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Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Infant feeding

HV confirmed today that BabyG IS self-weaning [painful norks emoticon]

20 replies

MamaG · 22/10/2009 11:34

He hasn't fed from me for over 24 hours, if I get my nipple into his mouth he screws his face up as if I put a bit of rotten fish in there! He hits my norks and cries if I try to feed.

I was putting it down to teething (ha!) but HV thinks he's self-weaning and not to worry about it.

On the one hand I'm glad that he's made the decision, rather than me make it for him but I do feel a bit sad as he's my last baby.

and my boobs are KILLING me - I expressed in teh shower this morning to get a bit of relief but I shouldn't have done that, should I!

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louii · 22/10/2009 11:35

Could just be a nursing strike, how old is he, maybe he is teething and has sore mouth?

AbricotsSecs · 22/10/2009 11:36

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NotQuiteCockney · 22/10/2009 11:37

Or a blocked nose? Is he eating otherwise?

You can wait out a nursing strike, if you don't want to stop bfing yet.

haventsleptforayear · 22/10/2009 11:37

eh? Isn't he still tiny?

I agree with your assessment (teething).

That doesn't sound in the least like self-weaning to me (ie gradually asking less and less and doing shorter and shorter feeds til they just stop asking).

AbricotsSecs · 22/10/2009 11:40

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MamaG · 22/10/2009 11:40

He'll be 1 on 5th November and he IS teething with a stuffy nose.

HV used to be a BF counsellor and is extremely pro-BF, she was so helpful to me in the early days when I was struggling.

I've never fed a baby for so long, DD was 14 weeks and DS1 was 6 weeks when I stopped so this self-weaning lark is all new to me. I've never even heard the term nursing strike

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MamaG · 22/10/2009 11:42

He has dropped right down to 2 feeds a day, but snacks through the night (grr) and my periods started again last month. He's actually lost 1.5lbs since he was last weighed a month ago: the first time he's lost weight sine the day he was born!

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tiktok · 22/10/2009 11:57

MamaG - I agree that nursing strike is a candidate for the reason behind this behaviour.
Has he really lost one and a half pounds in a month? This needs investigating....babies don't normally lose this amount of weight.

(if this is a typo and you meant to write 1.5 oz, then no worries!)

ShowOfHands · 22/10/2009 12:02

Similar reaction to tiktok. 1.5lbs?? Is that right?

Yes, very, very unlikely that a 1yr old would self-wean. Teething and stuffed up nose always affected dd. Kellymom VERY good.

MamaG · 22/10/2009 12:07

Have checked again and on 18/9/09 he was 14.55kg and 2st 4lbs

Today he was 14.14kg and 2st 2.5lbs

So yes, def 1.5 pounds - I was shocked and said to her "that doesn't sound good, should i be worried?" and she replied "no, its just because he's a lot more active now (late crawler) and you'll find he does level out now."

He is a big baby, no doubt about it. She asked how I felt about giving up BF now and I said my goal was to feed until 6m and anything after that was a bonus and that I'd rather he self-weaned than I weaned him IYKWIM. But to suddnely STOP feeding, after 2 proper feeds a day and snacking through night? From reading that link, it doesn't sound right to me (or you lot, by the sound of it!)

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ShowOfHands · 22/10/2009 12:11

No it doesn't sound right.

And levelling out is very different to actually losing weight. I wonder if it was the scales.

My dd is also very big, was always off the charts and she levelled out after about a year but never lost weight. In fact, she has only gained a few pounds between 18 months and 2 and a half but is still on the top of the charts so weight gain slows dramatically but losing weight is a different issue. I don't mean panic, just wonder if that was an accurate reading as it's not common to lose weight I think.

Pinkjenny · 22/10/2009 12:12

SOH - can I trouble you a min? Come over to my thread in Sleep. Please.

Apologies for hijack.

tiktok · 22/10/2009 12:15

He's actually lost 410g, MamaG - under a pound. In a big baby who's clearly active and thriving, I would put that down to the vagaries of weighing, to be honest...and yes, he could be levelling out, though the usual way to do that is not by actually losing weight

He sounds perfectly well, whatever the scales say

MamaG · 22/10/2009 12:15

I was very surprised but she was very reassuring. Same scales as usual etc

She did check that we always weigh him naked, so I don't think she was completely laid back about it. But equally, she didn't ask me to take him back.

Her view is that just give him solids (inc lots of dairy) and water to drink now, don't even bother with milk (cows) as a drink.

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MamaG · 22/10/2009 12:17

do you think she's translated the weight from kg to lbs incorrectly? She's written in both columns but teh scales always come up in kg

Do you all think I should take this opportunity to wean him off, or should I try to get him back on? He IS almost 1 but I had no plans to stop BF as long as he was happy. But equally, I don't wnat to do it forever and I am a bit tied to the house of an evening!

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haventsleptforayear · 22/10/2009 12:46

It's up to you.

DS1 "weaned" at around 1.

He had been having bottles while I was at work and bf when I was home.

I went away for a couple of weekends (hen weekends/wedding) and that obviously affected my supply.

He started asking for more bottles and less bf.

The last one to go was the morning one, when he would climb into bed with us and have a feed.

One or two mornings he bf for a while, then came off crying for more milk, so had a bottle afterwards.

Then we decided that was it, I was already amazed at getting to 1, we wanted to try for another etc.

DS2, however, is still feeding occasionally now (say once a day or every other day) at 2.8.

It doesn't tie me to the house (I don't feed him to sleep), I have been away several times for work (recently for a week).

It doesn't have to tie you down, feeding a toddler, but I can see it might if you were at home with them.

your call!

StealthPolarBear · 22/10/2009 14:35

I came on to say but isn't he about 3 months??
Doesn't time fly?

MamaG · 23/10/2009 07:50

Certainly does SPB! He's still not feeding, but is much better in himself and is happy with his beaker of water and his solid food.

I've been trying to express to keep up the supply but I am spectacularly crap at expressing and I'm not sure my heart was 100% in it anyway.

So there we are, I think its over. Boobs much less engorged today, baby happy, me feeling emotional but I feel like its quite a "natural" end to our BF relationship. Even though I could cry. But I think I'd have a little weep whatever age he was.

Why am I feeling so guilty?! He's 1 in a fortnight FGS, I've given him a fab start haven't I? Mother's guilt, what a wonderful thing ...

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SHRIIIEEEKPoolingBearBlood · 23/10/2009 07:54

sorry you're emotional - you would be whenever you stopped...hormones!!
and you know it - he has had a great start and has fed for as long as suited him, that's as good as it gets!

MamaG · 23/10/2009 16:05

Thanks SPB

Boobs better today but HELL I feel low! Been for long lunch with a good mate though which cheered me up no end (even though it was in a playbarn!)

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