Don't want DD to self-wean!

[maestramommy]

There has been some discussion in my moms group about whether a baby will self-wean much earlier than expected (like around 8 months or earlier?). From what I hear it sounds like once the baby got going great on solids they lost interest in nursing, so the moms had to go to formula. Some are losing some interest, although they will still nurse. One had a lactation consultant tell her that if she didn't want the baby to self-wean too early then to feed the baby only one meal a day of solids. And not to starts solids until 6 months. I believe I read something like that on Kellymom.

I started DD on cereal 2 weeks before 6 months, which was 2 weeks earlier that I would've liked, but my period had come, my supply wasn't keeping up, and I had an open wound on one side that I was trying to heal. Long story short, when I started bleeding after a pumping session, I decided to start DD on cereal. Now I've got her on breakfast and dinner on cereal and veggie. She all of a sudden seems to love her food, and is in such a good mood for longer after that meal. So I figure, this is what's she's needed.

However, now I'm worried. My ped. says once she starts eating more she'll probably sleep through the night (she still gets one nighttime feed). I don't mind her sleeping through the night :-), but I don't want her to self-wean at least before one year! So far she hasn't shown any signs of wanting to wean, but we just started with the eating.

Has anyone else had this experience? It's hard to express my sentiment online in my mom's group because most of the babies are either formula fed, or supplemented. Very few of us are still EBF and I don't want to offend anyone by going on and on about why I want to EBF for at least a year. This would force me to psychoanalyze myself for any "real" motives for doing this. Anyway, some suggestions or just empathy would be great.

[Rachels]

Keep nursing and use nursing rather than solids to address her hunger, and she'll likely do just fine. FWIW, solids completely wrecked Abby's nighttime sleep, so they're not necessarily the miracle sleep cure they're cracked up to be. But she nursed until her third birthday, eating voraciously for most of that time. :)

-Rachel
Mama to Abigail Rose
5/18/02
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbo...ethyst_36m.gif
Nursed for three years!

and Ethan James
10/19/05
http://www.mothering.com/discussions...smilies/bf.jpg


"When you know better, you do better."
Maya

[maestramommy]

okay, then can I ask another question? During times like this, or whenever, did you nurse on demand, and did it happen on a semi-schedule, or was it more random? I stopped nursing DD on demand at 4 months; we are on a sort of time interval schedule, not strictly by the clock.

[writermama]

Hmm. I nursed on demand, but, at those times when DD was picking up new skills or interested in new things, I would also initate nursing on a semi-schedule to make sure we kept my supply up.

For example, if DD usually demanded to nurse every 4 hours, but was too interested in something to remember that she wanted to nurse, around the 4 and a half hour mark I'd pick her up and cuddle her for a while and then offer nursing -- not really on a schedule, though. And if she wanted nursing more often than every x number of hours, I'd usually go ahead and let her -- that way I kept up with growth spurts.

The other thing, is that I always nursed before giving her a meal with solids -- the solids were a taste and texture experience, but the primary source of nutrition was milk.

Then again, every child is different. My DD would probably have kept up with nursing no matter what I did.

[nfowife]

I didn't notice much of a decrease in nursing until I started 3 meals at around 9.5 months. Before that (on 1 or 2 meals) she seemed to be nursing just as often as she did before that. And she slept through the night on her own at 9 months. I was nursing her on wake up, before each nap (was 3 for a while but now 2 a day) and before bed. I decided about a month ago at 10 months to change the daytime nursings to after the nap. Since doing this I have seen a big decrease in her interest at those sessions. I guess she was nursing more for comfort at those times (when it was before the nap) and to help get sleepy because once I moved them she is very distracted and doesn't stay latched on for nearly as long. The first thing in the a.m. and last thing in the p.m. sessions are still fine though. Since my DD will be 1 in a few weeks I'm sure we will make it to a year. I do plan to start replacing those 2 daytime sessions with milk in a cup though starting next month. Right now she pretty much nurses every 3-4 hours:
6am (wakeup) nurse
7:30 solids
10 am nurse
12 solids
2:30 or 3 nurse
4:30 solids
5:45 nurse to sleep.

[Rachels]

I always nursed on demand.

-Rachel
Mama to Abigail Rose
5/18/02
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbo...ethyst_36m.gif
Nursed for three years!

and Ethan James
10/19/05
http://www.mothering.com/discussions...smilies/bf.jpg


"When you know better, you do better."
Maya

[mudder17]

I always nursed on demand. But the key, I think is that before every solids meal, I would offer the nursing first. And yes, at around 8 months I was having a problem with supply (partly because I was in the hospital), and I was worried she was going to wean, but then I just deliberately pumped for ... I think it was every 2-3 hours around the clock for 48 hours, and then I pumped after every nursing session after that. After a week or so, my supply started increasing again, and Kaya started showing more interest again. During the time when we were concerned, though, I would nurse her before bed and then DH would offer her a sippy of my pumped milk.

Anyway, if you continue offering her nursings before every meal and don't do too much with the solids (like don't move super quickly), chances are she will continue to nurse for most of her nutrition and she won't wean on her own.


Eileen

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...ies/candle.gif for Leah
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbo...pphire_24m.gif

http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/t/catca...-6_Kaya+is.png
Kaya's a cousin! 10/1/05, 5lb13oz

[tarahsolazy]

One additional thing I would advise is to NOT intentionally night-wean. Nursing at night keeps your supply up, and reminds the baby how nice nursing is. My son had a big decrease in his nursing behavior when I went back to work after a 2 month break, when he was 9 mo old. From 7 to 9 mo he'd had me around all the time, and he nursed every 2-3 hours or so. After I went back, he started to commonly refuse daytime nursing. But, he'd gladly nurse at bedtime and ususally twice at night, and when he woke up in the am. I think that's the only thing that kept him going til 19mo.

I also think that doing a schedule when you want to encourage long-term breastfeeding might be risky. I'd never miss an opportunity to nurse her, she's still so small, and your supply will benefit. Same with the nighttime bottles, perhaps every other day is enough? I know you had trouble getting her to take the bottle though, so you may not want to risk it.

Solids didn't make my son sleep all night, either, he dropped his last nightfeeding at about 15months, and he was eating all table food by that time.

[maestramommy]

Okay, so yesterday DD had her biggest meals yet. Basically 2 1/2 tsp. of rice cereal, and half a 2.5 oz jar of veggie for breakfast and "dinner." I was still doing the meal about an hour after she had nursed. She got her 6 oz bedtime bottle about 90 minutes after the solids, and goes down. DH though she could've taken more, but the bottle was empty. Then she wakes up at 10:30! I thought, maybe she'll go back to sleep, but she started crying and only go louder, so I finally went in a fed her. She's done this before, so I figured she'll sleep til morning. But no! She's up again at 3:50, which USED to be her regular nighttime feed. DH tries to soothe her, but she is wide awake, and getting louder. So I said to hell with it and go feed her. Which means that I was only able to pump 4 oz. the night before. That is going to be her bottle tonight, and I'll top her off myself if necessary.

I really don't understand what is going on here. She was doing so well, at the 50th percentile since 2 months, and doing the 3am feeding for a while. Then suddenly a few weeks ago, starting waking at midnight-1 for that feeding.

I thought about scheduling her feedings, but feeding more often, like every 3 hours without stretching, and this morning I fed her solids right after nursing. Of course she ate less. I feel like I need to schedule somewhat or I'll never get to pump, which is driven by her bottle, which is driven by other things. Aaargh!

DH is telling me not to worry so much, esp. in advance of something that may not happen. And if she does self wean in in spite of all my efforts, it's not the end of the world. We'll finish the year on formula. I know it's not terrible, but after all this, would be rather disappointing......

[mudder17]

It could be that she's not necessarily hungry but that her digestive system is having trouble digesting her food. There are quite a few babies for whom solids does this for them initially and so parents will either give them a break on solids or slow way down. I know it doesn't help that she seems to really enjoy her solids, but it could be making it difficult for her to sleep well because her digestive system is out of whack.


Eileen

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...ies/candle.gif for Leah
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbo...pphire_24m.gif

http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/t/catca...-6_Kaya+is.png
Kaya's a cousin! 10/1/05, 5lb13oz