Dealing with a boob monster

[cakeforbrains]

DS2 has just turned one and is a total boob monster, to the point that he is refusing virtually all solids in preference to milk and I am considering abruptly giving up BF to get him to eat more.

He was exclusively BF to 6 months then we started solids, which went ok for a couple of months then he started having issues that were finally diagnosed as cows milk protein intolerance at ten months, so I think he in some way associates solids with being uncomfortable and sick. For the last two months meal times have been a total battle whereby he screams for BM and refuses solids. He will eat snacky things like ricecakes and drink water from a sippy cup.

Yesterday he had about half a weetabix for breakfast, a snack of ricecakes, refused all lunch, had some organics sweetcorn rings mid afternoon when I was trying to distract him and about half a jar of babyfood for dinner. Alongside that he fed at 5am, 7.30am, 12.45, 1.30, 5.30, 6.30, 7.30 & 9.30pm, and I distracted/avoided his demands for at least another six feeds.
What do I do???? I wanted to keep feeding for a while yet, but it seems now that BF is detrimental to him having solids. I'm back at work now too so he needs to take solids on the days he is at nursery. DS1 just naturally moved on to more and more solids. I feel so down about it all

Set the times when you want to feed him and stick to that and try not to feed him too soon before a solid feed. If he is hungry at the solid feed time he will eat, maybe not on the first day but as many professionals have said before "a toddler will not starve themselves".

Start the morning with a solid feed rather than bf say around 6.30. At that age he shouldn't be needing a bf at 5am, it's probably more of a comfort feed. Eventually you can move the breakfast time to a little later.

Then have a bf after his breaksfast and don't do another bf until after lunch. Then one last one before bedtime.

The most important thing is to stick to that routine. The first few days you made need to do a lot of distraction but hopefully eventually he will adjust and accept it, as long as you are consistant.

Hope that helps.

I sympathise, as my DD is also a boob-fiend and still (at just under 18 months) eats very little solids and would have milk all day if she could. In terms of solid intake I found that things gradually improved from around 13 months onwards (we did BLWing), though she still doesn't eat loads now. I am just assuming that she gets enough from what she eats, as she seems sturdy enough

Does your DS not eat while he's at nursery when you're not available?

Does he tend to eat more fingerfoods than purees (just going on what you've posted above)? I am no expert but have read some babies prefer to feed themselves. Otherwise it sounds as though gradual reduction and lots of distraction would be the way forward.

Good luck - I know how hard it is to refuse your child when they really really want milk

Thanks for your suggestions. It's good to know that maybe things get better at 13m

Nursery phoned yesterday at 2.15 to say he'd eaten and drunk nothing from when we dropped him off at 8am, and he was attacking people for milk. He was so upset that I had to leave work early, and I'm now trying to rearrange things with work so I do a shorter day but more days to try to reduce the length of time he is at nursery.

I'm trying to let him do finger foods, but he's pretty selective about what he likes. He'll have bread, fishfingers, biscuits etc but refuses to even touch things like fresh fruit and veg and pasta.

Aw, poor little chap, and poor you! Shorter days sounds like a good idea.