7 month old still nursing every 2-3 hours

ILMomma · March 2014

DS is nursing every 2-3 hours during the day and at night. When I tell people this I get weird looks. Someone even told me to not nurse him if he cries at night because hes not really hungry he just wants to be picked up. I feed on demand and I don't mind feeding him in the middle of the night or that often during the day but is this schedule uncommon for his age?

linzeek44 · March 2014

You'll find some babies are great sleepers and don't eat at night and others aren't.

Since I didn't mind, I kept feeding on demand which was about every 3 hours day and night until I went back to work and was too tired to be up all night every night (15 months). Did he need to eat at night at 12 months? Nope. Did I feed him anyway since it worked for us? Yup.

I'd say if you don't mind, you don't have to change it.

cinderin · March 2014

My DS is 7.5 m and still feeding 2-3 hours around the clock. It is rough (the sleep deprivation). But I just try to remind myself it isn't forever.

DS only wakes when he wants something and he only eats when he is hungry, so if he wakes and eats, then I know that was what he wanted.

vvvvvfee · March 2014

night waking is the biological norm for breastfed babies and toddlers. pro-breastfeeding experts do not generally recommend night weaning before age 1. your LO probably needs that extra nutrition from night feeds (not to mention the comfort and reassurance it provides). if you and baby are happy, then ignore people who give you a hard time about it.

even if your LO DID just cry because he want to be held, isn't it natural to want to pick him up and comfort him?

here are a couple of articles with relevant info if you want to read more:
Myths and Facts About Night Wakings
Baby Sleep Training: Mistakes "Experts" and Parents Make
Why I Want To Burn Every Baby Training Book in Existence

RDK24 · March 2014

All babies are different. Mine just turned 8 months and nurses/has a bottle of pumped milk 4-5x a day (plus two solids feedings) and hasn't woken up at night to nurse for some time now. I didn't sleep train her, just came that way! If you don't mind the 2-3 hour schedule and that keeps your LO happy, I say ignore the weird looks.

Speaking of, I recently got a "really? She's still nursing at this age?" comment about my LO. She won't be a year old until July and this person acted like I was nuts for still breastfeeding. She said the baby seems "a little old" for that and that I've been doing it too long.

People who are uninformed should really keep said opinions to themselves.

Laurakat81 · March 2014

If it's working for you and your baby then there is definitely nothing wrong!

CNYBride05 · March 2014

My girls are eating every 2-3 hours, round the clock, as well. They are babies, I feed on demand, so it's fine. I've gotten similar advice about CIO, but that's not what works for us.

SidraJedi · March 2014

DD is just over a year and she still nurses every 3-4 hours and sometimes she pops on and off for an hour here or there for comfort or snacking. She eats solids five times a day and drinks kefir (yogurt) from a sippy. She nurses all night long.

TheBorg7of9 · March 2014

Personally, I could not handle that. My son is 11 weeks and is 80th percentile in weight. I make sure to feed him seven times a day. But when he wakes at night, I try the paci before feeding him and it usually works.

bunniekrissy · March 2014

DS1 was like this. He would nurse for 5 minutes at a time or less once we got past the first couple months (I had overactive letdown so he got a lot in that short time) but at least every 2-3 hours during the day at that age and older. When he turned 1, he still nursed AT LEAST 6 times per day, I can't remember exactly. He also didn't STTN until almost 2 years old.

=Lee=B · March 2014

Mine fed every 2hrs round the clock until 11 months. She then started spacing to 3-3.5hrs and now at 12.5months she nurses at 7:30pm, 2am and 6am most nights...then about 2x during day. I feed on demand, she just demands less, all on her own doing.

LisaLisa1980 · March 2014

I'm still feeding my 11 month old every 2-3 hrs. It's not weird.

Jupiter62 · March 2014

My LO is 6.5 months and still wakes every 3 hours at night to eat. During the day he'll also eat every 3 hours (but sometimes closer to 2 hrs).

If waking up at night doesn't bother you, then there's no need to "fix" it. If it does start to bother you, you can try to stretch out the feedings. Whatever works for you.

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7 month old still nursing every 2-3 hours

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