How often should i BF my 8mo DS? So confused!

[jenny260906]

I have posted this in the breast and bottle feeding section too as not sure where it should go sorry.....

My 8mo DS is now on 3 meals a day and i currently BF first thing in the morning and at bedtime. I WAS BFing at around 3/4pm up until last week as my health visitor said he didn't really need that feed anymore (water would be ok).

My question is... is DS getting enough milk from these 2 feeds? he has Whole cows milk on cereal for breakfast and natural greek yoghurt once a day.

He always seems tired (this passed month or so). He wakes up at about 8am is ok for an hour then is tired again, when he sleeps for about 30mins. Then he is tired again at around 1pm, when he has about an hour but after only being awake for an hour he is grumpy, tired and irritable again... could this be a lack of iron maybe? or just that he isn't getting the full benefit from his naps?

Sorry for all the questions!

x

Don't know the answer but my 7 month old is now on 3 meals a day and I still feed her at about 11 and 3 as well as morning and night. Just little feeds - a drink I suppose. I don't really give her much water either. Hope someone else comes along who knows!

I don't know either but for comparison, my 10 month old has 3 bfs a day and also eats 3 meals a day. Usually has 2 naps, a total of about 3 hours sleep during the day then 12 hours at night. They're all different though! Does he seem to want the extra feed? If so, if it were me I would give it to him and stuff the HV.

My DD is 9.5 months old and she has between 3 and 5 nursing feeds a day.

I would offer a feed midday and if he takes it, he wants it....ignore anything HV's say.

Sounds like a silly qustion but how do i know if he doesn't want the afternoon feed?? would he simply just not 'suck' sorry for the daft question!....

My DD just unlatches after a suck if she is not hungry...sometimes she might only take a couple of minutes on each side if she is thirsty or needs comfort.

Just offer the feed, your baby won't take the feed if he doesn't want it.

thanks! think i will ignore the HV (again!) will start the afternoon feed again and see how we get on... I love BFing and was really quite missing that extra feed! dreading the day when he no longer needs BFing!

.... look at me getting all soppy now....

I know how you feel, I love breastfeeding my DD

Milk should be the first choice of calories at this age, not food. Feed him as often as he wants.

this is sort of related: DS is 7 mths now and I'll go back to work when he's 10 months. Hoping to carry on with BFing first thing in the morning and last thing. Anyone have any experiece with how much other milk he'll need? Not keen on having to express milk at work, but he's had no formula at all yet and I don't really know how it works ... can you give them it in a training beaker? Shld I start introducing formula feeds in the daytime beforehand? stupid questions I know but the weaning stuff in the books isn't v clear.

littlethings - at 10 months old he will not need formula. Just feed him whenever you are with him. He won't need expressed milk when you are not.

jenny260906 - again feed your baby whenever he wants. With my first baby I was quite rigid about feeding at meal times only and he had juice/water in between times.
By the time i got to baby no. 4 I breastfed much more frequently in between meals. Offer him a breastfeed - if he wants it he will take it. If not, he will refuse.
His iron levels will be fine BTW. There is nothing wrong with a bbay having a sleep in the morning and another one in the afternoon. Offer him a breastfeed when he wakes.