How often should he be eating?

[LeighAnneMOM2-3boys]

I have a few questions:
1. How often should my 7.5 month old be nursing and for how long?
He is currrently eating three meals a day of table food and He loves it!! He wants nothing to do with baby food and can feed himself all table food. But since doing this he has gone from 5 nursing sessions a day to 3 (4 if i am lucky) He nurses for about 10-15 3x a day.

2. Our nursing sessions are starting to become a struggle. I really think he is trying to wean himself but I am being presistant and trying hard. He will ONLY eat in a dark room with a fan running either right before a nap or bedtime or right when he wakes up in the AM. My midwife really thinks he's done with nursing and is just doing it for comfort. She suggested still trying to nurse but also pump during the day so he gets the bm in a sippy cup. I HAVE to pump to make sure he gets BM until atleast he is a year old his peditrican says because he has a milk/soy protein allergy which makes him unable to tolerate formula.
My question is when should I pump in additon to his feedings to get him to have milk for a sippy cup? Here is his schedule now:
6 am breastfeed
7am cereal with fruit
9am (I try and nurse he's not intrested)
11 am he eats lunch
12:30 breastfeeds before nap
3:30-4pm he gave up nursing here all together
5pm eats dinner
6:30 Breastfeed before bedtime
9pm I pump once before bed to get milk to his cereal in the am

My midwife suggested pumping at 11am while he's eating lunch but since he still nurses at 12:30 i don't want there not to be milk left for him since he will nurse then. Also if he's drinking it from the cup won't he not drink as much from me and in turn stop nursing even more??

3. We are going to Disney in April and I am worried that becuase he is such a difficult nurser he might give it up all together since he won't have his quiet dark room to nurse in during the trip. Any suggestions?? (this is also why my midwife suggested pumping to have milk for a cup during the day in case he does do this on our trip. He will be almost 10 months old when we go. She said I could pump at 11am give him bm in a cup throughout the day and just still nurse him in the am and pm by then. I don't know what to do because I want him to eat from me as long as possible?

THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR ALL YOUR HELP :hugegrin:

[Sharon_Mattes]

Dear LeighAnne:

A 7.5 mo old is normal if he nurses 8-10 times a day --- but also some babies will move to a longer stretch and only nurse 3-6 times a day. Now of course - you are filling him up with solid foods - and so he is not as hungry for breast milk. I'd suggest you feed him the 'superior food' first (breast) then offer the 'inferior food' after a nursing - so he gets the appropriate amount of nutrients with the perfect balance provided by breastmilk. He only needs other foods for complementary nutrients - your breast is sufficient for the rest.

If he is sensitive to milk/soy proteins - he may also have a tendency to food sensitivities.
You can back off on the amount of other food offered - allowing him to self feed (unless you are doing that) but most babies who feed themselves take in a lot less than when mom is spooning in a certain amount from a bowl or jar. At this age he doesn't need that many extra calories - and he will nurse better without being too full at 3 meals a day.

Also - he is at the 'age of distraction'! The fact that he is busy learning all day when he sees things to explore explains why he only nurses well in the dark or at night. That is a phase that passes.

If you feel the need to pump (certainly you can if you like) you should pump After he feeds. The first time or two you won't get a lot - but if you always pump around the same time every day (mid morning - mid afternoon) you will see more and more milk after a feed/pump session after about 3-4 days. You 'train' your body to make extra milk that way. Actually it isn't a problem for you to pump and then feed him an hour or so later.
You will have milk. Baby triggers the let down and it will come!

You will find it helpful to experiment with his patterns. Again - I always suggest a mom go to a local La Leche League meeting. There you will find experienced mothers who have been where you are - and who may have just the right solution for you!

Good luck, Sharon