BF's 9mo

[3littlemen]

Just a quick question, DS3 is bfx4 a day plus DF. Each feed (roughly 6.30am, 11am, 4pm, 7pm, 9-9.30pm) has varying degrees of interest level. We eat 3 solid meals a day, 7.30,12-12.30,5-5.30, as much as he will eat (which is 3tabs+ at least - def. 1 whole weetbix at breaky)

Is that enough milk? I'd like to wean the DF, only cos I want to go to bed earlier!, but would also keep it if he needed it.
What do you think? (I don't want to wean all, but could I kill the DF and kick the dinner meal earlier and leave bt feed good - or just not worry about it??)

By 12mo, the other two DS's were on one bf a day.

[jessmum46]

We were on 4 BF in the day at 9 months, no DF, and dropped to 3 BF at 10 months as DD had no interest in her mid-afternoon feed.  I would probably go for dropping the DF first and then see how you go with the rest of the day.  Many babies do keep 4 feeds until a year of age but they are all different

[*Ali*]

Mine were on 4BFs a day until 12mo and 15mo respectively but without a DF. Often if they had a NF in the early hours but that replaced the morning wake up feed normally.

If he is eating and feeding well I would try dropping the DF and keep the 4 daytime feeds. If he starts waking hungry then I'd go back to the DF for a bit longer.

[3littlemen]

Thanks ladies. With the other two, I never worried about it and let them drop feeds as they lost interest (and never bothered altering solids to keep a feed either). Now knowing that it's best to feed up til 1, I'd like to keep at it til then - but wouldn't mind the earlier nights either!

[*Ali*]

What about bringing the DF earlier for a bit?

[3littlemen]

I've brought it to 9pm, and then one side, and then last night stopped. rough night, getting top teeth through the gum, should've medicated but didn't occur to me. Ended up feeling rather painful (on my end) and when he wouldn't settle at 3am, he took a big feed both sides, (felt big - relieving anyway! lol) and slept again til 5.45 or so when he took another lap and slept til 7am.

Lately the breaky feed has been pretty good so long as his big brothers aren't awake yet, but the 11am (which is generally after nap, but not a chance of being drowsy as he's been awake for 30mins or so) is a doosy - I let him play with his dummy to keep him 'interested' for longer but even that isn't all that successful at this feed. The next one at 4is better, he'll usually be sleepy still and then bed time depends on how long ago he finished dinner. (I think). He's not starving by any means, but it's like he could take or leave bf. Should I space them out a bit more or just bring solids to right after bf - so that there's more time to pass between meals?

Currently
bf 6.30ish
solids 7.30
bf 11 (wishful thinking that his nap ended here!)
solids12.30
bf4
solids 5.30-6
bf7

Should I offer bf say 6.30,12,5,7??

[*Ali*]

You could try but I wonder if he would be hungry for the BT feed if he had a BF at 5, then a solid dinner and then the BT feed at 7... ?

Is there any possibility he could eat the solids meals straight after the BFs so there is a longer time until the next feed, especially at dinner time? Or is he eating with the rest of the family and that would mess things up?

[3littlemen]

breaky and lunch are with his brothers, but I don't think it would bother too much to join solids to his bf... dinner is a bit tricky, he eats by himself at present, but it's prob the one that does need to be consolidated. Last night's bt feed wasn't much to rave about, but then he was awake for 2hr crying from 1.45am... medicine didn't put a dint in it, and this morning he wasn't starving either (so I'm thinking maybe it was more environmental - wanting to be in my bed, or too hot/cold etc rather than pain or hunger - saying that could have been pain?!)

[*Ali*]

Maybe his teeth were bothering him. Poor sausage.