How many times/day does your 10 month old nurse?

Stacy - posted on 03/06/2012

I nurse my son all the time too. Doctors don't always know because most kids in the US are formula fed by this age and parents switch because it is cheaper. Don't let the doctor convince you to stop. Enjoy it and be happy that your baby is getting what she needs from you naturally rather than through processed foods. There is plenty of time for your kid to eat other foods.

Anna - posted on 09/25/2010

Hi Carrie ,never had a schedule when bf my twins and fed on demand (unless fast asleep for the odd ten mins or so that I got !!) I dont know whether it was the right thing to do but they are now well adjusted feisty 11yr old girlies and they cringe at he thought!! A younger baby or child will let you know when they are hungry so it has to be your choice whether to feed on demand or schedule and how much you can cope with a crying baby .Cos as you prob know as soon as your baby starts crying the letdown kicks in (ie your milk starts) and isn't that natures way of telling you something ? But what do I know Good luck and please carry on bf for a while longer Ax

Sarah - posted on 09/25/2010

I still breastfeed my 9 month 4-5 times a day. I have heard that by this age she "should" only be having breast milk 3 times a day after meals, but sometimes she wants more often and I'm fine with that. I don't see any harm in it. I plan to breastfeed her as long as possible, so I don't want to restrict the amount of milk she gets during the day. Just do whatever you feel comfortable with. If baby is happy and you are happy, keep it up =)

Veronica - posted on 09/25/2010

I would tend to listen to a doctor over websites, friends, family ect. After all, they went to 8+ years of school and that's a LOT more knowledge about health than most people. I do not think it's a good idea to advise someone not to listen to thier doctor. And it's a big generalisation to say that most doctors are incorrect. But I do agree that if mommy and baby are happy and healthy then all is well and don't worry.

Rebekah - posted on 09/25/2010

My daughter just turned 12 months and up until a couple of weeks ago, she was breastfeeding only 3 times a day. She is now only nursing once a day. When she was 10 months old though, she was breastfeeding 5 times a day. Her main nutrition was definitely still from breastfeeding, but she still ate a lot of table food too. By 10 months of age though, she DEFINITELY does not need to be waking up at ALL in the night to eat. My daughter has been sleeping through the night since about 2 months of age (because I put her on a sleeping schedule... she is now the best sleeper in the entire world and all of my friends are jealous!). At 10 months of age this was our schedule....
6:15 am - wake her up and breastfeed her in bed... put her right back to bed.
9:30 am- she wakes up on her own and breastfeed again.
10:45-12:30- nap time
1:00 pm- breastfeed and eat table food
2:30-4:00- nap time
4:00- breast feed
5:00- dinner at the table with mommy and daddy
7:00- breastfeed
7:15- bed time

I don't agree with what the doctor said on table food being her main nutrition at 10 months old... but I would for sure try to wean her off of the middle of the night feedings, or you could really have a hard time getting her to sleep through the night later on.

Hillary - posted on 09/23/2010

My daughter was only nursing 2 or 3 times a day at this point. She was very interested in table food and her sippy cup.

April - posted on 09/23/2010

i disagree with a doctor saying that "at 10 months, no child NEEDS to nurse at night". you cannot possibly believe that it applies to every single baby/toddler. as i said in a previous post, my son showed NO INTEREST in solid food until he was 18 months old. and....that's completely normal. it might not be the norm, but it's still normal. if any of you have doctors telling you that you need to wean at a certain time or stop feeding them at night or feeding more solids over BM (if your child is under 1)....i'd look for a new dr.

April - posted on 09/23/2010

my son showed NO interest in solids until 18 months old. they can live off of EBM until age TWO! our bodies and our babies are amazing. i wouldn't worry. it sounds like your daughter is doing wonderful!! at 10 months, my son was nursing about every 2 to 3 hours and alllllllllllllllllll night long!!! :)

Rebecca - posted on 09/23/2010

I still nurse my son 6 -8 times a day. But,"most" feedings are shorter. This is my third, and it has been this way for all of them. Eventually they will lose interest. Though, my second,my only daughter, was a hard sell on this point.=-)

A lot of it is security. But there is nutrition to it. There is no reason to wean your baby precisely at 1 year. In other developed countries,babies are allowed to wean themselves, this generally occures between 1 1/2 to 4 years! So,don't feel pressured to stop at one year.

Talia - posted on 09/22/2010

Hard to believe... but babies don't actually "need" solid foods until a year! I'm still nursing my 2.5 year old 3 times a day and a few times at night... but that's nothing compared to when she was a baby--she'd nurse every half-hour awake and every hour asleep! It was INSANE and I have to say I hardly remember that first year...

Teresa - posted on 09/22/2010

Every child, family, situation is different. At 10 months my girls were nursing probably 4-6 times every 24 hours and eating 3 'real' meals of solids. My son at the same age wasn't even eating solids every day, but would on occasion. At 2.5 now, he eats regular meals and snacks, but still nurses more (or the same) in 24 hours as his sisters did at 10 months. :)

Candy - posted on 09/22/2010

My daughter who will be 15mths on the 30th we just stopped nursing two weeks ago. At 10 mths she still breastfed about 3-4hrs a day. I was even feeding her baby food during breakfast and dinner. She is not over weight either she is just right on her percentile.

Shayla - posted on 09/22/2010

My daughter is almost 10 months old and she is still strictly breastmilk unless I am at work then she get babyfood and expressed milk for lunch. She eats every 3 hours but sleep from about 8pm to 6 am.

Lydea - posted on 09/22/2010

Are you happy? Is your child happy? If the answer is yes and yes then why worry? If you'd like to start feeding her less then you can, it sounds like she's just snacking most of the time. At 10mnth she probaably can last through the night too, but if you're happy with what you're doing then keep on doing it. She does need to be eating solid foods by now, but breast is still vital to her growth.
For you info, my girl is 10 months and this is her routine;
6.30-7.00 boob
8.00 cereal & fruit
12.00 lunch
2.30 boob
5.30 dinner
7.00 bedtime boob
10.00pm dreamfeed boob
sleeps rest of night (mostly!)
If she gets hungry inbetween times, it's either boob or snack depending on whats at hand and where we are

Nichole - posted on 09/22/2010

My daughter is 10 months and she nurses about the same as yours. I wish I could get her to eat more solid foods, but she would rather nurse.

Kelly - posted on 09/22/2010

Each baby is different, but my Bella only has the breast when she wakes in the morning and twice in the evening. She likes her meals and grazes with snacks throughout the day. Arent you finding it tiring having to feed that often? It wont be long before your babe decides to wean off.

Brittany - posted on 09/22/2010

I nurse ever 4 hours during the day, so about 3 feedings a day. I don't nurse right before bed or at night.

Cheryl Stinson - posted on 09/22/2010

My daugher is only 4 months but her pediatrician said that by 8 months she should be eating 4 meals a day of solid foods and that the breastfeeding demand would significantly decrease.

Cinda - posted on 09/22/2010

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends NOT decreasing breastfeeding as solids are introduced and to maintain 'on demand' nursing. Most of a baby's nutrition should come from BREAST MILK for the first year. At this age, table foods are just something to train them on eating & getting them used to eating foods & their bodies used to digesting it. WHO recommends breastfeeding until 2 years w/ appropriate complimentary table foods (to each their own though). The baby should start to decrease the frequency and duration of nursing times as needed. Babies know when they are hungry & when they are full.
My son is now 21 months and still nurses every 3-4 hours some days (some days 5-6 hours) & twice during the night still.
If you are concerned or WANT to reduce, perhaps you might try NOT feeding her on the schedule you've gotten on & see how long she goes before 'demanding' it or 'asking for it'.
I wouldn't let your pediatrician or any one else dictate how frequently or how long you nurse your baby. If every 3 hours works for you guys & you're ok with it, I wouldn't worry about changing anything. If you have a planned time frame that you want your daughter to be weaned by, I would recommend SLOWLY increasing the amount of time between nursings (3 hours to 4 hours); let your body adjust & increase again (4 hours to 5 hours). The more slowly you wean, the easier & less painful it is.

Brittany - posted on 09/22/2010

My 9 & a half month old is the same way. She recently went from nursing every 2 hours to every 3-4. My ped said it was possible that she's starting to slowly wean herself, & since she won't take baby food to try giving her table foods about 6 times a day. Although her ped said that most her nutrition still comes from the breastmilk BUT the table food is helping to make up for her feeding less. :)

Erin - posted on 09/22/2010

I breastfeed my son about 6-8 times in 24 hours. (Unless he is sick then he just about only nurses) He eats three full means a day too. He "can't" go without breastfeeding. He nurses before naps and when he gets up. Same with sleeping at night with a one wake up time during the night. Doctors are trained certain ways, and usually those ways are not the best ways. Just listen to your baby. Like someone said before, If both of ya'll are happy then continue to do so! Sounds like you are doing great!

Dawn - posted on 09/22/2010

My 9 month old was recently sick so we are nursing about 8 times a day. Prior to her illness we were nursing only 4 times daily and only the odd nighttime feeding. She mostly slept through the night. She's teething again too, and that makes a difference. She wants the comfort of mommy milk when she hurts... and orajel can only do so much! :) She loves her solid foods also; eating eggs and toast every morning, plus whatever I'm eating for lunch and dinner. I puree some for her; she loves trying new things!

Madichaba - posted on 09/22/2010

I don't worry much about weight, because children differ and my 2 boys were big and my 10month girl is average. The doctor did mention that at a certain stage they do not gain weight, as long as they eat and nurse, my one is not on formula and doctor advised to give her full cream yoghurt

Lisa - posted on 09/22/2010

shoot maybe something is wrong with my daughter. she is 21months old, still nurses about 5 times a day, eats all kinds of solids, and still nurses several times a night! And she is still the tiniest little thing.

Madichaba - posted on 09/22/2010

I feed less during the day and more at night, because I've gone back to work. Over weekends is different during the day because she knows I'm around.

Maggie - posted on 09/21/2010

by 8.5 months my son was on 3 bf, 7am lunch and before bed. He prefers solids on milk so eats 3 large table food meals plus snacks in between

Noreen - posted on 09/21/2010

MMy daughter is 12months old and still nurses every 3hrs and 1-2x a night. At a year, breastmilk is supposed to be 75% of their diet. Solids only 25%. It's on kellymom.com.

Brenda - posted on 09/21/2010

Ask your doctor what training he has in infant nutrition or immunology. Sure you can try to force a baby to live on "food" before a year, but more and more experts now say baby needs formula for a minimum of 18 months. Given that the natural age of weaning in humans is somewhere between 2-7 and probably a lot closer to 4-5 than two using basic physiological signs like lactase production (the enzyme needed to digest lactose), immune system development, etc. the earlier you wean the greater the cost for the baby and mother.

http://www.mother-2-mother.com/normal.ht...
From eight weeks (2 months) to a year, here are suggested minimum number of times a breastfed baby should be nursing, in a 24 hr span:

From 2 - 4 months baby should nurse at least 6 times in 24 hr period

From 4 - 7 months baby should nurse at least 5 times in 24 hr period

From 7 - 12 months baby should nurse at least 4 times in 24 hr period

Growth spurts will likely occur at around 10 days, 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, 4 months, again at 6 months, at 9 months and again around a year. Increased nursing can also be the result of the approach of a new developmental stage, illness, teething, or a result of change or usual routine, or increased stress or activity at home

http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids...
Many nursing moms are told that they must introduce cow's milk at a year. Your nursing toddler is already getting the best milk he can get - mother's milk! Breastmilk has a higher fat content than whole cow's milk (needed for baby's brain growth), and all the nutrients of human milk are significantly more bioavailable than those of cow's milk because it is species specific (not to mention all the components of mother's milk that are not present in cow's milk).

There is no need to add cow's milk to your toddler's diet (or the equivalent nutrients from other milks or foods) as long as your baby is nursing at least 3-4 times per day. Cow's milk is really just a convenient source of calcium, protein, fats, vitamin D, etc. - it's not required. There are many people in many parts of the world who do not drink milk and still manage to get all the calcium, protein, fats, vitamin D, etc. that they need.

http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids...
No. Solids during the first year are only meant to complement breastmilk, not take precedence over it or replace any breastfeedings. It is more of a way to add textures to the baby's diet, to allow the baby new experiences, and to help her develop hand/eye coordination through finger feeding. Your baby should still be allowed to nurse on demand, as your milk should be her primary source of nutrition until closer to the end of the first year. Continuing to allow on-demand feedings also better ensures your milk supply.

[...]

9 - 12 months Watch baby's cues - this is particularly easy if baby nurses beforehand and most/all of the solids are offered to baby to self-feed. Increase solids gradually if baby is interested. Aim for baby getting no more than 25% of her calories from solids by the age of 12 months (some babies eat less than this at 12 months and that's also normal).

http://www.askdrsears.com/faq/bf4.asp
I also have found that some infants are not developmentally ready for solids until 8 or 9 months. You can click here to read about what signs to watch for to determine when your infant is ready for foods. Breast milk is nutritionally complete for at least the first year of life. This means that infants can go for at least a year on breast milk alone, without eating any foods, and be nutritionally complete. Offering foods between 6 and 12 months of age is simply for social development and to get infants used to eating.

Kristy - posted on 09/21/2010

Yeah, teeth makes sense...

Veronica - posted on 09/21/2010

At ten months both my kids were self-weaning from breastfeeding and converting onto solids. So I was nursing 2-4 times a day, they were both totaly onto solids by 1yr. To each thier own but I always thought teeth were natures way of saying thier bodies are ready for solid food.

Donna - posted on 09/16/2010

my daughter also is 10 months and during the day she takes food, regular milk and breast milk. I used to pump on a regular basis since i work but now thats kinda stopped mostly b/c she sucks me dry from nursing on and off all night. But I'm not too upset. I dont know how often i feed her though, we're not on a set schedule, she just perfers breastmilk over anything else

Michelle Carpenter - posted on 09/16/2010

My 13 month old son still likes to breastfeed every 2-3 hours and still wakes at night to nurse. My pediatrician says he is doing just fine (26 lb, 32 in), he's a big boy! He doesn't eat a ton of solids but has been quite sick lately and he prefers to breastfeed when he isn't feeling well. I know he is getting great nutrition and not dehydrating. I would say you're doing just fine!! :)

Jeannette - posted on 09/16/2010

My son still breastfeeds every 2 hours (about) from 7:30 AM to 7:30 PM. I bf when he gets up, then in 2 hours I give him solids, but he still wants to bf. Breast milk should still be the main source of nutrition for babies under a year. But if your daughter isn't "demanding" it (like the way my son does), then I would probably try to spread it out.

Kristy - posted on 09/16/2010

I don't know about ten months, but my three month old nurses 5 times throughout a full day. She sleeps through the night.

Lise - posted on 09/15/2010

My little one loves her solids, but still nurses a good 8-10 times a day. Sounds like you're doing great!

Natasha - posted on 09/15/2010

I wouldn't worry about what the doc says. Babies get all they need from breastmilk. My 11 month old nurses every 2 hours or more, even at night. She eats solids, mainly just eats off of my plate. But she gets most of her nutrition from my milk. If she doesn't want to slow down and you're both happy with that schedule, I wouldn't think you need to change anything.

Anna Marie - posted on 09/15/2010

Definitely have to disagree with the doc on this one. At 10 months, nutrition should still be mostly from breastfeeding. Solids are simply an exploration of texture and taste! We still nurse on demand, and that is OFTEN!! He has just started solids in the last month and will nurse before and after eating peaches for a 'meal', and many times in between. Even with me back to work last week, he is nursing MANY times a day! I say keep up the good work, you're doing what feels right for you and your little one :)

Janice - posted on 09/15/2010

Currently my 10 mo. old is only breastfeeding 3x a day and she eats 3 full meals a day and snacks when needed. She began eating table food a little early and she has always enjoyed eating what I/we are eating. This is our eating/sleep schedule:

6/6:30am wake-up & breastfeed

8 am breakfast

9:30-11 nap

11am breastfeed

12:30 lunch

2:30- 3:30 nap

3:30 snack

5:30 dinner

7:45 breastfeed

8pm bedtime

Obviously all these times are approximate and may change by a 1/2hour. Hopefully this helpful. We started this schedule about 3 weeks ago. before that she was nursing 4 times a day and once in the middle of the night. Then my dr. told me that by 10mo. no child needs to eat in the middle of the night. so I just stopped. Thankfully my daughter has taken to the reduction in nursing easily.

Aileen - posted on 09/15/2010

My daughter is 9 1/2 months, and we still nurse about 8-12 in a 24 hour period. She still wakes up 3 or 4 times overnight, and she nurses anywhere from 4-8 times during the day. She finger feeds herself what she wants during breakfast, lunch and dinner. I have just recently added snacks because at her 9 month appointment we found she has started dropping in the weight percentile. She wasn't very high to begin with, so I don't want her dropping more.

*Fluffy Bunnies - posted on 09/14/2010

Most of her nutrition should come from breast milk until after one year. I'm not sure why your doctor would say that. At 10 months my daughter was nursing 6-8 times a day. She was eating some solids, but not much.