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Infant feeding

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

BF problems at 9mths. Please help

8 replies

MimsyBorogroves · 10/09/2012 22:47

I'm winding myself into a frantic mess.

DS2, who is just 9 months is going through a phase of refusing the breast in the day - especially if I go out anywhere. If there's even a slight distraction (and sometimes if there isn't) he will refuse to latch, arch his back, scream and we get nowhere.

He will feed first thing in the morning, maybe once more mid morning and then refuse until bedtime at 7. He is then up twice in the night feeding - probably because his milk intake in the day is so little.

He's doing well with BLW and eats for England. It makes no difference if I try to feed before/after a meal - I don't think it's a lack of hunger issue (he's still having a massive feed at bedtime which is often quite close to teatime) - I think it's a distraction issue and he'd rather be off looking at/doing his own thing. He's just started commando crawling and it seems to have coincided.

With DS1 I went back to work around this point, so I was only feeding twice a day. I got really bad mastitis and he went on a nursing strike. We never recovered and that was the end of feeding for us. I really don't want to stop with DS2, and I don't feel like it's the end - but I'm scared of mastitis again, and I'm worried what this lack of feeding will do to my supply.

So where can I go from here? How am I best to ride it out? Should I keep offering and just not pushing it, or should I try harder? Reading kellymom seems to suggest I shouldn't merely go with his signalling he wants to feed as that generally does cause early weaning. And he rarely asks anyway (except in the night)

Expressing isn't really an option. I can't get a decent amount with a pump, and hand expressing will be a nightmare with DS1 starting school next week and DS2 being generally more demanding. I'm really confused!

OP posts:
NiceCupOfTeaAndASitDown · 10/09/2012 23:01

I don't know a huge amount about this (there are plenty of ladies here who do who'll be along in a minute) but I'm pretty sure a nursing strike is common at this age, many people think their baby is self-weaning but given the chance they will go back to feeding with gusto after a month or so.

I have never been able to express very much despite having (I believe) a pretty good supply. IIRC I just continued to offer the breast frequently when DS was this age but not worry too much if he declined, I also let him feed as frequently at night as he wished. It wasn't long before his feeds were back to normal (whatever that means) and my supply didn't suffer

interested to know other's take on this behaviour. Best of luck :)

MimsyBorogroves · 11/09/2012 07:09

Thanks Cup, I'm hoping it's all going t change again. Selfishly I want my snuggly feedy baby again!

Just tried feeding him lying down in bed. He's more interested in trying to chuck himself head first off the side [hmmm]

OP posts:
MimsyBorogroves · 11/09/2012 07:11

Hmm even.

It's one of those days already

OP posts:
MimsyBorogroves · 11/09/2012 10:43

Bump for some daytime advice please?

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BakingBunty · 11/09/2012 12:06

I had exactly the same issue at around the same age... possibly a month or so older. I dropped from four daytime feeds to three (approx 7am, 3pm, 7pm - dropping the feed I was attempting to do at 11am) and things improved massively. I was worried that it wouldn't be enough, but it seemed to re-invigorate DS's interest in the other feeds, IYSWIM, and he started sleeping through (mostly!)

I also found that feeding in a dark, quiet room was the only way forward.

At 12 months, he also started losing interest in the mid afternoon feed. This coincided with me going back to work, so rather than battling with a bottle or cup (DS is a staunch refuser), we replaced it with a drink of water and a snack. So far, so good!

Jakeyblueblue · 11/09/2012 13:01

I wouldn't worry and go with the flow. Keep offering but if he doesn't want it don't worry. Ds is now 14 months and still bf but he was the same at 9 months. As long as they are having other food and drink in the day, then they will make up the milk at some other point. We co slept so ds filled up in the night. I went back to work at a similar time anyway so he's always gone all day without a feed but he's never dropped of the 98th centile so I am sure he was getting what he needed at other times Smile

MimsyBorogroves · 11/09/2012 20:11

Thank you both.

I tried hand expressing at 11, with nothing much except less than an oz and a sore breast as thanks. Got in tonight and he's had a huge feed - I think it's a distracted "bugger off, I want to LEARN" thing, but I'm petrified of it affecting my supply. I've been taking domperidone to get this far anyway after an arse of a doctor gave me medication that had the side effect of drying up my milk when DS2 was a couple of months old.

Mind you, I battled like hell for the domperidone so if it's likely this is a phase rather than self weaning I am willing I battle this...

OP posts:
Jakeyblueblue · 11/09/2012 20:46

It will affect your supply but only in the sense that It will change to accommodate your babies needs. I def produce less milk now than I did in the early days but then ds needs less now. Try not to worry, babies and boobs are very clever. Mother nature will sort the rest out Smile

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