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Infant feeding

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

6MO not really interested in breast any more

10 replies

Sanguine · 17/06/2008 12:08

My DS is really into solid food. He gets waggly and excited when I put him in his high chair, and grins when I go into the kitchen. He would happily stuff his face all day, I think. He has a mixture of finger food and coarse puree. I've been trying to make sure I keep up the breast feeding, but it's getting quite difficult. I've tried feeding midway between meals but he wasn't hungry, so I tried feeding just before meals, but that's no better. Sometimes he won't latch on at all, other times he'll give a couple of sucks then pull away, or worse still, he'll get bored and start biting me. I know you can start to drop feeds when they get established on solids, but I'm also aware he's supposed to be getting most of his nutrition from breast milk until he's one. The little bits he's taking here and there don't seem enough to me.

He'll happily drink formula milk from a bottle (he's always had one bottle of FF per day for historical reasons). He's also quite good at drinking water from his doidy cup - he thinks that's a tremendous game. So, what do I do?
a) try to cut back on the amount he eats so he is hungrier for milk (that seems like a bit of a shame really, when he's so happy on solids)
b) give up on BF and give him formula to drink.
c) Just make sure he has a lot of dairy in his diet and stop worrying so much?
d) something else? (expressing and me don't get on, btw)

TIA!

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witchandchips · 17/06/2008 12:17

Does he have a good feed night and morning? Thats probably most of what he needs, i'd countinue offering boob (perhaps after naps) but ditch the bottle

witchandchips · 17/06/2008 12:18

btw friend used to bf in bath

Sanguine · 17/06/2008 12:21

Oh, yes, I forgot to say I had tried ditching the formula as well and he STILL wouldn't latch on. He just looked at me as If I was being unreasonable (as only a 6 month old can do!)

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Sanguine · 17/06/2008 12:26

thanks witchandchips. he has a good feed in the morning, but not at night, unless it's formula, in which case he takes about 4 oz.

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witchandchips · 17/06/2008 13:09
  1. my guess he is probably taking more from you than you think
  2. try offering feeds in same context as morning feeds (in your bed?)
  3. ditch the bottle. If he has you and dairy food and plenty of meat + veg he won't need the formula
  4. when my ds was down to 2 feeds a day my boobs deflated from a H to a double DD cup. If your norks are still the same size my guess is that your supply has not diminshed AND he is still having loads just getting at it more quickly
Sanguine · 17/06/2008 13:42

they are getting a bit floppier...

Still, I'll keep soldiering on and see if he changes his mind! This lunchtime, he did manage a half decent suck on one side only, then decided her really actually didn't like my lovingly prepared chicken and veg, but that he really did like apple flavoured fromage frais. I think, overall, he had a reasonable meal...

OP posts:
witchandchips · 17/06/2008 14:42

have asked tiktok over here as guess you need advice to build up your supply

tiktok · 17/06/2008 14:47

He may be taking more than you think or it may be a bit of a nursing strike...whatever, insisting and pushing it will not help. Use some of the strike tricks and be patient and relaxed.

Joolyjoolyjoo · 17/06/2008 14:52

Sanguine- my ds is 7mths and similar: He eats solids with great gusto, and takes the boob well night and morning, but isn't that interested in between- he maybe gets 2 short feeds in the day. I've found that he is better if I remove him upstairs with no distractions (not always easy during the day!) but I think he might be getting enough- he is chubby and content and eats well, so it might just be that this is sufficient?

Sanguine · 17/06/2008 17:58

I've been to HV today, and DS is now up near 75th centile from being a 25th centile baby. She asked what I was giving him, and seemed to think it was reasonable quantity-wise, but suggested I might like to cut down a little while we sort out the bf thing. His weight is fine, but that's no indicator of whether he's getting all those wonderful breastmilk things, is it? I've read up about nursing strike; that seems to be what's going on here. My milk supply can be dodgy at times (I'm a domperidone/fennel tea girl!), and my let down is reeaaally slow. I think my "all-action" boy is getting frustrated and won't wait for a let-down.

He's really easily distracted as well, he just wants to look around, or smile at me, or play with my face. I have considered shutting myself in a dark cupboard at times! I can't talk or eat or drink or read or move while he's feeding - very frustrating. I've had some success feeding him while he's asleep, but he's got wise to this and now wakes up and starts cooing if I try.

This evening I've thrown the schedule out of the window. I waited until he was hungry, then gave him a BF and actually managed to get him to take both sides, albeit briefly. I'll pop a bit of porridge into him in a while instead of a full meal, seeing as we've now missed tea time!

thanks all.

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