7 months how often

**soul** · October 20th, 2007, 08:51 PM

How often should I be feeding Phoenix now he is 3 days shy of turning 7 months old?

I am still demand feeding and he seems to still want the boob every 3 to 4 hours. Is this too much? He is also on solids.

He has boob without fail at sleep time, he wont go to sleep without being close to me and on the breast.

**Karina** · October 20th, 2007, 10:57 PM

Hey Soul, Claire is around the same age as Phoenix and having boob around every 3 hours as well. I'm demand feeding and she is on solids but she doesnt seem too keen on solids just yet. She loves booby and often falls asleep on the boob.

I talked to my local MCHN when Claire was about 4.5 or 5 months old (i was feeding 2 -3 hourly then) and she crapped on about how 3 hourly feeds at that age is too frequent, so I'd hate to hear what she'd say to me about 3 hourly feeds at 7 months!

**soul** · October 21st, 2007, 11:10 AM

Karina o0h thank you for replying hon I thought maybe I was weird and everyone was avoiding this question!!! lol

Oh wonderful glad I am not the only one then, guess our breasts are just the best!!

**Karina** · October 21st, 2007, 11:48 AM

no worries. No, no ones ignoring you, they just dont all have a 7 month old at the moment, lol.

How cute is Phoenix!! and lol he has soooooo much more hair than Claire.

**soul** · October 21st, 2007, 11:53 AM

lol yeah he';s a hairy head this one!!

I knew no one was ignoring me I just thought I might be feeding him too much and the others didnt want to say so lol. There are many 7 months old here actually, I was pregnancy buddied with them. It is so good to know someone else is doing demand feeding too, my mother says I am over doing it with him, I mean how can you over do a loving thing!

**Jesswith6** · October 21st, 2007, 04:00 PM

Soul hun, I'm still demand feeding Pat at 17 months old, my family want me to stop but how can you stop something that both of you love. I admit I am cutting down and he will drink out of a cup but he loves his boobytime.

**soul** · October 21st, 2007, 04:11 PM

Sent you a email Bellasmum. Dont stop till yu are both ready I say!!! Its such a beautiful feeling looking down at your child while they are looking so secure and getting a drink that "Your body is making for him/her.

**Karina** · October 21st, 2007, 05:25 PM

oh Soul yeah apparently i am "making a rod for my back" by demand feeding, but I dont care because I love breastfeeding her and she loves booby, plus I eat when I want to so why cant she, lol. I agree bellasmum and soul, its such a beautiful thing, isnt it!

**soul** · October 21st, 2007, 05:42 PM

Karina totally agree, we eat when we want so why shouldnt they!! oh so true sweetie so true! Love that!

They grow up too quickly, I want to enjoy him as much as I can,I want to feel that beautiful connection for as long as I can, because there is nothing like feeding your child with your own body. I see it as beautiful because when we are pregnant with them it is our bodies that keeps them nourished and keeps them growing, its amazing to think its "US" keeping them alive and then when they are born it is still us keeping them alive and growing and nourished, our bodies are just amamzing.

**Emma1979** · October 24th, 2007, 09:21 AM

hi soul, my girl is seven months but is formula fed so i guess there is really no comparison... our days go like this in case it is of any interest...
6-7am bottle, solids half hour later
12noon lunch - solids
1.30pm bottle
4.30-5pm dinner - solids
7pm bottle

we have only recently dropped the fourth bottle as she is eating more solids now so doesn't want/need it.

i think with breast feeding if you are happy to demand feed then just go with it, i often think breast feeding is more relaxed than bottle feeding, if that makes any sense at all... if i were breast feeding i think i would be the same as you, just giving it whenever they wanted it during the day... (and trying to stretch them out during the night)..... it seems so easy to breast feed on demand as opposed to making up and preparing formula.... anyways i hope with my next i can bf. sounds like u are doing an awesome job... 7 months is my favorite age so far!!

**soul** · October 24th, 2007, 12:48 PM

Emma1979 what a magical layed back mamma you are sweetheart! I commendd you for your briliant attitude towards mothering!!!! Thank you for replying, bottle fed or not, y0ur doing a marvellous job!!

I bottle fed four of my children so I know the differences in both. I sooooooooooooo wish I could have BF the others, I know I coud have had now if I had just put a little more effort into it. Its can be such a tough road to go though, and in the ned if its just not working for mum or bub but only causing stress, then we do what we feel is best.

I hope you get to feed with your next one anyways!!! But please pat yourself on the back for being a blody beaut mother!!!!

**DisGirl** · November 27th, 2007, 08:21 PM

Hi Soul, Ben is just over 7 months and is feeding very often too. I'm demand feeding him as well and his routine is a bit weird

We wake at around 7:30 after a 12 hour sleep and he'll have a feed, then a little play before breakfast (solids) then a feed off to sleep at about 8:30-9am. Then he'll have another feed around 10:30/11am (he usually only sleeps for 45 mins), another play and back to sleep. His next feed is generally around 2:00, but can be earlier or later by half an hour to an hour, he'll then play for an hour or so before having lunch then another feed off to sleep-but it's usually not really a feed, he just suckles for comfort. At 5pm he has yet another feed, dinner at 5:30, bath at 6 and then play until a feed off to sleep at 7:30. It seems his feeds are too close together, he has a proper feed than another small one an hour or two later before sleep, but it works for him and I don't mind either. Benny LOVES his solids too, but I don't see him giving up the booby juice anytime soon

**{sarah}** · November 27th, 2007, 08:26 PM

Zander was demand fed, albeit with formula, and he was having bottles around every 3-4 hours at that age too.

**~Saram~** · November 27th, 2007, 09:24 PM

My DD is 8 month and i often worry she is on the boob too much. I don't even notice how often but it is a lot, she soesn't always have a full feed, sometimes just on for a refresher. She has soilds and a sippy cup of water but a lot of it is comfort and hey we all know bubba just love their booby juice! I am worried about how she will go at daycare though

**soul** · November 28th, 2007, 09:14 AM

Aw thanks ladies, even when my other kids were on the bottle they too were every 3 or so hours sarah-h!

Thank you all for making pheeny sound normal!!! he he he