How often should a 9 month old be nursing?

[loveliest1]

DD still nurses every 3 hours or so, and usually once at night after about 8 hours of sleeping in a row. Is this about where we should be, or should I be pushing a little more solids and a little less nursing gradually? Right now, she gets two meals of solids per day and sometimes one snack (like 2 oz. juice with a zwieback toast or something). I know at around a year she needs to be at 3 meals and two snacks, but I'm just afraid to back off the nursing and add in more meals and snacks right now. Is it ok to do that? I guess I'm just afraid she won't get enough milk and will dehydrate or something! I'm probably just being paranoid. She has grown GREAT up to this point, and I just don't want to mess things up now!

Oh, and if it helps any, I do plan to start the weaning process at a year...I feel like that's what's best for our family, and although I will miss this greatly, I just feel like I am close to being ready.

TIA!

[StaceyTX]

Right now Jacob is only nursing about 5 times in a 24 hour period. He eats 3 meals a day. He takes 3 bottles at the sitters while I work that total 18-21 oz. I'm estimating he takes in 32-35 oz of breast milk a day.

[StaceyTX]

By the way, I think y'all are doing just fine. If you plan to wean at a year, enjoy all the nursing you can until then. And then you can start weaning by adding more solids and sippy cups of milk.

[agnes2712]

Carlee is 10 1/2 months old (8 months adjusted age) and nurses 4-5 times during the day and once during the night. She eats 3 meals a day. With her being a preemie she only weighs 16.5 lbs so I try to get in extra calories any time that I can.

I think you are doing fine. When I nursed my 2 year old I added in a lunchtime meal at 9 months. She only nursed 4 times a day and had 3 meals. I started introducing a sippy cup at that point too.

[cro]

That sounds about right. J was nursing every 2-3 hrs for a couple years. Some of those times would be "snacks" or "quick sips" but still, every couple hours. When your baby's under a year old, breastmilk is the most important food they can have, so there's no reason to cut back if you and dd aren't ready yet.

[Blondie8]

Sounds about right but when I read every 3 hours I about popped my clogs!

We're probably on 4 times in the day, possibly 1 during the night. We'd dropped the night feed but with teething he's up usually 1:00ish for a feed.

[BC-flowergirl]

This is just so interesting to me because I have a 5 month old who sometimes ONLY wants to nurse about 5 times a day! AND I worry because he IS small...although dr. wasn't worrited AT ALL. His growth curve was perfect. He was just born a lil early and small. I TRY to feed him every 3 hours, but sometimes he just flat out refuses and what do you do?

[Reedy]

I think you all are doing just fine! As far as BM goes: My DD (almost 9 months) nurses 7:30 a.m., then takes 3 bottles from nanny during the day (approx. 6 oz each). Then nurses when I get home, at bedtime & is up once or twice on a good night (the first time, after a 6 hr stretch she is really hungry, the second (and sometimes 3rd time is her just nipping for comfort - something we need to work one). We are also doing two "meals": Once cereal/fruit combo & one veggie & sometimes one snack (a biter biscuit & water). So, it doesn't sound that far off from your LO - you all seem to be doing great!

[A_A_AMom]

DD is one and we just recently started cutting down to about 4 times/day (ocassionally 5). At 9 months she was usually nursing 6xs/24hrs, with a rare 5xs and occasional 7xs. Sounds like you are doing great!

[Ontario14]

We are nursing 5 times a day, and I'm trying to squeeze in 3 meals, with the occasional sippy cup free for all. At the 9 month check up, I asked the pedi, and said he'd be fine if Nicholas went down to 3 nursings a day (or 3 dairy offerings, be it nursing, yogurt, etc), so I think you're doing fine. For the baby food, he said 1 jar of veggies, 1 jar of meat (wow!), and 1/2-1 jar of fruit per 24 hours. My little guy (at 20 lbs) is still getting up to that point, so these are just guidelines. I think my morning feed, and my late night feed, are the longest - the daytime feeds are sometimes real short, but I'm still nursing right before offering solids, so the getting the solids in the tummy is still a battle. I'm leery of switching it around for fear he'll only take the solids, but I guess that's progress towards weaning, which I have to do for 11 months.