How Often to Nurse 12 Month Old

Every baby is different, but absolutely 4 times a day was plenty for my kids! I had them both nursing 4x/day by about 7 months. You're doing a great job -- congratulations for nursing for a whole year -- that's fantastic!!!

Hi A., I commend you for nursing your little guy for the whole first year. Many moms don't nurse at all or only for a few weeks. He is old enough that the 4am feeding can go, probably more for comfort than nutrition. You may have to go to letting him cry it out in the early am. Offer him a sippy cup with diluted juice instead of nursing him. If you can let him cry it out, each night go a minute longer ( start with 5 minutes, then gradually increase.) This may take several nights of offering him the sippy, laying him back down to fuss it out. This is a tough thing to tackle but can be done. My oldest son had severe allergies to dairy products also. I ended up nursing him until age 3 because there was nothing to offer him in the milk category. I gave up all dairy, even mashed potatoes made with milk, took alot of calcium supplements, ate dark green vegetables. At age 2 1/2 he was down to nursing naps and bedtime, cried to nurse more often but I needed to get him weaned. Be consistant, they sure can pull at our heart strings. There is calcium enriched cereals, juicies and a good multivitamin will help him to get enough calcium. Good luck. M.

How awesome are you !!!!! I would Wean 4 am. talk with your pediatrician. Maybe you can start weening with soy. They usually aren'y allergic to soy. How do you know he can't have milk? I would try him on like one percent or skim. They say there suppose to be on whole. BUt honestly theres only been one of my kids I had on whole and shes over weight and she eats well like fruits and veggies are her favorites. All my other kids (Ihave 4 with one on the way) have always been on 1 percent and none of them have any vitamin problems or anything wrong. SO talk it over with your pediatrician and remmeber use your gut. Your gut knows more than anyone else. I wish I could Breastfeed like you!!!!

Hi A.,

Nursing for a whole year is GREAT! So many moms quit after 6 months. So great job mom!!!

Now, onto your question. Nursing 4 times a day is fine for a 12 month old. At 12 months my daughter was about 4 or 5 times a day. I was completely willing to go another year, but my daughter had other plans. I allowed her to wean herself and she did slowly cutting out one session at a time until by 18 months she was totally done.

I'm wondering on the 4am feeding... are you SURE he is actually taking milk? I know about that time those middle of the night sessions I really began to feel like it was more for comfort then anything else. So, what I did was I started by cutting the sessions short. (the nursing for comfort sessions were the only sessions I cut outmyself, I wanted her to know she could get comfort from mama other ways.) Then, after I had cut them about in half, I just didn't offer. But I DID continue to rock her, sing to her, soothe her and what not. That way she was getting the comfort from me ... but it wasn't on the breast.

The other 'nutritional' sessions ... she just slowly cut out on her own. One morning she just didn't ask for milk ... and then we were done with the AM session... and so on.

By this age it is less about the nutrition. My daughter also eats what we eat AND doesn't drink milk. (no allergy, just my choice) I ensure she gets the good fat she needs for healthy brain development through a dose of Cod Liver Oil every day. Nordic Naturals is a great brand that does come in flavors. My daughter LOVES her vitamins. :-)

Whether you wean your son, or you allow him to do it on his own, just keep in mind to be patient. It's a big change for them. Nursing is not only a nutritional thing, but a big bonding thing for our kids. So, we need to foster the fact that we WILL BE there for them and comfort them even if they aren't taking milk. If you haven't noticed by now, I lean towards the attachment parenting style. I know it isn't for everyone. But, it has been very successful with us, my daughter is very independent, active, and secure.

Good luck!

Kudos to you for nursing until 12 months AND through an allergy!
I nursed my daughter until she was 14 months old. At 12 months, we started by eliminating the middle of the night feeding first, then the morning (around 13 months), and finally the before bed feeding (that was the hardest!). My daughter didn't like milk at first, so we had to make sure she got fat from other sources (she didn't have allergies, so we gave her full-fat cottage cheese and regular cheese). Talk to your pediatrician about what to substitute. I know my nephew was allergic to soy, dairy, eggs, peanuts and tree nuts and my sister had to buy special formula for him, which he drank until he was nearly 3 years old.
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A.,

I think that it is wonderful that you were able to nurse your son for 12 months. My 7-month-old quit nursing at 6-months due to teething etc. I can not tell you how often to nurse him. I just wanted to give you emotional support over your decision. Blessing! J.

I think you're right on track. I nursed 3 babies. First one 14 mths., second one 12 mths., and third one 16 mths. At 12 mths of age I was nursing morning, nap time, and bedtime. I had already sleep trained them not to get up at night at 12 mths. I think you're doing fine. Good job on making it to the year old mark!!!! More moms should stick with it longer. One more thing. The message from Lori says be prepared it will hurt. That's not true. When you slowly stop nursing you won't experience any pain at all. At least I never did.

Hi A.,
Babies can get the calcium, vitamin d etc. from other things aside from nursing or milk. You can give him juices and things that are high in calcium and you can also give powdered suppliments mixed with juice. Talk to your pediatrician about which ones. But there are definatly ways to get him what he needs, I have a neice who has constipation problems so she does not get any milk and shes supplemented and healthy! Also could I ask why you do not eat dairy while nursing? Do you also have allergies? I ask because its not typically necessary to avoid dairy because your son has an allergy. My daughter also has an allergy to shellfish and I dont have to avoid it because What causes the allergy isnt transmitted through breastmilk. Anyways, just curious.... Good luck and I hope this helps!

I'm confused about your question a little. Anyway, babies nurse on their own terms if you let them and it's hard to say how often. Usually a schedule isn't needed or doesn't work but you seem to have one going. Good for you for nursing him! It may be that with his eating solids, it wouldn't bother him if you had some dairy yourself. You'd have to try and see. You've done great, A.! You're a good mom! Most babies, nurse or otherwise, need milk early in the morning and nursing is the best way by far. As he gets older, you can tell him he'll have to wait till the sun is up and it's no longer dark, but let him have a sippy with water and encourage him to return to sleep until it's light out. He's probably too young for this now but in a few months he won't be. I did this about 18 months.

4 times a day is enough. I have nursed my 15 month old 4x a day since she was like 10 months and it is a good amount. She doesn't drink much else.. occassionally juice or milk, but only a few sips at a time. The doctor said he recommends 32 ounces of fluid which equates two 4 servings of 8 ounces... and I am sure my daughter is getting 8 ounces at each nursing session. Breast milk is best, so don't worry about adding milk or soy yet.

I know at 12 months my daughter was still nursing 4-6 times a day. She had already dropped the middle of the night feeding. From the milk they get the fat they need for brain development. I would ask your allergist what you can give him since you are going to wean him. The fat content in his diet would be my biggest concern.

Perhaps just continue dropping the feedings until he's down to none.. my friend weaned slowly and just cut one feeding every couple weeks. It went well.

I'm guessing he's probably eating most everything for food so I'd think he'd be fine just eating table food and soy milk.

Good for you for nursing through and allergy.. not fun!

You might consider keeping one nursing that way it might help with immunity to sickness..

i weaned my daughter at 17 months and by that time we just did 1 morning feeding when she woke up. so i am trying to remember at 12 months i believe we were still doing 3 morning afternoon and sometimes before bed, or she would wake up in the middle of the night. i worked nights and she wouldn't take a bottle so she learned to not need it before bed.
when you finally do wean completly beaware that it will be painful for a few days. but as you wean eliminate one feeding every couple weeks, it takes time. good luck

by 12 montsh.. my son was nursing bedtime sometime in the middle of the night... (between 2 and 6 am) and at naptime.

he did drink milk in a sippy cup.

If you want to wean him - wean him just he does need a source of calcium...

Hi A.,

Good for you - I wasn't able to keep nursing my child as long as I wanted, due to getting pregnant and my supply drying up (being out of town didn't help). Anyways, my son is 12 months old and he takes 2 bottles/day. One in the afternoon (3pm) and one before bed (8pm). He eats breakfast (9am), lunch (12pm) and dinner (5pm). Sometimes he'll have some water with his meals, too. From what I know, you'd be fine to eliminate the 4am feeding, especially if he's getting other food during the day. Hope that's helpful!

At one-- my ped said my daughter needed about 12 ounces of milk plus food...that should be less than 4 feedings. After one, most nutrition comes from food not milk or nursing.