Should a 7-month-old really only be breastfed a maximum of 3 times a day?

[xandrarama]

DD is 31 weeks, eats 3 mushy meals a day, and breastfeeds 4x a day. This seems to suit her; she's putting on weight, is cheerful during the day and sleeps 11 hours straight through at night. Today the health visitor told me I should cut down on her milk feeds so she is having a maximum of 3 per day. (Next month I am supposed to cut back to 2x per day, apparently.)

I don't really understand why this was recommended - I did try to go over it with the HV but still came away feeling a bit befuddled. To my knowledge, the primary source of energy/nutrition at this age should still be coming from milk or formula. Over the last month, DD seems to have cut back on the amount she drinks at each feed, so why bother restricting the frequency?

On the days I'm at work, DD only has 2 or 3 milk feeds anyway because she refuses to drink ebm from a bottle or cup while I'm gone. So I guess I am inadvertently following the HV's advice to some extent. But I'd be interested in hearing what other people think. At the moment, I'm not particularly inclined to change anything we're doing.

The iron levels in breastmilk aren't as high as in formula, BUT the iron in breastmilk is in a much more easily-absorbed form, so provided she's having plenty of breastfeeds and is eating a good range and variety of solids she's unlikely to need iron.

The vitamin thing is actually about Vitamin D. If you and your baby are dark skinned, and tend to cover most of your skin when you go out in daylight, or you live very northerly, you might want to consider supplementing with vitamin D.

If you get out in daylight (not sun, just daylight) for more than 10 minutes a day, it's unlikely you would have a problem.

Iron supplementation, is not recommended however.... Recent research shows that bf babies haven't depleted their iron stocks at 6 months, and have been replenishing it over time - so unlikely they will stop getting enough suddenly, as long as they are eating a good mixed diet as they drop breastmilk intake

Blimey my 7mo has 3 feeds between 10pm and 10am never mind all the others, he is BLW but taking 3 good meals a day.

Apparently DOH does advise vits with iron if not on follow on milk, but I'm not giving them, he has v healthy varied diet.

You HV sounds very much like mine who is the Queen of the Loons. On the advice of MNers I now smile and nod at everything she says and then completely ignore 98% of it. My life has become a lot less stressful