How many BFs should a 6 mth old have?
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Topic: How many BFs should a 6 mth old have?
Posted By: frankie
Subject: How many BFs should a 6 mth old have?
Date Posted: 09 May 2011 at 9:10pm
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I've started my DD on solids in the last 3 weeks. We've been taking it slow in terms of volume, small amounts at lunch, and I've just introduced an evening meal this week.
In the last few days she has stretched her awake time out and we are down from 3 to 2 day sleeps. I breastfeed her after she wakes from each sleep, so by dropping a sleep, she has dropped a feed. This means she has 5 feeds - usually the first at 4 or 5 am, one when she wakes for the day, after both day sleeps and before bed. Should I try to BF her somewhere else in the day, or is it okay at this age for her to drop one feed? I just want to be sure I am giving her enough milk. ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow">  
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Replies:
Posted By: CJsays
Date Posted: 09 May 2011 at 9:15pm
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frankie i was just reading the other day that from 4 months is common for babies to have 4-5 feeds a day, so sounds perfectly normal! Our 3 month old (corrected age) just started doing 5 feeds when she slept thru the day, but i think they just gulp more at each feed. don't worry, if she is still hungry she will be crying for more food somewhere during the day! ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: newme
Date Posted: 09 May 2011 at 9:15pm
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I personally would recommend you bf on demand - milk should still be her main source of nutrients at the moment.
So if you feed her when she is hungry, then you will ensure she is both quenching her thirst, and satisfying the hunger. I wouldn't drop a feed if she is wanting it, as the dehydration could result in constipation now that solids have been introduced. As each women has different capacity to hold milk in her breasts, and each baby takes in different amounts of milk in each feed, there is no right answer about how many feeds a baby should have. That is why demand feeding is important. |
Posted By: frankie
Date Posted: 09 May 2011 at 9:32pm
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I used to BF on demand with no set pattern, but we sort of fell into the routine I described above, which seems to satisfy her. I feed her when she wakes from a sleep, regardless of whether she seems to want it or not, and she rarely asks for a feed outside of that. I BF her if she asks though, for sure.
------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: CJsays
Date Posted: 09 May 2011 at 9:32pm
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here's the article:
Feeding less frequently As your baby reaches four months, his stomach has grown bigger so he doesn't need to feed so often -- just four or five times a day. But he'll still gain weight -- his need to feed just tapers off as he gets older, becoming more like that of older children and adults. Now his attention will start to gravitate toward other people and things during mealtimes, and though it's exciting to see him aware of and responsive to new things, feedings can get difficult. If your baby is easily distracted, try feeding him somewhere quiet for a while. Read more: http://www.babycenter.com.au/baby/development/04mth/#ixzz1LqWIvTZh ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: caliandjack
Date Posted: 09 May 2011 at 10:07pm
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That's approximately how often DD gets fed and she's fed on demand, we are now up to 3 solid meals a day and she gets fed before each one, in the morning and again before she goes to bed at night. She may or may not get a feed overnight is she wants it.
She is very easily distracted feeding her when out is proving impossible she will however happily have solids and water. I'm not worried for the most part she gets to feed when ever she wants it and how much food she will eat. ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow">   [/url] Angel June 2012 |
Posted By: KH25
Date Posted: 10 May 2011 at 9:05am
Zac is FF so maybe different but just recently has gone from 5 bottles down to 4 in a day. With 2 meals of solids  I don't think he drinks enough (rarely finishes a 200ml bottle) but he is putting on weight well and sleeping through so he must be getting all he needs.------------- Kelly, mum to DD, 19Jun06 (26wks 1lb15oz) DS1, 24Oct10 (32wks 4lb11oz) and DS2, 31Dec11 (32wks, 4lb11) http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: KH25
Date Posted: 10 May 2011 at 9:07am
Hey caliandjack, your little one is a day older than mine  ------------- Kelly, mum to DD, 19Jun06 (26wks 1lb15oz) DS1, 24Oct10 (32wks 4lb11oz) and DS2, 31Dec11 (32wks, 4lb11) http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: caliandjack
Date Posted: 10 May 2011 at 9:30am
 ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow"> [/url] Angel June 2012 |
KH25 wrote:Posted By: KH25
Date Posted: 10 May 2011 at 10:10am
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Definately not lol!!! ------------- Kelly, mum to DD, 19Jun06 (26wks 1lb15oz) DS1, 24Oct10 (32wks 4lb11oz) and DS2, 31Dec11 (32wks, 4lb11) http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Hopes
Date Posted: 10 May 2011 at 11:42am
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Hey, Maddie's beating Jacob in day sleeps - he's still on three! No fair
That sounds totally fine and normal. Jacob was having one extra at that age (because of the extra sleep) but I noticed he doesn't drink much each feed, I'm sure if he'd had one less he would have just drunk more. I'm all for demand feeding, but having a bit of a structure works well too, and I've always fed Jacob after each sleep too. If he was grizzly and pulling my top I'd give him more, but he doesn't tend to. -------------   
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Posted By: frankie
Date Posted: 10 May 2011 at 12:29pm
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Heh Hopes - well she decided to wake at 7.30 am this morning and was back asleep by 9.30 am, so will definitely be on 3 sleeps today. She likes to mix it up ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: fire_engine
Date Posted: 10 May 2011 at 12:47pm
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Go by the baby - my 5 1/2 month old is still having 6-8 BFs a day. ------------- Mum to two wee boys |
Posted By: fairy1
Date Posted: 10 May 2011 at 12:55pm
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I spoke to plunketline yesterday as DS had dropped his feeds down since starting 2 meals a day and they said he should be on 4-5 feeds a day. So your DD sounds perfectly normal. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: kiwisj
Date Posted: 10 May 2011 at 1:11pm
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Yep totally depends on your baby :) My DS2 is almost 7mo but for the past 5 weeks or so has been dropping the 3rd nap so having 4 feeds/day along with 3 meals. We more or less do Feed-Play-Sleep so he feeds 6, 10, 2.30, 6ish. He doesn't have a late/dreamfeed at night, but it's pretty normal to still be doing that one (or more) at this age, going by my friends' experience. ------------- SJ Callum - Dec 2008 Daniel - Oct 2010 |
Posted By: KiwiL
Date Posted: 10 May 2011 at 2:50pm
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Sounds about right to me. Mine is having usually 7 feeds a day, but that includes 2 or 3 overnight still *yawn*.
And he mucks around like crazy during the day, so I tend to feed him before a sleep not after. Otherwise they're just little feeds, but these days I figure if he's hungry he'll eat. Just see how you go - you'll soon know if your wee one wants more. |
Posted By: caliandjack
Date Posted: 10 May 2011 at 9:39pm
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Our demand feeding is more like I offer and she refuses or makes use of me as a dummy. ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow"> [/url] Angel June 2012 |
Posted By: Bambino
Date Posted: 11 May 2011 at 7:59am
| My three and a bit month old is on 4 feeds per day plus one at night on occasion - just started sleeping through. |
Posted By: sarasal
Date Posted: 11 May 2011 at 2:12pm
| Mine was still feeding almost every hour at that age but babies are all different. If she's gaining weight, making plenty of wet nappies and not getting constipated, she's probably doing alright. I think you really just have to tune in to your baby's cues as to when they want to nurse & they'll let you know what they need. |