frequent feeding by 10 mo bf baby, thoughts/advice please

[OldieButGoldie]

10 mo DS is bf on demand and recently has been feeding more and more often, day and night. I've counted 18 feeds over the last 24 hours. Friends with babies similar age have started to drop feeds by themselves, whereas he is having more! He eats solids 3 times a day, sometimes not much, but I don't want to force him to eat, and I don't want to go down the route of always giving him yogurt because its one thing he will eat lots of. I give him water too and he seems to drink a reasonable amount.

Is he bfeeding more from hunger? Thirst? Comfort? Habit?

Will it sort itself out or do I need to do something?

Help!

Older babies go through periods of feeding more, just like little ones do. Growth spurts, development spurts, illness, teething etc all have an effect on feeding frequency for the whole of the nursing life...I remember my DS having a massive growth and development spurt at 10 months-ish...it lasted a couple of weeks and then he went back to feeding as before.

I wouldn't over analyse or compare to other babies....following their lead is always the best approach imo

Thank you Terramum, a bit of re-assurance is helpful. I'm feeling a bit rubbish just now, got a cold and exhausted from the (very) broken nights.

I asked a HV (not mine)for advice and she told me to "knock it (bf) on the head". Not what I expected to hear when the guidelines are to bf for 2 years min. She said "that's the thing when someone has been successful with breastfeeding, they don't know when to stop"

At this age, babies often cry when you leave the room and are playing peekaboo and searching for dropped toys. They are learning about objects (including mum) being separate from them and starting to understand about things going away and coming back again. When a baby stirs at night and finds they aren't able to touch or see mum, then they want to know where she is and that all's OK. Feeding's a way of re-connecting and feeling soothed, as well as a source of nutrition. This is a good thing . As with the other phases, it will pass with a little time. Meanwhile, many people find bringing their baby into bed with them can be a helpful way to get a bit more rest.

If you felt like it, you could complain about your HV's comments. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) which produces guidelines for the NHS on Page 44 of its guidance on Maternal and Child Nutrition states:

"Health visitors and the CHPP team should support mothers to continue breastfeeding for as long as they choose"

You could request that she is re-trained.

Thanks Grendle, I know what you are saying is certainly true in the night (I do co-sleep, usually taking him in with me on the 3rd time of waking in the night) but hadn't connected this to the frequent day time nursing.

The HV I spoke to wasn't my own but one that I see at a group I attend once a week. I'm too much of a wimp to complain and rock the boat. Infact I was worried about puting her comments on here incase she read it and knew it was me! But I've started so I'll finish - her reasons for "knocking it on the head" were that "it'll only get worse" and "little boys in particular can become very attached to their mummies".

I suppose I am more upset by her comments than I realised. No wonder the breastfeeding rate is so low in this country (although she did bf twins herself)

Yes he is teething too. I do sympathise!

Got to go, DS wants feeding!

If you are ok to just go with it, then just go with it!

I found with my ds that working with him rather than against him was by far the easiest option.

at the HV.

18 times in 24 hrs - you must be knackered, you poor thing! My ds was a big feeder too; at 10m he'd only just gone down to feeding 3-4 hrly - until there was teething, that is. Then he went back to 3-4x a night plus his usual daytime routine. No advice, just sympathy...