed, and two in between.