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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

Breastfeeding 10 months+.........

11 replies

BlueBluePink · 31/07/2006 12:23

How does your ds/dd let you know they want a feed? my dd is almost 11 months and i still find it difficult to tell when she wants a feed? sometimes she pulls at my top and i try to feed her, only for her to bite me and giggle (ouch), and other times she just stares at my chest lovingly and she will feed for about 1 minute and then start biting again and giggling i cant tell whats what or if she is just loosing interest in bfeeding! She still has a good feed last thing before bed time though.

OP posts:

FrannyandZooey · 31/07/2006 12:30

I think to muck about while feeding is fairly par for the course at this age. A lot of them seem to lose interest for a while only for it to pick up again later. I taught ds a bit of sign language, so he was able to start asking for milk around 11 months IIRC, but up till then I just offered milk if he seemed upset, or it had been a while, or if he started nuzzling or pulling on the top, I think.

She will soon be able to tell you very clearly indeed so make the most of this stage

Original poster

BlueBluePink · 31/07/2006 12:51

Lol, thanks FandZ i have such a mad house with my other two running around i loose track sometimes of when i fed her last and we havent yet established any kind of communication in that area!

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lazycow · 31/07/2006 12:54

ds has a real loss of interest at this stage and I remember thinking he was going to wean. If I had wanted to then it would have been really easy I think. It picked up again at around 14 months when he started wanting to feed all the time I was around. Now at 20 months he has days when he is more interested than others although I tend to try and stick to 2-3 feeds maximum most days anyway.

Original poster

BlueBluePink · 31/07/2006 13:04

To be honest i have no idea how long we are going to carry on this bfeeding relationship as i only fed dds1 for 6 weeks and ds2 for 6 months i have never bfed for this long and its all really quite new to me! i really thought we wouldnt still be doing it by now and i can see myself feeding her when she 50! i dont want to give up as she is my last, but im not really keen on still feeding her at 2 or 3 etc.... not sure why though?!! i wish i had more of a clue as to what i was doing and if its right or wrong? like how much she should be taking from me at this age as im sure she isnt getting enough!

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lazycow · 31/07/2006 13:09

I did worry about how much milk ds was getting in the early days ( who doesn't) but by 11/12 months I had stopped really.

He did eat well and I just saw the milk he got from me as something he would regulate as he needed it. Obviously if he had not eaten well I probably would have worried more about it. Often mothers asked me - 'how much milk does he have?' Usually becuase they were worried their children were having too much/too little (the transition to solids often isn't very smooth is it..)

I just said I had no idea but he looked alright to me - He did eat loads of cheese though !!

USAUKMum · 31/07/2006 14:24

Fed my DD until 15 mths, DS until 16mths. We always had "set times" (breakfast/on waking, lunch, mid-afternoon, snack, pre-bed) if they started playing around during a feed, I gave them a few days to go with it, then dropped the feed. DD (5) would probably still be at it, but DS stopped by himself! The playing around usually meant my two didn't want that feed anymore. Though must say DD didn't really volunteer to give up any -- she had to when I returned work!

FrannyandZooey · 31/07/2006 16:55

BBP I think the thought of feeding a 2 or 3 year old seems strange to a lot of us, but it sort of creeps up on you - it isn't like one day you are feeding a baby and then suddenly a 3 year old is asking for milk. It all happens so gradually, and when I am feeding ds I don't think "oh my god look at this enormous child", I just think "this is my child who wants comfort and milk from me". Nothing could seem more natural.

TooTicky · 31/07/2006 17:00

My dd2 has learnt the baby sign for milk and uses it confidently. She is 12mo.

Original poster

BlueBluePink · 02/08/2006 10:04

FandZ thats so sweet! i have had some flack of sil saying it was 'gross' that i was still feeding dd apparently its only ok to feed tiny babies (stupid girl) so i can understand what you mean about it just being your child who you love and he is getting comfort and nourishment from you - what on earth could be better!!
TooTicky - how do you teach your dd to sign that? and what is the sign? id like to see if my dd could pick it up?? it would be far better than having my top yanked down in the middle of tesco's

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FrannyandZooey · 02/08/2006 13:19

BBP, the sign we used was to hold up your hand and make a squeezing motion as if you are milking a cow I believe that is the standard sign for "milk" and is easy for little ones to pick up. Just make the sign and say "do you want some milk?" every time you feed, and maybe say "mmm, you're having your milk aren't you?" a couple of times each feed while making the sign again. They soon get the idea and it is so rewarding to help them communicate like this; I am a big fan of baby signing.

Just another thought, about it feeling natural to feed an older child - a friend of mine fed her dd till nearly 3, and found it all felt very comfortable and normal - until her dd weaned, and then she said the very next week, she looked at her and thinking "OMG I breastfed that"

Original poster

BlueBluePink · 02/08/2006 17:12

Lol Fand Z! i cant imagine feeding my 3yo i will try that signing thing with dd! have never done it before!

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