'Demand' feeding an older baby??

[StrawberryMumma]

Hi guys!

I just wanted to see what people have to say about bf an older bub..as in does anyone still demand style feed their baby or do you set times now?..

DD is almost 10 months and just lately I feel that she is becoming a bit pushy with her feeds..like if we are playing around together and she notices my bb then she gets grumpy until I either feed her, or totally change what we are doing in an attempt to distract her. Or, if she catches me in my underwear or similar, she let's everyone know exactly what she wants!!

Do you think it's time to put my foot down a bit, or does it not matter all that much..Just wondering what everyone else does..

Thx

[Ozziehoffy]

I still pretty much demand feed. Although having said that he kinda has his own times set. Although there are days like today where he's only had one feed other than his morning feed. On other days he'll have 5-6. Usually we have first thing in the morning. Then before morning nap, one after lunch, one in the arvo then sometimes one after dinner and always one before bed. I've always demand fed so maybe she's just excited and wants to make sure they're still there??? lol they're funny about boobies huh!!! Oskar sometimes just has a suck but not a feed then goes off to play again!

[christy]

My 16 month old is doing the same thing atm. Personally I have no problem with it, yet. I planned on demand feeding until she was 2, so I'm on my way. For a month there her demand was twice daily, now its around 4 times in 24 hours, so not too much, but more than before. I haven't had as much milk due to illness so maybe thats why she wants more.

If you are tired and need a break, maybe distraction is the way to go for a little while to lengthen the time between.

Goodluck!

[Tobily]

I still demand feed my 17 month old because...well...I really couldn't be stuffed fighting with him about it

He is pretty good though during the day, he has an early morning, lunch time and evening feed but he will occasionally want to snack during the day which is fine. He still feeds twice over night though and THAT is what is really getting to me lately

It's really up to you and your bub, just do whatever you're both happy with.

[MantaRay]

I still demand feed my 17 month old but sadly he mostly only has one feed a day now. I see nothing wrong with it if you are happy with it, in fact I think it's great that you are still doing that.

[beckles]

i pretty much let oscar decide when he wants a breastfeed. although at his age i never offer it to him. i find some days he has multiple breastfeeds and others 2-3, at think at 10 months i would still be letting baby decide.
beckles

[BellyBelly]

I demand fed Elijah until the day before he was three but that doesn't mean he wanted to be breastfed 6 times a day! It tapered back slowly and sometimes when I felt it was just a habit I would distract him and it would work. I fed more when he was sick (wouldn't have anything else to eat and hates medicine like panadol) and when upset but that was it really. Now he's a happy and well adjusted three year old who loves his mummy and lots of cuddles and kisses Not manipulative or clingy at all but very cuddly which is perfect for me. I also demand fed Ris until 2, and again, when I had enough I would distract her. You can quickly tell which feeds are really needed!

[Matryoshka]

I still demand feed my 20 month old and we're both happy with that. He will just come to me and pull at my top and then i offer the boob The only time it hasn't been ideal is at the shops, but i just explain to him to wait a little while and he understands (he seems to always do this when i'm pushing the trolley, must be because they are in his face!).

I plan to demand feed until he self weans.

[StrawberryMumma]

Thanks guys for sharing your experiences. Really good to hear. DD is definitely a bit obsessive with the boobs at the moment, but she's been in a bit of a teary mood too now so maybe she's not feeling quite right. That might be why. We'll see how we go anyway with demand feeds anyway.

MummaB..I would imagine having bb in your face would just be way too tempting! Like when your at home and you know there is chocolate sitting in the fridge

[Matryoshka]

LOL i think you are right there Lee

[Smoke Jaguar]

Still demand feeding my nearly 22 month old He feeds quite a bit during they day when I'm around - sometimes hardly at all, but as a rule, he'll feed at least 4 or 5 times a day. I do offer it when my supply is all over the place and I need to offload, otherwise I let him ask...and he does!
Not planning on scheduling him. When he's sick he'll feed more (like ATM), and that's cool, cos at least he can have something other than water when he's got a tummy bug!

[Bathsheba]

Like Maya I demand feed my 22 month old. Some days it could be 8 - 10 brief 2 minute feeds that are probably more reassurance sucks (like when he has hurt himself). Recently I thought I may have had to wean to take medication (doctor then said there was a type of tablet I could take and still BF) and I was devestated because it would have meant that an important source of comfort would have been eliminated.... at 4am (when I sometimes need to bring him into bed for a quick feed afterwhich he drifts off to sleep... usually within 3-4 minutes) this would have been gruelling... i just don't "do" rocking/patting or that kind of out-of-bed settling anymore.... i'm just too tired (part of my condition). BF is just too easy... a true win/win situation.

In a nutshell: I wouldn't about set times... appetites and comfort needs ebb and flow... I'd go with her rhythms.

[BellyBelly]

I always found Elijah would get more obsessive just before he would come down with something, if he wasn't feeling well, teething etc. Thank god for the boob - he'd never eat anything when he was sick and would never have medicine when sick. Thats what kept me going - knowing I could help him in a special way that didn't require medicine and he'd have the comfort of being with me too. They really do seem to increase/decrease with their needs, be it emotional, physical etc.

[StrawberryMumma]

Thanks for responding guys..

Bath- yeah, we definitely have a lot of comfort feeds her too..And you're right in saying BF is an easy comfort.

Kelly- That is a great thought, the fact that it is kinda like medicine in a sense when they are sick...an amazing comfort.

Sometimes I think what the heck would I do without boobs..you know those moments when NOTHING else will settle them..Boobs are definitely a great invention

Well, now I'm pregnant too! so I'm interested to see what my little miss does with her feeds now because of that. And am wondering if she will drop her feeds or wean..She really does love a good booby snuggle still so I'm hoping she'll keep going for quite a while yet..Guess we'll see!

[Matryoshka]

Congrats on your pregnancy Lee!

I'm 27 weeks and so far breastfeeding is still going strong. I agree about the sickness thing, DS recently had tonsilitis and wouldn't eat or drink anything except breastfeeding, i am so thankful he would still BF.

[BellyBean]

I am so pleased I found this thread! I am demand feeding DS 18months old, and have hit a wall of negativity! I am so pleased to hear that there are others of you out there.

[lilbean07]

I don't mind feeding bubs during the day but am finding the night feeds tough going. He's 12 months and was sleeping through the night (not feeding) but lately he's starting to wake up the way he did when he was a newborn.
I'm not sure what to do.
I really need my sleep to cope with the day.

[SweetPea]

I'm still demand feeding my 14 month old ds and am also pregnant too, he pretty much has 3 feeds and day and a every now and then he wants a 'snack' in the afternoon. Around 10 months he also become very obsessive about the boobies and it seemed like he was demanding them all day, I didn't think it was fair to start enforcing routine on him as all along we've just taken his led in regards to feeding! It's exhausting work breastfeeding and being pregnant!