# How often do you nurse your child?



## marchmom19 (Jan 21, 2002)

How old is your child?

How often do your nurse your child?

Do you ever turn down nursing??


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## lisamarie (Nov 19, 2001)

My ds is now 5 1/2 yo, but when he was a toddler, he nursed about 2-4 times a day. Always in the morning and right at bedtime. For me, I don't remember ever turning him down to nurse at that age. We practiced child led weaning and he weaned himself at 20 mo.







. Each nursling is so different. He had a friend who nursed 10 times a day at 18 mo. and weaned at 3 1/2 yo.

Warmly~

Lisa


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## MamaLeah (Nov 22, 2001)

My 20 month old nurse 3-5 times a day. I don't turn her down, because, obviously, she doesn't ask to nurse very often. Morning, naptime, bedtime, and sometimes an extra afternoon one just cause it feels good. And when she wants to, it usually seems like she really needs to.


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## Jazmommie (Nov 19, 2001)

she is 3 in March & nurses at least 5-8 times most days,she still wakes 2-3 times at night too.
it gets easier as they get older ( past 3 1/2 or so for us)(nursed 2 other ds until 4 1/2 & 5 years old).She also eats well!


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## Mommiska (Jan 3, 2002)

My dd is 28 months, and I think it's probably 4-5 times a day. Usually 4...morning, night time and a couple of other times. She used to be once a day, but has built herself back up. Funny...They are all different.

Carolyn


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## tasha (Jan 13, 2002)

My dd is 11 mo. and nuses about 6-8 times durring the day and ALL night! I sleep in half-hour intervals. She can only sleep with my nip. in her mouth. And she had to have her "nursy" right in her face durring naps.

It's kinda hard but I'm hoping I stick with it. Praise be to coffee!


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## Mamaste (Dec 21, 2001)

My nearly 7-mo nurses every hour and a half to two hours or so during the day, unless we're out and about (in which case she can go 3 or so quite comfortably). We nurse "pre-emptively" a lot -- for instance, we always sit down to nurse before we go out somewhere, no matter when we last nursed. Gives us a lot longer before we have to stop and nurse.

Nighttime is another story. Sometimes she nurses about two hours after bedtime and then goes about 3 am before waking for another nursing. Then there are nights like last night when I suspect she nursed (or was latched) more than she was not.


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## zenmama (Feb 7, 2002)

my two year old nurses more or less on demand - maybe 6-12 times a day, depennding on what else is going on. I think she's probably getting 50-75% of her calories from breastmilk. I recently limited my 5 year old to morning and bedtime nursings only and that did not go well. We talked some more and are now nursing three times a day. The other limit I impose is that I don't nurse both sibs at the same time. The double nipple stimulation is too much sensory overload for me.


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## mommybritt (Nov 19, 2001)

I voted for countless but I'm trying to come up with an actual number. It varies wildly but I can count on at least 5 times a day that are regular- morning wake-up, morning nap, afternoon nap, bathtime, bedtime - and then sometimes only 4x at night, sometimes alllllll night.


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## SagMom (Jan 15, 2002)

I've never counted--ds is 22 months old, nurses during the night, at naptime, when he wakes in the a.m. and from his nap, a bunch of times during the day. I've never refused him.


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## Lori (Feb 9, 2002)

My son is 14 months and I have no idea how may times a day(or night) he nurses.It differs from day to day.I never refuse him though.


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## serenapt (Feb 8, 2002)

DS is 16 months and if it were totally up to him he would nurse hourly at least! I try to encourage him to go three hours between nursings, but if I can't easily distract/redirect him, we nurse. I would say 6 - 10 times a day.

Kimberly


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## Firemom (Nov 21, 2001)

She only nurses at bedtime and once in awhile in the late afternoon if she wants to nap (this is rare)

I never limited her. When she was 3 she nursed only 2 or 3 times per day. If she wanted to nurse more I'd try to distract her and it stayed at this amount.

As she has grown older I do limit her to her usual bedtime nursing. I've found if I give in to her when she is bored etc, she wants to nurse a lot more and frankly I love our nursing relationship, but just the way it is.


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## mother_sunshine (Nov 25, 2001)

Well she's not a toddler anymore (she's 5) but I'll answer anyway







I answered 0-4 times a day but I also could have answered "as much as she wants". I use "don't offer, don't refuse", well, I usually don't refuse unless I have a good reason. I'm currently home with her (until K next year) so right now she nurses first thing in the a.m., once or twice during the day usually, then at bedtime. I trust her to let me know how much she needs.


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## kapoentje (Feb 11, 2002)

My beautiful son is now 14 months old, and I would say he nurses probably *thinks* about 10 times a day. He also still wakes up about 3 times a night and nurses then. I NEVER turn down nursing! I believe in child-led weaning. =)

I'm still just so very fulfilled with my decision to breastfeed!! =))


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## elainie (Jan 5, 2002)

I have never counted how many times my children have nursed thruout the day. I would guesstimate it's around 12-20 times though. I don't refuse and feel proud and glad to let them fill up on this liquid gold!


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## jasnjakesmama (Nov 19, 2001)

I don't think I can count because we have no kind of schedule at all. If we are out doing things he has no problem going 2-3 hours between nursings. If we are home hanging around he nurses whenever he feels like it. He still also nurses several times a night but I don't know how many because I am usually sleeping.









~Jennifer

Oops- forgot to mention he is 11 months old and I have never turned down a nursing nor do I ever want to.


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## rosebudsmom (Nov 19, 2001)

My daughter is 5 (today-happy birthday!) and she nurses mostly at night before bed. Although when she is sick she nurses when ever she wants.


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## Firemom (Nov 21, 2001)

Mine is also 5!







Here's a kiss for her


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## mother_sunshine (Nov 25, 2001)

Happy B-day! Mine's 5 too!


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## Suefrog (Nov 19, 2001)

I have a 19month old.
She usually nurses 3-4 times during the day and several times at night! I usually let her nurse as much as she needs to.
I've only turned her down on occasion when say we were in line at the grocery store and i was paying for the food!! LOL
Sue


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## Irishmommy (Nov 19, 2001)

She varies from just first and last thing to every ten minutes (she's 19 months). I do refuse her, but usually only if I'm outside in the cold!


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## ekblad9 (Nov 21, 2001)

She's 17 months. I nurse her whenever and wherever she asks. I think I've only said no one time and that was because we were late for something.


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## me&3 (Nov 29, 2001)

Well, right at this moment I happen to be refusing my darling little toddler - he'll be 3 in June. I'm tandem nursing (I have an 11 month old, too). The baby gets on demand - which is quite frequent at night, and not so much during the day (maybe about 4-5 times during the day?) Anyway, my little darling man gets to nurse when he wakes up in the morning and when he goes to bed at night. He'd love to nurse all day long, but my sanity was failing, and I started to restrict him a few months ago. Sigh. It worked so well for me for a while, and now once again, even though we're down to twice a day, it's hard. He wants more. I want less (although I have to say that I would LOVE to be able to nurse him whenever he wants - but something about it drives me absolutely nuts - physically and emotionally).


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## Cranberry (Mar 18, 2002)

Countless! My ds is 2 1/2 and nurses a lot. Sometimes I try to postpone the nursing for a little while...if I'm right in the middle of something.


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## Kelso (Jan 28, 2002)

Ds is 16 1/2mos and nurses 2-6 times a day. When he wakes up(usually between3:30am and 6:30am). And again before bed. On days when I'm home, he also nurses at nap time and when he's overtired and needs to nap(but won't) or if he's stressed.
On days when I leave the house to work, he doesn't get bf during the day, but usually at 6:00pm, then dinner, then again at bed time(7:00pm). I'd only planned to bf for 12-13mos, but I'm not overtired, and he's happy, and I'm usually happy, and I also feel I'm setting a good example for Dd. She's 3 1/2yo and will give her babies "booby" and says that she remembers being bf(self weaned at 13mos). I'm not sure if I'll go past 2yo w/ds, but we'll see what happens when we get there.


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## Viola (Feb 1, 2002)

Mine will be 3 in May. I nurse her usually when she wants, although I do try and postpone it. I've found there is really no such thing as refusing, just pushing it off a bit which I do sometimes. She had gotten to where she only nursed a few times a day, but she's back up to as much as 12 times a day, depending on what we are doing and how she is feeling.


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## 3boys4us (Mar 7, 2002)

Mine will be 3 in June and nurses a lot. He does most of his nursing at night. During the day he's too busy but at night... I think it's getting to be too much for me. But he's sick right now and it's the only thing he wants.


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## Firemom (Nov 21, 2001)

Well, it doesn't mean that he will wean. I found that over all the years I nursed my dd she changed her frequency of nursings well, frequently. Some children will wean earlier than others, yours has actually started the weaning process when solids were introduced.

Just keep offering and things may be different next week.


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## Threefold (Nov 27, 2001)

Sage is 15 months and he nurses countless times! Minimum 4 times a day, but more often its just more than I've ever tried to count. He nurses often at night, but for now seems to be out of the "all night long the nipple must be in my mouth stage". Oddly, I think I got more sleep then! Now he gropes around blindly, lost in the bed, looking for my nipples somewhere near my knees and HAS to wake me up every 1-2 hours. I only refused once, because he was throwing up everything







. It was actually very sad, he's barely talking and he just kept looking at me and pitifully saying "no,no,no". I caved pretty quickly and just let whatever was gonna come up come up. I have asked him to wait a few minutes occasionally, like if we are walking across the parking lot to the grocery or something and I just haven't got the sling set up right yet.


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## claymama (Apr 13, 2002)

My DD is 11 months

She nurses for a long time in the morning and at night before bed, and sometimes in the middle of the night. During the day she is very busy and interested in what I am eating but she still nurses 3-4 times during the day at least. It just depends on her, and what she wants sometimes I feel as if all I do is nurse other days I wonder if she has had enough to eat, but she is happy and growing and that is all that matters.


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## Gracie (Dec 19, 2001)

My babe is 11 months old and nurses about 6-7 times a day....it's just his little routine, and usually sleeps from 8pm-8am straight.

I've stopped offering lately, and only nurse when he asks. (He pops his tongue in and out real fast. LOL)


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## claymama (Apr 13, 2002)

Hi Gracie

My dd makes it really clear she grabs on to my shirt and starts trying to find the nursing opening or push it up or she nudges me and roots it's very funny.


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## dalspector (Mar 23, 2002)

my 3-1/2-year-old son wants to nurse soooooo much more often since the baby was born 5 months ago -- and now he wakes 2-3 times per night to nurse, when before he usually slept all night. It's also complicated by him occassionally wetting the family bed, and sometimes also the other family bed in the next room!

I also find it irritating (physically and emotionally) to nurse him most of the time... but he really seems to need it, and sometimes gets so upset if I ask him to stop.

When I was pregnant, it was very painful to nurse, and we cut down to twice per day (nap & bedtime) and he didn't seem to mind too much, probably because I didn't have much milk...

How can I reduce the number of nursings without causing major tantrums and me feeling awful?


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## aquarius (Nov 19, 2001)

My 3rd ds is 18 months and nurses quite a bit during the day and night. I have told him to wait when we are shopping or something because he is easily distracted and flashes every one. I've been thinking of night weaning, but I'm to lazy to do it.


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