How much BFing for an 11 month old?

[threefunboys]

Hey.

My DS will be 11 months old soon. I'm wondering how to know if I'm BFing him enough. I could go by the number of times I nurse him, but that is different from day to day. (Like a week or so ago when it got to be bedtime and I realized I had only nursed him twice that day before then--oops!). Anyone know what the "guideline" is for this? It just seemed like for a while his diapers weren't as full as they used to be, so maybe I should give him a bottle once a day or so, or just give him more water or something (it is summer, after all).

Also, when did you stop giving them infant cereal? I admit I haven't been super consistent on giving it to him in the first place. Does he still benefit from it?

Thanks!

[Jessie81]

We skipped cereal and it is not actually good for them anyway- mashed table foods should be fine. Its not normal to wean before 1yr and nor even before 18mos (unless you choose to). DS is 13mos and nurses anywhere from 4 times a day to 10 or more. Depends on how busy he is and how much comfort he needs. DS also gets sippys of water or whole milk when ever he wants (but he almost never finishes a whole one-10oz)

[tracylee]

good question. dd is 10 1/2 months old and she nurses anywhere from 3 to 6 times per day but the morning is the only GOOD session we get in (Nosey Nancy!) If he is wetting enough I wouldn't worry about it but if he doesn't seem to be wetting, I would try to squeeze a few more in when you think of it .

[madelsmama]

My 13 month old nurses probably 8-10 times a day. I would be surprised if he's getting enough protein, calcium and fats from nursing just twice daily. Does he eat a lot of solids?

I've never given her infant cereal, though she eats steel cut oats for breakfast every morning.

[threefunboys]

I am pretty sure he's getting enough food (he loves solids). I was mostly wondering how many times it's "normal" to nurse him each day. I wasn't able to nurse to a year with my first two kids (nor would I remember how many times they nursed anyway). :)

Thanks for your replies. It really helped. :)

[majubee30]

my 11 month old nurses 4-10 times a day, including middle of the night feedings. she has never been on a schedule, I just nurse on demand and I offer before we leave the house and when she seems tired.

other than breastmilk her main food source is cheerios lol not a big eater. more of a snacker.

[Jacksmommy]

I was told that nursing 4 times a day will make sure baby gets all the fats,proteins, and calories needed from breastfeeding. Any amount of breastfeeding is good. "Normal" is a really hard question. My baby didn't like solid food for a very long time and nursed 8-12 times a day at 11 months. My sister's children were nearly weaned at 11 months and maybe nursed once a day.