Help I have a MILK MONSTER.

[Crawling]

DD is 18 months and still feeds 8 times a day it is starting to get wearing. She refuses a bottle of milk or water. DS was down to 2-3 feeds at this age. Is there anything I can do? I dont want to stop feeding but would like to feed less. Does anyone else have a milk monster?

Do feel for you as it sounds exactly like my DD was at that age.

Have you tried giving her milk or water in something other than a bottle?

DD always used to take water with her meals from a cup, which she had chosen herself.

I have tried a cup and no interest I would just put up with it and hope it would calm down but I am 2 months pg and finding it tiring. I love bf but at the moment I am so tired and sore and she is feeding so much it is feeling like a chore. When did your DD calm down?

Umm...well, I sort of forced weaning at 2.8 and she still asks for it now at 3.5. Probably not what you want to hear though. She is probably not a good example and didn't seem to be typical. Ds was down to 2 feeds per day by that age.

Are you thinking of decreasing the number of feeds or weaning her totally? If you are going to continue feeding, have you looked into tandem feeding?

I have not looked at tandom feeding yet but I hope to let her self wean so will tandem feed but I want to reduce her feeds because it is to much for me ATM.

It is hard when they are feeding all the time was your DD on a high percentile? (if you dont mind me asking) just wondering if that has something to do with why they need/want so much?

No, she was and still is quite skinny but then so am i so its never worried me.

Do you think talking to a bfing counsellor about how to reduce the number of feeds might help? I know when I was reducing DS feeds I used the "don't offer, don't refuse" thing at first.

I dont offer now DD jumps on my lap and pulls at my top. What I may try is distracting and putting a drink beside her and play with her instead of feeding, maybe she will drink the drink then in order to continue playing, I think I will also take her away in a seperate room so feeding means play is left.

I think by that age I was starting to actively refuse feeds in certain situations eg when I was making tea, or when we were at the toddler group. They can understand "not now, later" or "after dinner" or whatever. And distraction can be handy in that they often forget to ask again. I just started by making sure there was a high value distraction such as tv or a favourite game. Re other drinks I'd just always have a cup there at mealtimes, she'll eventually take it. Hope it gets better for you soon.

I should say even with intermittent refusals from me DS still fed happily until self-weaning at 2.3.

Thank you Doric that is helpful