BF feeds @ 10 months

Had plunket today and she was horrified when I said that he was still feeding 6/7 times a day and waking twice in the night (that is twice between 7pm-7am, normally between 10-11pm and then again around 3-5am). Apparently he should be on 3 feeds and sleeping through, obviously someone has forgot to tell him the schedule and I've told him many times to sleep through but he just looks at me and laughs.

Just wondering what other babies are doing/did at this age. He eats mountains of food, 3 big meals and snacks.

I am pretty sure that this IS normal and that milk is still the most important food till 12 months, but you know, I came away thinking whatever but it's just been niggling at me all morning.

She also asked me what my plan was to get him sleeping through and dropping feeds. I don't have a plan, am I suppose to?

That's why we avoid Plunket. LOL

I was told that DS2 didn't weigh enough, regardless of how much he ate and me explaining this to her. What was I supposed to do, force feed him???

Alex was fed to his cues, which averaged out to roughly 6-10 times a day( he was put on the boob if he hurt himself or needed comforting so that could up that number more), 3 solid meals a day and 2 naps of about 2 hours each. He was waking at least 3 times a night, at least one of those was for a feed after 3 weeks of going without them at 7 months. I'm not a huge believer in the 'they don't need a night feed because <insert reason here>' Isn't HE the best indicator of what it is he needs?

NO one sleeps all night without waking, they might not need help to get back to sleep but that doesn't mean that they aren't waking so not sure about the sleep ALL night stuff. Alex was 13 months before he consistently stopped needing our help to get back to sleep at night (he was going 10+ hours before calling for us) and even now if he needs the help he gets it....like last night where he woke screaming at 10:30pm. My motto is that if I am happy to do it and it works, I do it. We didn't have a plan either, we just followed his lead and he did it when he was ready. I did kinda 'shove' the dropping night feeds but gently and it took 2 months and had it not worked I would still be feeding in the night if he needed it.

I did read Elizabeth Pantley's No Cry Sleep Solution when he was 13 months old, but that was after 8 weeks of sheer h*ll where we were only getting 5 very broken hours of sleep in every 24. It's not a step by step guide to them 'sleeping through' just tips and looking at things from your child's point of view.

It's so funny, I am normally the first person on here telling people not to listen to plunket. I only really go along for the weigh and measure but it just got me thinking a bit.

I'm pretty happy, was not so long ago that he was waking 4-5 times a night, so what he is doing at the moment is soooooooooo good in comparison. He feeds at those wakes as well, long feeds off both sides so I think he needs it and is hungry. During the day his feeds are shorter, sometimes only one boob and then it's "get out of the way mum I have things to do" so who knows how much he is having in the day from those 4-5 feeds, maybe not much and so is making up with the night ones?

Nikki today he has only fed at 5.30am and then again at 10.30am (off one boob, we were at coffee group and he had far too much stuff to do to stick around for the otherside) then offered at 1am but wasn't interested, not surprising after eating a huge serving of beef and barley soup and then 3/4 of a full size banana and he's still asleep now but will most likely have a feed when he wakes then another before going bed and then the two in the night. So I think he is kind of stretching them out a bit more now, cos he always use to feed 2.5-3 hourly.

I think I am with you on it all just resolving itself at some point. I'm sure he won't be waking for breastfeeds when he is 15

I agree with the others - after reading Elizabeth Pantley's book, I'm happy with where we are at too. I figure the baby knows better about what he needs than a Plunket nurse! And "not sleeping through" is only a problem if its bothering you or the baby, it shouldn't concern anyone else!

Jake was on 3 milk feeds at that age. My understanding is that food is more improtant from 8/9 months (offer before milk from then). But yeah, if you're happy to keep doing that number of feeds and feed in the night then theres no problem. She may have been thinking you wouldnt be happy getting up that much, cos alot of people wouldn't be!

I think the only real issue is if they fill up too much on milk they aren't eating as much, which can mean they're not getting enough of some nutrients like iron. If given the option I'm sure Jake (who is a huge eater) would still (at 2) happily drink milk til the cows come home and pick at meals. If he is eating heaps, maybe its comfort sucking some of the time?

Yeah Nikki we offer food first and he eats truck loads, he just loves his boobie too! and I think in the day he doesn't always have much cos he has ants in pants.
He slept 10.30-6am last night. I'm just gonna go with it, he will sleep through consistently when ready. I have one excellent sleeper, would have been unfair to everyone else if I got two

My dd was having the same amount of feeds at that age. She had at least 2-3 a day till Mayish. She didn't take to solids too well so still had loads of milk. If it works for do it !! Thats the best advice I have been given so far

I personally don't find Plunket very helpful, I just go to get her weighed as well.

He's slept thru last 3 nights (10pm-6am) and has cut back to 4 feeds, done it himself, FX it lasts