Schedule for Breastfeeding?

If you are happy with the arrangement, and your son is happy and growing, then its fine! I absolutely love having my 9 month old on a schedule; it works great for both of us. My friend and her 8 month old are equally happy with an on-demand life-style! Similarly, my boy gets a lot of solid foods whereas her girl gets only breast-milk, but both are growing and developing fine.

If, on the other hand, you are unhappy with the lack of sleep or with nursing on-demand, try guiding him to something that works better for you. I liked Suzy Giodorno's sleep method, but there's lots out there and I'm sure you can find something you are comfortable with.

Since you do feed some solid foods, you might want to consider adding some iron-fortified cereal to your veggie or fruit, because sometimes breast-fed only babies get a little low on iron around 9 mos. or a year.

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I have never put my kids on a schedule or limited their nursing for up to 2 years old. They weaned (mom led) between 2 & 3.

I also didn't worry about solids under a year.

I'm a pretty laid back mom though, some people need a little more control ;)

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Hey T.. Sounds like you are not having a great time trying to feed your baby, I am sorry to hear that. I have breastfed both of my boys, one is 4 months old and the other is 4 years old. I weaned my 4 year old at 9 months and I am currently breastfeeding my 4 month old. My four month old is on a on demand schedule and I feed him rice cereal in the evenings (once a day). I am a firm believer that every baby and mom is different, I don't believe in the baby having to have a schedule. My mom had 7 kids and none of us were on a schedule and were all breastfed. My pediatrician said that babies who are breastfed do not need any other foods until 6 months. Maybe you could try starting over. Just breastfeed and give him rice cereal mixed with your breastmilk at night. Slow down, relax and your baby will too!! Take care and I hope you work something out. BTW, my 4 year old still takes naps...but he goes to preschool and they do that there as well.

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You have recieved such good advice and resources for your own research of educated opinions (World Health Organization WHO) for example.
The truth is no matter how hard you try to schedule your baby he will rearrange it to meet his hunger needs. A breastfed baby as you already know eats a lot less of the jar foods when you nurse first. That is the correct order to maintain your milk supply so you are on the money. I may suggest that you give cereal and veggies in the morning and perhaps a protein at night with a little fruit after nursing him and that may accomplish several objectives. Sleeping better and extra protein helps him feel full longer without the rebound hunger effect of carbohydrates (cereal, milk, fruits are all carb's)
Good luck and just remember, no matter what, this too shall pass. For many of us way to soon.
K. @ The Nestingplace

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Is this wrong? Nope

Should he be on a schedule? Nah

How often should he nurse a day?as often as he needs too

Is he eating enough solids? yes

Remember that solids up until 1 are just to experience with foods and to encourage social behavior not for nutrition, so he could be eating les then 2 jars a day and be fine as long as he is nursing well. Also make sure you offer the breast first before solids because you want him to be full of milk not empty calories. Milk and cereal both have about 20 calories per oz but cereal is missing all the fat and protien of breastmilk, the very things your baby needs to grow muscles and healthy brain tissue, so don't worry about the solids, just make sure he is eatting enough breast milk and he will be fine.

I don't even start solids until 10 months or so, and my kids are healthy, normal sized kids and doing just great!

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If you want him to be sleeping more at a stretch through the night, then you should be feeding him more often during the day. Sometimes a schedule can help with this. As for the solid foods (baby foods), at this age, it is really just to help them learn how to eat it, but you could try some cereals as they are a bit more filling than the fruits and veggies. Just make sure you introduce them one kind at a time (start with either rice cereal or oatmeal) and wait several days to see if there is a reaction before moving on to something else.

When my daughter was that age, she was eating mostly table foods cut into smaller pieces. At 9 months, she decided she wouldn't eat baby food anymore. You might try this too. Just give him some soft pieces of bread, cottage cheese, yogurt, small pieces of cheese, etc. so that he can start feeding himself (again, introduce these slowly and look for reactions). I also breastfed her and she had 4 feedings per day at that age in addition to the food. She was sleeping through the night at 5 weeks old though, so I never had the problem with her waking at night to feed. The advice her pediatrician gave me very early on was to "tank her up" during the day, meaning feed her more often starting in the early afternoon, so that she would have enough in her to get through the night. You may want to give this a shot.

Here is what her schedule was at that age....just in case you want to try a schedule:
She nursed when she woke up and then had some cereal and a fruit for "breakfast" about an hour later. I then nursed her mid-morning. Lunch time was food first (table food or cereal and a veggie and fruit) then nursed if she still wanted something. Mid afternoon nursing. Dinner of food (cereal, veggie and fruit or table food), then nursed her again right before bed. You could also nurse him after his meals if you wanted to just to be sure he's getting enough. So, she had small meals throughout the day with breastmilk in between, but got plenty to keep her down throughout the night.

I hope this helps! I had it made with my daughter since she slept so well from the beginning. I am preggo with #2 now and terrified that he's gonna be at the opposite end of the spectrum. :-) Best of luck to you!

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I never had a schedule on feeding any of my kiddos--they nursed on demand. It worked well for us--they had somewhat of their own schedule, but it wasn't time specific. Nursing is not as easy to put on a schedule since it is easier digested than formula.

Two of my three would nurse every couple of hours and my other nursed at four and five hour intervals towards the end. It depends on the child. If they are nursing at least five times a day --i think you are doing good.

I used a cookie with all three of mine that was by nabisco--sometimes it is hard to find, but it is nabisco's arrowroot cracker--in a blue box--it dissolves almost instantly and it taught my three how to gum and chew better.

If you want to introduce more solids i would try to offer those first instead of the breast and offer the breast afterward. I would also offer him a sippie of water while trying to offer the solids, even if he doesn't use it he eventually will and will associate a meal with a cup.

Some kids just prefer the breast and you can work with him on this if you are trying to wean at cetain times, but i had a nephew that was 85% breat fed at age one, and the doctor said it was okay as long as he was not losing weight--he has poorer eating habits now, but is very healthy.

EDITED: I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ADD THAT I USED A BOOK CALLED SUPER BABY FOOD AND MADE HOMEMADE BABY FOR FOR MY THREE--AND THE TWO WHO ATE IT MORE HAVE BETTER APPETITIES. MAKING HOMEMADE FOOD IS EASY AND IT TASTE MUCH BETTER. INSTEAD OF BUYING BANANAS IN A JAR-- I MASHED A FRESH ONE AND SO ON --FRESH AVACADOS, ETC.)

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