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Breastfeeding/How much is enough
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Question
Hi. My 7 month old was diagnosed with soy and dairy allergy at 5 months so since that time I have been on an exclusion diet and have been trying to get him used to taking a bottle which was a battle in itself, and then also used to taking the special formula (Neocate). He finally seems to be getting the idea and now takes around 100ml at a feed. He then seems to not want anymore bottle, but I then offer him a breast feed ontop of this. At the moment, I usually give him a breast feed (one side) at around 6am when he wakes - he will usually go back to sleep and wake a bit after 7am. I will then give him another breast feed (the other side) at around 8am, breakfast around 9am, and lunch at around 11.30-12noon. Another breast feed at around 1.30, and then maybe some afternoon tea at 3.30-4pm, sometimes a bottle at around 4.30, tea at 5.30pm and then a bedtime bottle at 7pm followed by a breast feed and then sleep. I want to know how many feeds he needs at his age, and if I were to wean him onto a bottle only, how much of the bottle should he be drinking to make sure he gets enough.
Dear Natalie,
First, congratulations for giving your son the best start in life by breastfeeding him!
I'm not sure from your message whether your baby is getting any solid foods at breakfast, lunch, and tea, so this affects "how much is enough." Usually by 7 months of age babies are not eating this frequently. Your son seems to be eating every hour or two. Generally at this age babies get 4 to 5 breast or bottle feedings a day and 3 fairly substantial meals of solid foods, plus one light snack. And they usually take more than 100 ml of formula at each feed. Maybe the amount of formula per feed is too small for your baby and this may be causing him to get hungry soon afterwards.
If you are trying to wean your son because of the food allergies, you can continue to supplement breastfeeding with Neocate. Maybe you should try to give him a larger quantity at each feeding. Increase it slowly and see how he does.
Good luck!
Sally
Sally Wendkos Olds
Author, THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING: Eiger & Olds, 3rd edition 1999, published by Workman Publishing & Bantam Books, and available in most public libraries, bookstores & La Leche League chapters.
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Answers by Expert:
Sally Wendkos Olds
Expertise
What do you want to know about breastfeeding? I can tell you what`s good for the baby, what`s good for the mother -- and the father, how it`s related to a woman`s sexuality, how working moms can nurse, how to overcome obstacles, and lots more. As the author of THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING and author or coauthor of 8 other books and more than 200 articles about child and adult development, I can offer sound, sensible advice on breastfeeding, child care and family issues.
Experience
I nursed my 3 daughters and am the grandmother of 5 breastfed children. My book THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING (written in consultation with pediatrician Marvin S. Eiger, M.D.) was first published in 1972, and in 1999 came out in an updated 3rd Edition by Workman Publishing & Bantam Books. It is now a classic, with over 2 million copies in print. I am now revising this book for a fourth edition, consulting with pediatrician Laura M. Marks, M.D. This new edition will be published September 2009. I welcome any and all suggestions for the new edition. I coauthored college textbooks A CHILD'S WORLD: INFANCY THROUGH ADOLESCENCE, and HUMAN DEVELOPMENT; both are leading texts in their fields and have been read by 2 million students. I am the coauthor of HELPING YOUR CHILD FIND VALUES TO LIVE BY and RAISING A HYPERACTIVE CHILD, and author of THE WORKING PARENTS' SURVIVAL GUIDE & THE ETERNAL GARDEN: SEASONS OF OUR SEXUALITY. My newest book, A BALCONY IN NEPAL: GLIMPSES OF A HIMALAYAN VILLAGE, published in 2002, tells the story of the way of life in a remote village in Nepal, where all the women breastfeed! My book, SUPER GRANNY: COOL PROJECTS, ACTIVITIES, AND OTHER GREAT STUFF TO DO WITH YOUR GRANDKIDS, will be published March 2009. I speak often to professional, parent and general audiences and make many radio and TV appearances.
Credentials I received my B.A. in English Literature from the University of Pennsylvania, where I minored in Psychology, was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and graduated summa cum laude.
Other points of interest
I have received national awards for my writing, and am a former president of the American Society of Journalists & Authors. I am listed in the World Who's Who of Women, International Authors & Writers Who's Who, and Contemporary Authors, and am a member of several professional and civic organizations. I believe: that all parents are working parents; that parents employed outside the home need special support; that mothers' well-being is crucial to their children's welfare; and that the family is the best institution in the world and the one for which we are least prepared. My thrills come when parents or kids tell me they were helped by my writing or speaking or just understanding.
To find out more about me, go to
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