How many breastfeeds at six months?

[angierobb]

I wonder if anyone can help. I was breastfeeding 7am, 11am, 3pm and 7pm for bed. i have started solids at 4 months and lo is now eating 3 meals a day. I have been trying to introduce bottle for day feeds, but lo refuses. Can i replace day feeds with yogurt, fromage frais? Or should i keep trying with bottle/cup for day? i still bf morning and night. I just feel i need a break during the day now and I am back to work soon and getting worried. My wee boy is six months now. Thanks in advance xx

[annette.xx]

Hi there

I did 4 feeds a day up until about 7 1/2 months when I switched to 3 BF - I tried bottles/cups - she took a cup but very little so I just stuck out the BF!! I know alot of BW mums do 4 BF still until around 9/10 months but 3 feeds has been fine for me! just remember the milk is more important so encourage as much milk as possible rather than fill up on solids for a few months...

I didnt start solids until 6 months so your LO may be ready for 3 feeds a little sooner - when do you return to work?

Annette.xx

[anna*]

Hi, welcome to the boards

It's recommended that they get most of their calories from milk until 12 months, so I would really try to keep up the milk (breastmilk or formula) for a while yet. Most of them don't drop a milk feed until around 8-9 months and then perhaps drop another feed closer to 1 year old. It would even be worthwhile to cut back on solids a bit to see if that would encourage him to take the milk from a cup?

[shivi]

Hi there,

bmilk or formula is the most important part of your baby's diet till 12 mths so you should keep trying with different cups, bottles, spouts etc to get your LO to accept formula if that is the route you choose....

in saying that, with both of mine, (bfed DS till 16 mths and currently don't see the end in sight with DD aged 11 mths, touch wood)....I dropped the 11am feed once protein was accepted and eaten daily and moved lunch a bit earlier, replacing milk with natural yoghurt....BUT I kept up the DF with both of them till 10 and 10.5 mths respectively so in fact they still had 4 milk feeds plus 3 solid meals.

DD now bfeeds 7,3,7 only but has brekkie solids, a snack of fruit, lunch with protein and milky/cheesey dessert/snack, tea is family supper - sometimes soup and bread, pasta, risotto or something else like this......

I work fulltime 8-3 daily and went back after DS at 4.5 mths and this time at 7.5 mths. With DS I was expressing twice a day to keep up supply and have milk for the 10am and 1pm feeds....then the 11am only as I was home for 3pm.....and that was SOOO tough but this time its much easier as DD was older and already weaned off the 11am feed....plus I DFd DD almost always from the breast so didn't need to express for this....

good luck and whatever you decide, well done for getting to 6 mths.....xxx

S x