how much to feed?

Question

hi my baby is 24 weeks old and i still breastfeed him after every two hours or three. in day time he scarcely feed for 8 minutes or 10 . at night he wakes up two time and feed a bit longer for 15 -20 minutes. i have started solids with him and give him his rice cereal (1 tbs/fruit puree) twice a day. Am i feeding him enough? Is it ok if he still wants feed after every two hours? : /

Answer 1

You're doing great- both of you! I wouldn't worry about the *only* 8-10 minutes at a time. It sounds like he is an efficient nurser. Solids at this age are just "tastes", most nutrition should come from breastmilk. Don't worry about nursing more than every 2 hours either. Let your baby tell you when he needs to nurse. You may find that at some times (like before bed) he nurses more and other times he nurses less.

Here is a great site for information on solids and nutrition:

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/3/T030100.asp

Answer 2

When he is finished his solid food, does it look like he might take some more? You could try him with a little extra. At 6 month old my baby was having 3 solid meals a day and 4 breastfeeds, but he started solids at 4 months as he was a very hungry baby! You are the mum and i always say mum's know best! Good luck!

Answer 3

Yes it is normal for your baby to want to bfeed every few hours especially if he is only having very short feeds he is only ^mths old so he will continue to want to feed from you as it is still the VERY best food he could possibly want, have & need. Istarted both of my children on solids at about 6 &1/2 mths and I would give them about the same amount usually 3 times a day which I gradually increased as they got older. Well done and keep breastfeeding your baby it's the best thing for him !!

Answer 4

SOunds like you're doing fine!! Is he gaining weight ok? does he seem satisfied? My little girl is 7 months old and still eats that much. And she's a perfectly happy, healthy babe. I think she just likes to eat smaller more frequent meals, and I say that's good!! Good job mommy for breastfeeding your baby :)

Answer 5

Yes, it's fine if he still wants to feed that often.
Everything you say sounds normal.
As they get older, they get more efficient at getting the milk out. He is probably just fine only nursing for 10 mins at that age.
If he seems content, is growing and is peeing and pooping, than all is fine.

Answer 6

If he is still hungry, then no. He's still in need of more.

If he does not act hungry, you're doing fine.

Always look at your child, not at averages for other children. Your child is unique and only you know exactly how he acts when he is full, hungry, etc.

Answer 7

As long as he is happy (and not acting hungry) you should be alright. For breastfeeding babies it is normal for them to want to eat more often when compared to bottlefeeding ones.