R is suddenly nursing much much less. He's gaining great and eating solids but since he only gets a bottle of BM a day I really don't know what he's drinking. He's happily going 4 hours between sessions and I feel like I have to force it on him unless he's sleepy. He's 9 months, one week. Is this normal? How do I know if he's drinking enough?
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Following. My son just turned 10 months old and has really started decreasing his nursing time. I'm totally fine with him weaning when he's ready, but I definitely don't want my supply to completely shrink before we reach the one-year mark!
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@ChiCalGoBee: not only that but how do I know if I need to offer bottles of BM or formula??!
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I only have Ethan on the weekends, but he really doesn't nurse much during the day. He will nurse 5:30/6 am, and then usually twice before his naps, so 9-ish and 2-ish. Then 6 and 9 before bed. But unless he falls asleep they are pretty short sessions. ( I am always so full on weekends because he just doesn't drink enough!)
He does take 2 or 3- 5 oz. bottles at daycare between 8 and 5.
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@josina: interesting thanks!!
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Dang, you ladies are all lucky. I think that as LO has gotten older and can ask for it more specifically she nurses more! She's like every 2 hours when I'm around if she can help it. She nurses before we leave for daycare (6:45am) and then when we get home (5:30ish) and before bed 7pm. She drinks 8 oz at daycare, a 4 oz bottle split between 9am breakfast and noon lunch, and then 4 oz at snack around 3:30pm. If it's not a daycare day then it really is almost q2, today was 6:45am, 9am, 11am, 1pm, 3pm, 6pm and 7pm. Gah. She's 11.5 mo, no idea how this weaning thing is going to look like! I was thinking she'd just stop because she's so busy, but she's just turned into opening up an acrobatic milk snack bar instead. Ha!
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I am home with him. By 9 months, we were nursing 4 times a day. Wakeup, after both naps, and bedtime. He nurses for 5-10 minutes max. He is now 11 months, and I am attending grad school. I no longer get anything with the pump and when the freezer stash runs out this week, he will switch to whole milk. I have never known how much he drinks.
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I had a similar experience, where I felt like I was forcing him to nurse a lot of the time. I started nursing before naps because he would nurse better when he was sleepy, and I felt like he was getting more. And then I would try to nurse after too. So morning, before and after both naps, and then bedtime. But I was paranoid about my supply and his weight, so I was probably needlessly forcing the issue. If your LO seems happy and is gaining ok then I wouldn't worry at all!
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@hilsy85: he's definitely a peanut! But so much bigger than my first that I just don't worry about his size more is what he is eating/drinking appropriate. He's 17.5 lbs and 27.5 inches at 9 months which is basically Ts size at 12 mos.
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@Mrs. Toad: interesting thanks!
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Around 8 months DD cut a few oz of Breastmilk out of her daycare bottles and by 10 months was nursing less during the day and was sttn so no night feeds. I was actually feeling sad she might be weaning, but within a month or so she was nursing more than ever. 19 months now and no end in sight - I have been turning her down all the time now. Which is a good compromise for us since I don't want to wean but I also don't want her attached to my boob 24/7.
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A lot of babies slow down on the nursing between nine and twelve months then pick it up again after then! One theory is that they're too busy working on their newfound mobility and communication skills to bother with eating / nursing but they go back to the boobs once the novelty wears off
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@winniebee: I'm so glad you asked this - J will be 10 months next week and I'm wondering what this will look like. He's still nursing 6x/day when I'm home but of course I have no idea how much he's taking. He was with a sitter today and refused 2 bottles and I'm getting a lot less at work. I'm thinking maybe I'll cut out one or both of his post-nap bottles while I'm at work, but still offer for him to nurse at that time on the days that I'm home?
It's been helpful to read other people's responses here!
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My son really slowed down after 10 months, and self-weaned at 11 months. I know a lot of people say that is impossible, but they haven't met my son! There were only so many feedings full of biting, tears, and squirming I could take before being done. No regrets! He had a combo of formula and WCM for about a month, then we moved right to WCM in an open cup 2 or 3 times a day. He still gets a sippy before bed to calm down (18 months).
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My son really nursed less starting about then. We definitely still nursed at wakeup, after naps, and had a bottle before bed, but other sessions were hit or miss. We made sure to offer water with meals so he was getting enough hydration and just didn't worry about it. A healthy, developmentally normal baby who wants/needs to nurse will let you know!
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Such helpful responses. Thanks!
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@winnibee: i think i'm going to start offering WCM in a cup with meals around 11 months, just to start easing her into it (i randomly do water in cup with meals now...probably should be more consistent). with the goal of being able to wean if/how i want around a year, so hopefully after a month-ish transition, she will be taking a good amount of WCM. i have a frozen stash i might mix with the WCM at first, but i don't want to have to pump.
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@KayKay: I think I'll probably start offering milk at meals in a month too. I have some frozen BM but definitely don't want to pump for him to get milk from a cup!
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Logan is 9.5 months and he eats roughly every 3 hours, but sometimes goes longer, and his nursing sessions seem rather short, except when I'm nursing him to sleep. During the week, he takes 5 oz bottles every 3 hours.
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