did your distractible feeder ever grow out of it?

[seaweed eater]

Just wondering when I might expect this to happen.

LO still only feeds really well at home, in a dark room, and it's hard! He gets so bored at home now, but there's a limit to how much we can be out socializing because he gets hungry but refuses to nurse (and Cheerios don't seem to cut it).

Is there hope that this will ever change? Or do I just need to wait until he's ready to take in more solids when we're out and about?

 

[Tjkitty]

Sorry, but for us it was just a waitinfg game!

 

[seaweed eater]

For how long, though?

 

[tokyo]

My lo is the same so I can really sympathise. I've found that I can make it bearable and manage to get out a bit by really taking advantage of quiet, sleepy times for feeds. So I feed her before and after naps and manage to get quite a bit into her this way. That seems to tide her over while we're out and she makes up for it when she gets home. At least this way we get to go out and have some company and entertainment. I have to be careful to make sure I feed her plenty when we're at home though, otherwise she makes up for it at night!

 

[staralfur]

No.

Sorry.

 

[bananaz]

Yes, to an extent. I still can't just whip my boobs out in the middle of the mall and feed her, but I no longer have to swaddle her and bring her in a dark room to get her to eat at least. It got better at around 7 months for her, having started at around 3-4 months.

 

[SarahBear]

Violet doesn't nurse in public... I recently went out with her during a time I knew she normally would be nursing at home. She nursed a bit before we left, but wouldn't take in too much. We went to a restaurant though and I fed her food off my plate. When we got home, she nursed a good bit, taking in some solids helped tide her over. Cheerios might not cut it, but some real food might.

 

[seaweed eater]

Thanks. He's not taking in enough of most foods yet. He doesn't really have the hang of biting off pieces unless it's something really soft. I guess I'll have to wait.

 

[stephie_corin]

Stalking. Bananaz I hadn't thought of swaddling and trying to feed. I'm not sure it would work at 7 months, I can imagine him getting quite angry! It's worth a shot though.

Good luck SE!! You probably don't want to encourage a nurse to sleep association but it does help with getting out. Can you pump and give LO milk in a sippy cup or bottle when you want to go out?

 

[Casey3]

Yes and no. He's always been easily distractable but would feed enough when out in public to tide him over, like he'd nurse for a couple minutes and be done. The only way he'll nurse well in public is in a wrap, he could be running wild and free and not want to be picked up but the second I wrangle him into a front carry he's all for booby snuggles but to sit on a mall bench and offer milk? No way, there are better things to see and do lol, who wants to sit with mom?

 

[seaweed eater]

Thanks everyone. You're right, Stephie, I'm sure he'd take milk in a bottle or cup. It's just hard to find the time to pump that much! Really though, that's a good idea. I do always nurse as part of the wind down routine, which is great for getting milk into him, but he still has trouble going 2 hours without milk (can you imagine if yours were like that? ) so we can only manage short outings without feeding at all.

 

[bananaz]

Stalking. Bananaz I hadn't thought of swaddling and trying to feed. I'm not sure it would work at 7 months, I can imagine him getting quite angry! It's worth a shot though.

Good luck SE!! You probably don't want to encourage a nurse to sleep association but it does help with getting out. Can you pump and give LO milk in a sippy cup or bottle when you want to go out?

I still did it at 7 months, haha. She would be angry at first but with some bouncing and a nipple in her face she got over it

 

[AC1987]

My LO started getting distracted around 4 months and I find its getting worse.

 

[tokyo]

Oh, I agree with casey too - I can get lo to feed quite well in the sling, though I have to put the sleep hood up and wrap a cardi or something around us so that she can't see out of the sides!

 

[stephie_corin]

SE, I'm actually jealous Munchkin wants to fed that often!!! Can you imagine it? I pump first thing every morning now. My supply has adjusted quite well and it's really easy to get 6oz, which I can portion out and force feed him during the day if we are at home I lie him on a pillow and lie over him and make him have a few sucks at least. But having the milk on hand means we can easily go out for 3 hours or so now. X

 

[seaweed eater]

Stephie, you're lucky to get 6 oz so easily! To keep up with LO's needs at daycare and freeze 3 oz a day, I have to pump at work, in the morning, and often before I go to bed. So most days it would be hard to fit in another session for extra milk...

 

[charlie15]

My DD is the same, she has been distractible since she was 4 months and it's only getting worse when I thought it would have got better! Not only is she distractible but she's wriggler so she ends up in all kinds of positions while feeding and often wants to kneel on my lap and bend over for a feed. Now I have no problems NIP but that may just be too much for me should she do that in a coffee shop! What normally happens is she gets hungry but when you try to feed her she gets distracted and like your LO doesn't really feed and my DD will not take the bottle from me, only OH when I'm nit around! The sippy cup may be good if your LO is good with it?

 

[stephie_corin]

Stephie, you're lucky to get 6 oz so easily! To keep up with LO's needs at daycare and freeze 3 oz a day, I have to pump at work, in the morning, and often before I go to bed. So most days it would be hard to fit in another session for extra milk...

Ah! Stupid me, I forgot about daycare. When I was planning to return to work I had a lot of luck with a power pump in the mornings. Do you use an electric pump? You basically pump 10 minutes, take a break for ten minutes and then pump again. The girl who suggested it to me used to get enough milk to last her LO the whole day at day care and (when I used to do it) I was the same. It took about a week for my supply to adjust but it allows you to pump so much more. Good luck SE xx

 

[seaweed eater]

(Belated) thanks, Stephie! I've been trying power pumping for the past couple of weeks whenever I get a chance. I think I may be getting a little bit more, but my supply has generally been slow to adjust so I'm hopeful that it will keep increasing. I need to increase my pumping output anyway now that he'll be at daycare more hours, but hopefully it will be enough to cover that and more. I have tried bringing a bottle for LO when we're out and it has definitely helped -- he guzzles them right down! Thanks for all your advice.

 

[stephie_corin]

I know it's a pain but it works best if you do it every day at the same time (the whole supply and demand thing...). Good luck honey! Oh and be boring like me and eat oatmeal for every breakfast xxx