Feeding My Almost 10 Month Old

I don't know what is normal but my son stopped breast feeding when he was 8 months old on his own. He would not try bottles but he tried a sippy cup and that was it. I tried pumping and putting it in his cup but after a little time he wanted no bm. He is 4 now and boy is he healthy. My doctor told me they will let you know when they need something. Have you considered trying milk a little early? or formula?

By the time my boys were 10 months old, they were getting nursed 3x a day - morning, before afternoon nap, and bedtime. Baby food replaced the mid-morning and mid afternoon nursing, and they each got crackers, cheerios, finger food while we ate dinner at night (sitting at the table with us from day one). I also introduced a sippy cup around this time - with watered down grape juice - so that transition went smoothly.

Eric (son #2) was actually into pasta by the time he was 10 months old - and I was completely off baby food by the time he was 1. Brian (son #1) was a little later adapting to the whole big people food thing, but he was on table food exclusively by the time he was 15 months old.

R.,
It sounds like what I do now, and my DS is 12.5 months. He is busy busy during the day, although he stops to nurse sometimes. Good that he gets two naps, too! That's where my DS is needing some sleep, although he took two today, and looks to fall asleep earlier than usual, too.

I think you're doing great - cutting out the nursing at night won't cure the daytime lapses, though. You are doing something very great and wonderful for your baby - something not a lot of babies get, from what I am reading. I wish you luck finding balance on this, but I think you are doing just fine.

I think norm is what you make it - nature made it totally normal!

Good Luck, and happy Mothering,
M.

there is no "norm" to be honest with you. i nursed my son about as much as you do now when he was 10 months. i also fed him food at bfast, lunch and dinners. he nursed in the morning, before his morning nap, before bed and 1-2 times during the night. dont worry - its sounds as if he's getting enough nourishment between his mommys milk and food!! Just enjoy that sweet little boy! Mine weaned himself from nursing at 13 months and I miss it soo much! D

I don't think there's a set number, as long as he's getting enough nutrition through the solids he eats. It's important for him to get enough calcium and iron. Are you giving him yogurt? If he's eating that, you could even try giving him a little bit of cow's milk - my pediatrician says there's no difference between the milk protein in yogurt vs. milk, just the amount of it when you switch them over to milk at 12 months old.

Medically there's no reason you need to nurse him during the night, he's old enough to go all night without feeding. If you stop the night nursing, he'll probably eat or nurse more during the day to make up for it.

I think I would cut out the day feedings if he's doing great with regular foods and just nurse at bedtime and when he wakes up in the morning. As for the nighttime feedings if he still wakes up in the middle of the night I would try ferberizing him cause he's certainly old enough to sleep through.

R., I wouldn't keep him from eating solids if that is what he wants and you can nurse him in the morning and at night especially at night if that is comforting for him. I would feed him solids at night and nurse him to put him to sleep and he'll sleep through the night. I have three boys and my third one is 11 months and does he eat!!! He eats more than the other two do currently....my oldest is 3 1/2 yo, my second is 2 1/2 yo and third one is 11 months. We realized the other day that oatmeal at night is not enough, he needs protein to help him sleep htrough the night. So, we give him chicken nuggets, cut up into small bite size (because other chicken you get the string of chicken which freak me out thinking he could choke on it or we'll give him small bite size of hamburger. Protein seem to hold my son over through the night whereas couple of months ago, oatmeal or homemade macaroni and cheese (my husband does the cooking...homemade or good and healthy foods) would hold him over. Not much of that anymore is true except the cheese part. Why not nurse him in the morning (unless when you start working would that interfere?), nap time and at night. But add solids throughout the day and too. You can just give him breakfast in the morning, nurse him at naptime, give him lunch and if he naps again in the afternoon, nurse him, then give him solids at night and nurse him to sleep afterwards. If he's anything like my third son who was eating 6 times a day because I lost breastmilk when he was 8 months...but at least he had breastmilk for 8 months. If you have any questions ask us or me and we'll help you. I will pray that JEsus will give you His Wisdom when you ask Him. Congrats to your baby boys!!

Hi R....

Maybe instead of nursing at night, give him a bottle of formula...that seems to hold them over longer...Other than that, your baby seems right on track with my 3 as far as eating/nursing.

Best wishes!
J.

My son was about the same. I nursed him any where from 3-6 times a day at the age. The reason for so many on some days was just being too busy and distracted during the day to stay still for a good nursing session. I learned that following his lead was better and easier. He made up for the feedings at night time though.

i have a daughter who just turned 11 months. for the past month i've been breast feeding her when she wakes, before her second nap, and in the evening before she goes to sleep.

Most babies don't need to eat during the night at 10 months, so you could try to stop the night feeds. Some doctors say the night feedings and night wakings should stop at 9 months, but my experience was later (but we had lots of illness). We stopped night feedings with our son at around 10 months, and just patted him back down when he woke (if he's super into nursing, Dad will probably have to be the one to go in at night, for the first few nights). The night wakings stopped soon after we stopped the night feedings, around 11 months. I hear you on nursing a distracted baby - very frustrating!

i can't say that its "Right", but this is what we do for my 8 1/2 month old:

6am wake up, nurse
830ish breakfast (cereal & fruit)
1030ish nurse
1230ish lunch (yobaby, or veggie & protein)
3ish nurse
6ish dinner (protein)
745ish bedtime bottle (formula -- i woke at night)

it seems to work beautifully. i generally nurse after she gets up from each of her naps.