Breastfeeding ADVICE Xpost

[chloechloe]

HELP ME AGAIN :)
Okay DD is 10 months and one week. She is still nursing 8-10 times in a 24 hour period! The nurse says that is WAY too much! This is her present nursing schedule (approximately).
8am
10am
11:30am
1:30am
3:30pm
5:30pm
7:30pm
9:30pm
and twice in the night

She eats VERY VERY VERY little solids. But if I try to push the solids even a little she freaks out! Screams etc. The nurse told me she is not getting nutrition from all these feedings she is doing it for comfort. She said that I may cater to her because she is my first and only child right now. She suggested I let her cry herself to sleep and then offer a bottle when she wakes ( I have never let her CIO). She said that is the most effective way to cut out a nursing session. I would like to cut one out to give myself more time, and I am considering a job 12 hours a week. She has NEVER taken a bottle----ever. She will take a sippy cup. How do I do this? She said I had to wait a year to introduce whole milk (she has had cottage cheese, cheese, yogurt and ice cream). Would one sippy cup of whole milk really hurt??? PLease help!!!!

ETA: she is just under 21 pounds!

[SiValleySteph]

My son is the same age as your daughter (exactly, maybe?). We nurse about 2x after work, 1x before bed, and then 2-3x overnight. And he drinks 3 bottles of EBM at daycare. So it doesn't seem too bad to me.

So the problem is that it's draining you? Did you complain to the nurse about this? I'm curious because my ped didn't ask me anything about my son's nursing habits. He told us that the key point with solids at this time is to not make them a struggle and to offer them and let DS decide if he wants them.

Do you nurse on both sides or one side at a time? If only 1 side, can you offer the 2nd to try and fill her up more?

What are you all doing during the day? I find that my son nurses a lot less if we are out and about. He cannot be bothered to nurse if there is anything more exciting going on. He will also try all kinds of food while we are eating at a restaurant. Maybe try and get out more?

How much is very, very little solids? It sounds like your DD has tried a bunch of stuff. Are you offering solids consistently? Have you tried more finger foods if your DD isn't into purees?

I'm annoyed that your nurse told you to let her CIO. But whatever. We don't do any CIO over here and I don't see any reason to start now.

Don't panic! It will all work out, I am sure. :)

[vjel]

At 10mos. my dd was not nursing that much, maybe 4-6 times a day for 10-15 min. total. how is your DD in terms of weight and stuff? I'm surprised that the RN told you that you're nursing too much. I have always heard that BM or formula is the most important thing for the 1st year of life. There are quite a few moms on the boards whose kids didn't eat much solids at this age either, if I remember correctly. I wouldn't worry too much if your DD is gaining weight ok. Maybe try fingers foods that she could easily eat? Maybe she's just not into the baby food?

If you do want to drop nursing sessions, say the night ones, then try not to offer the boob. You don't have to let her CIO if you don't want to. Maybe just try to comfort her and see if she will go back to sleep w/o nursing. Or have your DH go in to comfort her if he can. I've read that by 9months, babies can go thru the night w/o eating...but thats what I have read.

also, I wouldn't do whole milk til your ped says you can.

[Marisa]

I answered you in the BFing thread, but I think it bears repeating that your nurse gave you some lousy, lousy advice. ;)