I don't want to stop bf please help

[chibi]

My dd is 7 months old, and a number of things have made me wonder if I hadn't better stop.

She started life on the 75th centile, and is now between the 9th and the 2nd, a long slow decline in growth rate, although she has been gaining.

No one I know is still bf, I feel like a freak.

She has started nipping me and it hurts.

i just wonder if I haven't been bf her for selfish reasons, and that maybe I should have topped her up or something rather than stubbornly insisting on ex bf until weaning, she is so skinny and I feel like my bf has harmed rather than helped.

An acquaintance of mine stopped bf when her ddd was a few weeks old as she wasn't gaining a lot of weight and now she is a chubby glowing picture of health.

Please reassure me that I haven't messed dd up completely.

Am not an expert on BF so don't know much about weight-gain, centile lines etc, but wanted to say well done for excl. bf for 6m!

Please don't feel like a freak

I'm still bf dd2 and she's 17m (and that's nothing on here, I'll tell you!)

Oh, and the nipping thing is bound to be a phase, both dds did it but stopped after a while

Yup still going at 16m too-my ds went through the nipping stage and is skinny compared to some of his bfed chums but each baby is different.

Oh poor you - someone will be here soon with lots of words of wisdom.....do not feel like a freak - you are doing the best you can for your baby and can I say 'well done you'. I know its not easy.....

Oh poor you chibi, you must feel anxious. Someone more knowledgeable than me will be along with more info about weight gain, but please don't feel like a freak for feeding past six months - there are loads of us still feeding well into our babies' second, third, fourth years so you are a long way from freakish yet!

If she bites, put your little finger into her mouth to break the suction, take her off, say 'No, don't bite me, it hurts' fairly firmly, and (if you are feeling stern) put her down for a minute with no eye contact - then let her feed again. Do this EVERY time she bites you and she will quickly get the message.

Please don't think of yourself as selfish, you have done a marvellous thing for your little girl by feeding her.

Remember, babies are like adults: some big, small, chubby, scrawny blah blah

Have you introduced any solids yet chibi?

Wait, wait, wait.

Is your baby lively, bright eyed and bushy tailed?

Is she meeting all her developmental milestones?

Never ever ever compare babies especially breastfed and formula fed ones. Formula fed babies are invariably heavier. This ins't necessarily a good thing at all.

Also, remember those silly centile charts are designed for formula fed babies.

My babies are long and lean and lovely. I don't care if they don't look like fat, cute, chubsters. Mine are cute too.

Your baby is such a lucky lucky girl to still be breastfed. The health benefits are huge. And you're great for doing it. You should be very proud of yourself.

The World Health Organisation recommends breastfeeding for two years minimum.

Some info here

KellyMom website is a great source of information.

Here is a link

And La Leche League can help you find like minded mums in your area.

Their website

If she nips, insert your little finger into her mouth and take out your nipple. She'll soon associate biting with no milk and stop it.

Good luck. Don't let anyone make you feel weird or bad for breastfeeding. It's the most natural thing in the world.

Well done you.

Chubby doesn't always mean healthy, a lot of exclusively breastfed children are lean,hear that lean, not skinny.

I breastfed my ds for a year and a half, you have got to seven months, sure another few months and you can skip formula and bottles completely, YAY!

Sort out the nipping and carry on, u sound like you are doing a great job, I didn't know anyone in real life that breastfed past 6 months so boards like this were a great support.

I find the bf culture in this country a lot more positive iyswim than where I'm from. I don't know anyone in my country who bf at all or even tried. At least here I know some people who have given it a go. However, I am getting the feeling like, ok, you've done you your bit, stop already. PLus with the biting, amybe she is wanting to stop too?

I have started weaniing, a smidge before 6 months as she wanted to have a go. I am doing BLW. She eats 3x a day usually, at the same time as I do, I offer stuff + she eats or not as she chooses. I am trying to offer calorific stuff, but dairy seems to bugs her eczema so I am kind of at a loss.

Chibi - I would definitely try and persist with the BF if she has eczema

The biting doesn't mean that she wants to stop feeding - she's just trying out her teeth. But it can be very irritating and painful for you, so put your foot down and use the advice here to get her to stop!

chibi, she's not wanting to stop because she's biting you = it's just a developmental phase, DS went through it about the same age and he's still a booby fetisher at 10 months !

BFing imo is one of the best weapons in ones armory for dealing with your LO

you are doing great, FAB even.

you are NOT a freak.

Try offering things like avocado, rice cakes with low sugar jam on or oat cakes with jam if you can get them. Have you been on the BLWing site ? www.babyledweaning.com - join us on the forums, you'll get lots of advice about calorific foods.

where are you from ?

Have a look at this thread chibi - about slow weight gain - it might be useful

Hi - my ds is nearly 8 months and has followed a nearly identical pattern to your dd.

He was born on 50th centile and is now between 2nd and 0.4th, again a gradual decline although he does gain weight.

He is also nipping - now has 2 bottom teeth (ow!), I take him off the breast, say NO quite sternly and put him back on. He's slowly realising that it's better not to nip! He's having 3 meals a day - we started blw but he couldn't seem to satisfy his need for solids quick enough self feeding, so he also gets spoon fed.

He also has eczema - I may be imagining it but I'm sure I read somewhere that poor weight gain, eczema and dairy intolerance can be linked (although ds is fine with dairy). She's getting the best protection for her eczema from bf - you'd have a hard time finding a formula to suit her that doesn't exacerbate her eczema.

DS is such a happy, lively and animated baby. He's sitting really well, can take his weight on his feet and interacts with his toys, sisters and surroundings. I have no worries at all about his weight gain, but do acknowledge that he is small.

Have faith in your ability to provide for your dd, breastmilk is higher in calories that formula or most solids and is specifically made for your dd's requirements.

Chibi, hi!

I feeeeel your anguish, trust me. And everything I have learned tells me that to have exclusively breastfed to 7 months is superb, you have done, and are still doing, something wonderful for your dd that will benefit her for her whole life. And you should absolutely carry on as long as you want.

I was told only today by a paediatrician that I should carry on breastfeeding my 24 week old pixie sized baby.

It is completely normal to doubt yourself in your circumstances, as it would take a supernaturally self-confident person to barrel on through the enormous pressure to have our babies "do as the other babies do"

But you MUST repeat with me.

I am a wonderful mother. I have NOT messed up my daughter. If she WILL insist on having the appetite of a gnat, I am BLOODY glad that at least every drop she takes is breastmilk.

I bet your little one is gorgeous, no?

thank you all for you support, I just feel so alone sometmes.

puffylovett I am from Canada - probably there are bfing women in some areas but not where I'm from

Have you thought about going to a breastfeeding support group, chibi?

la leche league local groups

how do I find a bf support group, preferably one with mothers of older babies

Association of Breastfeeding Mothers groups

whoops you read my mind pw!

... or call the NCT on 0870 444 8707 for a list of groups in your area.

Good luck

Mind-reading my speciality

vlc thanks for your support as well, I have lurked on the slow growth thread + know you've had a hard time of things. Am pleased that paed encouraged you to carry on bf.