Is 3 feeds a day enough for an 8 month old?

[cath]

Hi everyone,
my son Patrick is almost 8.5 months old and I am starting to get my head around the prospect of weaning him (mostly because I want my period back to be able to try for baby number 2). He has been very distracted when I try to feed him for the last couple of months so my number of feeds has been a bit all over the place as I keep trying every couple of hours to make sure he is getting what he needs. He eats 3 solids meals a day and I am now wondering if 3 breastfeeds a day would be okay.He ended up having 5 hours between feeds at one point yesterday which resulted in him really concentrating and feeding properly so I'm now thinking I might just feed him morning, middle of the day and then before bed (and any other time he really seems to need it such as sometimes in the middle of the night to resettle) - is this enough? I am going to try and do some research to find some sort of guideline - I have no idea what I am doing. How often do other people feed babies of this age ( and older - how many feeds does a 9/10 month old have?).

Thanks,
Cath

[borntobemummy]

My DD has 3 BFs and 3 solid meals a day, she's 10 months and has a healthy appetite, we also give her bits and pieces of what we're eating... if she sees food she has to have it now!!:laughing: Anyway, this has been the pattern since she was 6 or 7 months but I still haven't got my period back, I guess it is different for everyone though, so don't use my example as a rule;)

[Terrible2+1cutie]

Yeah i think 3 feeds a day is heaps. My sons were having 3 feeds a day as soon as they started solids just about, before or after breakfast, lunch and dinner. I conceived DS2 when DS1 was only 6 months old and i was still actively breastfeeding till DS1 was 10 months old when he weaned himself ( i was 4 months pregnant). I wish you luck in trying for the next bub and weaning your son.

Catherine

Mum to Blaze and Bailey

[Goosie22]

Hi Cath,

3 feeds/5 hours between feeds is perfectly fine if your son is happy and settled (drinking water from a cup and eating a variety of healthy foods and snacks). All children are different and I am sure if your offering every couple of hours he would have taken more if he wanted. As for the weaning to get your period and TTC with your son reducing his feeds to 3 to 4 good feeds your fertility will return as many have found and you will probably have no problem falling preg with no 2 while feeding him and he may wean himself as a result of the pregnacy.

Good luck:fingerscrossed:

[cath]

Thanks for the replies. Hopefully my system will kick back into gear if I stop feeding so often (which is all a bit uselss anyway because he will be on for 3 seconds then pull off and be squirming trying to get away and looking around the room). I am happy to feed him whenever he wants but these days he just doesn't seem to want to so much (not like the good old days of 40 minute feeds every 2 hours). That's good to know I won't be depriving him if he has 3 feeds a day (plus his 3 decent meals plus water). How quickly things change. Thanks again.