almost 10 month old constantly on th breast

[DuelingFanjo]

DS has always been an efficient feeder, very quick. He has recently started nursery and is still settling. He's actually been off sick more times than he's been in and for the last few days has been feeding so much that I am worried I can't meet the demand. He now feeds for ages and if my breast comes out of his mouth (if he starts drifting into sleep for example) he gets frantic, grabs it with his hand and tries to shove it back in. He's also kind of knawing at them. At night he wakes me by latching on really aggressively, he does this several times. I have to express for him when he goes to my mums and have had to cancel it today and stay off work because I could only get an oz out with the pump, even with him latched on the other breast. he is eating solids but not a great deal s his main food supply is me.

He is teething too so I am not sure if he's just seeking relief?

What can I do to keep my supply going enough to match his demands? Could it be illness (I have a sore throat so he may do too) or teething or even just the fact that he is anxious about nursery?

Yes, it could very well be teething and he is seeking relief, have you tried Dentinox Gel, Ibruprofen or teething powders? Do they help at all?

The best thing to keep your supply going to meet his demands is to feed him, so don't worry about that.

Yes it could be illness, does he look like he's got a sore throat or sore gums? Has he got a temperature?

If you are missing work because you can't express enough would cow's milk or formula be an option while he was at your Mums?

hi there,

yes we have tries the powders, gels and calpol last night when he was very upset.

I really don't want to give him formula and he's too young for cows milk.

At nursery I can go over to feed im so he is ok with water until I feed him at lunchtime but it's not so easy when he's at his granny's house as she is 4 miles away.

My breasts are drained completely all the time, I just wonder - will my supply actually get better as he is feeding more and for longer?

Your supply will increase with him feeding more, at this age your supply work's purly on supply and demand the more he demands the more you'll make.

Do you normaly express? Can you increasse the no of time's your expressing? This may help.

In the mean time it there anything solids wise he eat's more off? If so try making that his meal at your mum's and get her to offer snak's like chesse and yogarts instead of milk. This should be fine at his age.

I usually only express on the days he is in nursery or at my mums and only about 6 - 8 oz as he seems to manage ok. I'll try more food :) thank you.

sorry - seeking more help or reassurance. I just want to know it's normal :(

Last night DS woke me several times until 4 am when I tried to get up and soothe him. He wasn't interested in being rocked but just wanted more boob.

Is this typical attachment behaviour? He's in nursery today again (and was yesterday) and had loads to eat, did a lovely big solid poo this morning.
Could he dehydrated or is he just using my boob for comfort?

At 10 months he shouldn't be needing to be fed by you so much, he should be getting enough from food that he only needs milk a few times a day. Milk is still a major source of nutrition for him but food should be playing a part now too. It can get into a viscous circle though, because he's drinking so much milk he's less interested in food, because he doesn't eat so much food he wants more milk. Sounds like you need to break the cycle a bit.

Is there a particular reason why you don't want to give him formula at all? It's just another source of nutrition like all the other food you give him and cows milk is fine in food (just not as the main milk drink) from 6 months. So an occasional drink of cows milk would be ok as long as he's getting the majority of his feeds from you. It won't take away all the benefit he's getting from BF.

OP, it sounds very much like he's wanting you, not so much the milk necessarily, and as you say he's still settling at nursery so being on your breast is the place he's feeling happy, safe and loved. It's really, really common when babies start to have to separate from you like this, for nursery or childcare, for them to be very clingy when they're back with you. It WILL settle down but unfortunately it could take a few months - or it may be really quick, it depends on your own baby's personality.

You sound like you're doing exactly the right thing by letting him feed, letting him be with the breast. He's getting what he needs and if you can cope with the extra franticness (which can be worrying and wearing) it will settle as he realises that you WILL come back EVERY TIME!

It doesn't sound to me like the problem is your milk supply, and as you're feeding at lunchtime it's unlikely to be affected by being away for the day. He's not a newborn, and your milk supply will be very resilient now. Your breasts will continue to make milk even when they feel empty and just letting him switch sides if he wants to will maximise his milk access.

Teething is another one in the mix and this will also be really helped with BFing, so yes, this may be a significant factor. The act of suckling will reduce his pain, whether there's milk pouring out or not. Have you considered a teething necklace? They work really well for some babies and can be used with all the others suggestions above.

I understand that you are worried about supply because he doesn't eat too many solids. He's likely to eat a lot more when you're not there, and possibly eat virtually no solids when he's with you. This will settle down and your breasts WILL cope.

You sound like you're doing things perfectly. How are you coping with his demands? It can be exhausting.

I think it's a comfort thing. DS went through a similar thing at 11mo and cut 5 teeth really quickly. Now he's 13mo we went through the same thing this time for 3 teeth.

This too shall pass.

I found that a couple of brewers yeast tablets and a large glass of water gave my boobs a fairly instant refill for those feeds that you've fallen out of the habit of doing but DS demands. I know that even when your boobs feel empty there's milk but my DS sort of mouths them in a way that is uncomfortable when he has to work too hard. lazy baby

zdcgbjm - we are doing baby led weaning so I am going to carry on giving him lots of breastmilk as long as he needs it, though he seems to have turned a corner with food this week and is eating a lot more. I am in work all day so he gets a feed in the morning, one at 2pm when I go to the nursery to feed him and another at 5.30 when I collect him. It's just at night time that he's suddenly started wanting more and more milk, even after having solids for dinner. I don't want to give him formula as I believe breastmilk is better for him and it would be too much of a faff for me to have to actually get up that many times in the night to give him his cup when my breasts are right there waiting for him.

thank you organiccarrotcake for the reassurance - I guess I just need to get used to it for a while. It's worse than when he was a newborn. He is definitely eating more at nursery, they say he eats ALL his lunch which is brilliant. I am a little bit shattered as specially as I am now back in work and don't get any nap time during the day.

thank you too Graciescotland I need to remind myself that this too will pass. I know what you mean about the mouthing method!

I agree with organiccarrotcake and Graciescotland.

You're also in a sleep regression period which may be making things worse - in the run up to the 46 week developmental leap babies often wake more often and want to feed more often. The only cure for that is time I'm afraid.

There?s more info here, here and here.

Do you co-sleep? Even if you don't usually it's worth doing for a while. Can you get help to do other household jobs so you can get to bed extra early for a while?

thank you AngelDOg, I wonder now if it is sleep regression after all. Though he is feeding non-stop too which is my main issue. I mean I was/am worrying about his need to be constantly on the breast - and it is constant. Those articles really do make sense though, he is so close to starting to walk, already cruising and standing unaided for quite long periods of time.

I am co-sleeping which makes it easier and hopefullyu helps with any separation anxiety he might be feeling. That last article is really interesting, isn't it amazing how babies develop.

Ah, it's constant night feeding. Well that is classic "reverse cycling", where they make up for not seeing you during the day by being attached to you at night. There's a development stage where they work out that when you're not there, you do still exist and you will come back, and then they tend to be a bit less intense when you do appear back for them. Certainly co-sleeping will allow him the you-time he needs.

Can you cope with it knowing that it's normal and will pass?

Yes, I reckon it's probably a combination of reverse cycling and sleep regression. During sleep regressions DS always needed feeding when he woke, and I know lots of babies end up hanging onto the breast for ages then even if they didn't at other times.

I love all this developmental stuff - it's really fascinating.

I find teething makes a big difference to how DS feeds too. Sometimes it means he wants to feed constantly. Often he wants to feed but he simply can't feed to sleep, so he keeps on and on feeding but messing about at the same time which is really annoying.

Now he's 21 m.o. I can ask him if he wants to be rocked instead, and he often chooses that rather than continuing to feed. I think sometimes they get used to a certain way of getting (back) to sleep and if it's not working so well, they want more and more feeding to soothe them back off again rather than asking for a different soothing method IYSWIM.

I wasn't suggesting giving him formula or cows milk when you are there with him to feed him. Obviously that wouldn't make sense. Only for when you can't express milk for him to go to your Mum's. Or is it easy for you to take time off work?

OP my DS is 10mo and last night wanted to feed almost constantly - definitely due to his teething if his little rosy cheeks are anything to go by. He ate loads during the day so he couldn't have been that hungry

He has also been 'pawing' at me a lot for feeds during the day - when I say pawing I mean generally pulling my top down in front of all and sundry and nuzzling his head in there. The little monkey darling

I do feel better now that I realise it's normal, sorry if I was a bit precious about the formula thing. It's easy for me to take time off work at the moment as I have lots of accrued leave but I would rather not be doing it to be honest so maybe formula may be an option if it continues

he is very grabby, will pull my breast to his mouth in the night and the other day I woke up with him on my breast, not even sucking anymore but refusing to let go!

It's certainly not too early to be teaching nursing manners. You can make it clear what you are and are not prepared to accept (although it's harder to do this at night of course).

If there is a teething component it's worth throwing everything at that, too. Can't do any harm :) I find an amber teething necklace very useful!

I'm glad I'm not the only one. I'll wait it out.

My 15 month old is still like this. Last night was particularly difficult. I went back to work when he was 11months. One thing that helps me figure out if he if actually crazy hungry at night or if we just wants me is for my husband to offer him some cows milk (you could try with a little bit of formula as your baby is younger). If he drinks it or some of it he was clearly actually hungry. If he won’t go near the bottle he just wants mum and you can try other techniques like rocking him or singing to him or stroking his back if your boobs have had enough. Occasionally he drinks the milk but most often it just serves to stop me worrying that I’m not feeding him enough. Sometimes I find it easier to just let him nurse while I doze though. (Fellow co-sleeper here).