how many times do you breastfeed your 8 months?

Holly Janelle - posted on 11/21/2011

Kel- I agree with teresa. All kids are individuals and they all have their own individual needs. I believe that your baby is telling you ehh I'm not really needing or wanting this right now and prefers the breast for a reason. I would worry too much and in my experience pediatricians don't seem to know a whole lot about Breastfeeding at all! It's seems like all they know about is formula feeding ect. If your worried just have them test every now and then for anemia like I was told but I'm sure you'll be fine. I was told breastmilk was all a baby really needs for the first 12 months than after that they will need more solids but again every child is a unique individual :)

Teresa - posted on 11/21/2011

Kel... different people (doctors and such) will tell you different things. IMO, it really depends on the kid and their individual needs. My girls started on solids early and took right to them. Never had any trouble and were probably eating 3 meals a day by 8 or 9 months. My son, on the other hand, took his first bite of solids at 6 months, but wasn't eating them on a regular daily basis til around a year and still had some breastmilk only days til a year and a half.

All 3 of my kids (girls are almost 10, son is 3.5) are just as healthy as each other and growing and thriving just fine. Personally, I WOULD keep offering your baby solids, but don't push it and don't worry about it. If all she wants to do is nurse... let her nurse.

Maree - posted on 11/21/2011

I am a little confused with the importance of solids. I am in Australia so maybe the ideas are different here but i have been told that my almost 8 month old really needs to be eating 3 meals a day and not only does she need fruit and veg but meat,chicken and fish as well. I only breast feed about 4 times a day and she doesn't really want any more than that. I try to give her food but she isn't interested and a lot of the time she gags and won't have it. I don't want to cut back the breast feeds cause i think it is important. The baby clinic nurse says i should just keep trying with the solids and that she may become Anaemic if i don't give her enough food.She sleeps through the night and has been for 2 months. She is 9kg so quite heavy and very healthy...I think you are giving a lot of breast feeds and a lot of food also but maybe that is what they are supposed to have and my baby just doesn't eat much...I don't know.
If some of you are saying that food is just for fun in the first 12 months then why am i being told basically to force feed my baby?? Honestly i am tempted to give up on the solids completely for now...i don't know what to do...

Sally - posted on 11/21/2011

When my girls were 8 months, I nursed them whenever they wanted it.

Holly Janelle - posted on 11/19/2011

Its probably the cereal that's responsible for the weight gain it's just carbs there is no nutritional value in it and it's harder for them to digest. Maybe just give one feeding of cereal a day and the rest fruit or veggies?
Now that I completely understand what you were saying since there was a bit of confusion it sounds like your doing everything perfectly!

Sarah - posted on 11/18/2011

I meant to sy in my first post that everyone says i should not nurse when she wakes at night, but I do anyways. However last night she slept through the night. Today she nursed probly 10 times and had 1 tbs cereal in morning 1 table stage 1-2 tablespoon fruit and 1 tbs cereal at dinner. Last night she slept through the night.

Sarah - posted on 11/18/2011

I use Earths Best organic as well.

Sarah - posted on 11/18/2011

She gained 10 0z when she was only getting 1 or2 solids a day and sometimes none. Dr. told me to up solids. I do cereal in morning a half a jar of stage 1 food around lunch and sometimes a little cereal at dinner. Solids are always after nursing. Sometimes she is nursed again after a solid.

Anna - posted on 11/18/2011

Until my son was 1 yr, I always offered the breast before offering solids as it is my understanding that breastmilk or formula should coprise 90% of the infant's diet.

Holly Janelle - posted on 11/17/2011

Sarah- I agree with Lise that's a lot of solids for a 7 month old. Solids before 1 are just for fun. I nurse my daughter on demand throughout the day and I nurse her to sleep and when she wakes up during the night. I would definately start nursing your daughter at night and it will not only benefit her but your milk supply as well! The only time you should cut night nursing out of the picture is if their sleeping through the night or their over 1 and your starting to wean. The only time she gets any solids is every other day or sometimes we go longer without giving her any solids, but when I do I give her 1 jar of stage 1 organic baby food (earth's best) one hour after I nurse her (that way I'm not substituting solids for nursing) and that keeps my supply healthy. 10 lbs is A LOT to gain in just 1 month (that's the biggest sign that your giving way to many solids). I think you need to focus on nursing and not so much solids anymore and that will help your supply big time. About naps my daughter is a big comfort nurser. She loves comfort nursing(laying down) at nap time I'll let her do it for about 15-30 minutes and unlatch her if she wakes up she wakes up if I can slip a passy in her mouth without hee noticing it's not my boob and goes back to sleep great! if she wakes up o well. Some days she's great at naps some days she's not. My guess to why your baby cried when you put her down is because she still wants to comfort nurse and be close to you so why not let her? Unless you have something that just can't wait. Just my opinion..this won't last forever :) good luck sounds like your trying your best mama and obviously you care or 1) you wouldn't be nursing and 2) you wouldn't be asking for advise. ♥ feel free to ask more questions if you think of anything else!

Lise - posted on 11/17/2011

That seems like a lot of solids (to me). We followed this schedule for feedings: http://www.mother-2-mother.com/samplemen...

Sarah - posted on 11/17/2011

My baby will be be 7 months old. Her nursing sessions are very sporatic. Sometimes she want it other times she doesn't. She gets a little barley cereal in the morning about 2 tablespoons and then she gets a vegtable or fruit later. I am thinking I need to up her solids but I am concerned she isn't getting enough breatmilk. She is 16 lbs 5 oz. She won't take a bottle so I have no idea really how much she takes. I haven't seen a lac. consultant since she was 8 weeks. She did gain 10 oz since her 6 month check. Everyone keeos saying I should nurse her when she wakes at night. I have no ide hw to tell if she needs it or is just doing it for comfort. I was worried my supply was dropping because my pumping output is not much but I guess that is normal. I talk to lac. cosultant on phone yesterday. She is a horrible napper. I usually nurse her and put her down then she wakes in a half hour cries and then goes back to sleep. I am wondering if she should be sleeping through the night???

Holly Janelle - posted on 11/16/2011

My daughter is still exclusively breastfed maybe has jar of organic baby food level 1 once ever other day or sometimes even a week without having a jar of baby food. She nurses 6-8 times a day but it's completely on demand. My daughter was born 7 lbs 7 oz and weighs a little over 20 lbs. she has atleast 2-3 poops a day and no signs of any teeth coming in. I'm not rushing on the solids we are doing good with strictly bm over here. Solids before a year is just for fun. Babies under 12 months should still have bm or formula as their main source of nutrition. Sounds like y'all are doing great!

Teresa - posted on 11/16/2011

6-8 times sounds good. Hard to remember any of mine at 8 months. My girls were schedule fed probably every 4 hours at that age (8am-8pm and once or twice at night), so probably 5-6 maybe 7 times. My son was on no type of schedule and nursed every 1-4 hours (day and night) depending on his mood from early infancy til a year and a half! ;)

Lise - posted on 11/16/2011

Sounds about right! Following recommendations I'd researched, we nursed at least 6 times a day (recommendations were a minimum of 5-8), and my daughter usually nursed more like 8-10 times per day until a year. For solids, we followed these guidelines:
http://www.mother-2-mother.com/samplemen...

Maree - posted on 11/16/2011

That is quite a lot of breast feeds in my opinion. I have a thing from my baby clinic that recommends 3 breast feeds at this age but i breast feed about 4 to 5 times. if your baby is not drinking a lot and it's just to put her to sleep then it's probably good to feed lots of times anyway. It really doesn't matter how often you feed as long as it isn't interfering too much with your life to the point that you are struggling with it... My bub (apart from putting her to sleep) is not a comfort feeder so i feed her normally the same amount of times as she has solids. she has 3 meals a day at the moment and i breast feed in between (sort of as a snack rather than feeding her snack foods in between meals)It kinda works out that she eats something every 2 to 3 hours. Day goes like this...

6am-7am. breast feed
8am. breaky
9 to 10am.breast feed,sleep for 1.5 hours
12pm.lunch
3pm.breast feed,sleep for 30mins to 1.5 hours
5.30pm.dinner
7.30pm.breast feed,sleep

Janet - posted on 11/10/2011

My son is just 8 month and is about 23 lbs now. If I had to write down our day it would look something like this, but with a lot of variables as I have a 2yr old daughter as well and can't always have him napping 2 times a day, he's adapted to one big nap.

Wake-nurse about 10minutes
1 hour later 3-5 tbsp of cereal with 3-5tbsp of fruit (or toast/bagel, eggs, banana, berries, etc etc he's a big self feeder)
nurse b4 nap about 10 min
sleep about 2-4 hours
nurse on waking 5 minutes max, he's too busy wanting to go-go-go
about 1 later supper, whatever we're eating
2 hours later snack, yogurt or veggies
nurse 10-25 min before sleep