Feeling done but can't quit..

[happynewmom1]

So our youngest is almost 9 months old and has been ebf. I started solids with her at 5.5 months.. This girl loves food. At 6 months she became a distracted nurser which has been a challenge for us. She would want to nurse but pops on and off and looks around. A carrier didn't help this and getting in a dark, quiet room is just impossible around here. So here we are.. At 9 months. She wants to nurse constantly.. Like 27/7...but then when I do she moves constantly and still pops off and on and it's just so irritating. She is such a happy baby really but sometimes I'd love to nurse her and just cuddle. If she didn't want to nurse so often it would be better but it's just draining to me. If I pump and give her a bottle or cup she drinks a little but then comes to me wanting to nurse so no break there.

I think I just felt the need to vent a little. I definitely want to make it to a year. I'm just exhausted with her neediness I guess. I've been off dairy because I discovered she was sensitive to cows milk very early on and even now if I have a little she gets really cranky so I don't have any. I'm not bitter.. Just tired I think. I co sleep too as she will barely sleep by herself. Not sure what I could do. It could be a phase or teething.. I don't remember nursing so often with my other two at this age. :/ it doesn't help that I can't lose ANY weight while nursing no matter what I try so I'm just getting frustrated all around.

Any words of motivation to keep going would be great.

 

[swimmyj1]

hey vent away! I don't really have any good advice for you but just wanted to let you know you've been heard. It probably is just a phase. my daughter at 8 weeks went through a weird 2 week phase of not getting a good latch and I almost gave up.

It's so hard especially when you have done everything you can think of to try and stop her from distracted nursing you could try to not let her latch back on when she does this and put her down, making her wait a longer time so she knows that when shes nursing she needs to give it her attention or she wont get it so often?

 

[happynewmom1]

I really appreciate the reply! I felt much calmer after I typed it up lol that's a thought.. That is what I do when she bites and it seems to work so it's possible it would work for this issue too!

Again.. Thank you for reading this and replying congratulations on your rainbow baby!! What a huge blessing!

 

[Septie]

Oh - so sorry to hear! My third is now 14 months and no longer is constantly feeding, but oh boy, do I know the feeling of a distracted feeder. This one has to play with toys while BF, latching on and off etc. In addition, I think his latch isn't that great either (no wonder, he is always looking at whatever he is playing with...), and I have been getting blocked ducts/early onset mastitits repeatedly (NEVER in my 5 years of BF my other two).

 

[noon_child]

This might not be the case because it has been going on for a while, but:

I saw a lady in group a few months back, whose baby was off, on, off, on. He'd frantically search for the nipple but then come off within a few seconds of sucking. I could tell by looking that he wasn't positioned nose to nipple anymore and was having to tuck his chin down to get a latch and then couldn't suck effectively. Turns out he had just had a growth spurt and was a good few inches longer than he had been a few weeks earlier, but Mum had got in to a habit of how she held him for feeds and hadn't noticed that it didn't position him correctly anymore. Shifting him an inch or two so that he was nose to nipple again and he stayed latched and had a good 10 minute feed. Mum told me a few weeks later that he stopped needing to feed every 5 minutes and a blister on her nipple had healed ever since she changed her positioning!

 

[happynewmom1]

Thank you for the responses!!

Septie... I'm sorry you are going through similar with it!! Breastfeeding has always been such a bonding and sweet time with my kids until now... Maybe it is a phase.

Noon_child, that's really interesting. I'd be inclined to think it could be something like that except she seems to have a good latch and it doesn't hurt or anything. She changes positions constantly while nursing.. Like a constant mover lol

Thank you, ladies. At least I know it's ok to be a little frustrated

 

[happynewmom1]

Some examples.. Loves to get on her feet and bounce or "walk" around haha and leg stretches... Which BTW isn't as bad as the "walking" lol I think she likes nursing but wants to be on the move at the same time maybe.. Causing this problem.

 

[Septie]

That first pic looks really familiar - and he'd then walk from right to left and vice versa Now he is more into examining and manipulating toys - I think it's developmental (he no longer needs to practice walking lol)...well, I guess they are just multitasking!

 

[noon_child]

Some examples.. Loves to get on her feet and bounce or "walk" around haha and leg stretches... Which BTW isn't as bad as the "walking" lol I think she likes nursing but wants to be on the move at the same time maybe.. Causing this problem.

Definitely looks like she is working on developing some skills and her brain just doesn't want to stop to nurse. Maybe trying to get out and about where she'd be less inclined to think about nursing, tiring her out a bit with some play groups or time at the park and then perhaps back in the house three hours later she'd be more inclined to settle for a relaxing feed....might be wishful thinking on my part though as she seems determined to learn those new skills!!!

 

[jessmke]

My LO has been a distracted nurses since she was 4 months old and it isn't getting better, I find it very frustrating because I have to always nurse her in her bedroom with the lights off. It makes it hard to go out for any period of time because I have to make sure I am back in time to feed her, although it is getting better now that she is eating more solid foods so I can give her a snack if we are out. She will sometimes nurse at someone else's house if we go to a dark room, but usually not. I can manage because I don't have other kids go look after so going to her room isn't a big deal. I have tons of expressed milk in the freezer that I can put in her cup if we are going to be gone the entire day hiking or something. She will have the odd occasion when she will nurse in a distracting environment, like the other day when she asked to nurse in our living room while we had guests over which really shocked me, but those instances are rare. Sometimes I feel done because it can just be so inconvenient, but then when I really think about stopping I know I am not ready. Hang in there momma!

Eta her new thing is sticking her hands into my mouth while he is nursing, she gags me and scratches my gums and just generally annoys me, but it keeps her entertained while she is nursing so I just go with it.

 

[happynewmom1]

That first pic looks really familiar - and he'd then walk from right to left and vice versa Now he is more into examining and manipulating toys - I think it's developmental (he no longer needs to practice walking lol)...well, I guess they are just multitasking!

Oh no! You have endured this too lol I'm thinking you must be right.. It must be developmental then. Which is easier? Walking or playing? Haha

 

[happynewmom1]

Some examples.. Loves to get on her feet and bounce or "walk" around haha and leg stretches... Which BTW isn't as bad as the "walking" lol I think she likes nursing but wants to be on the move at the same time maybe.. Causing this problem.

Definitely looks like she is working on developing some skills and her brain just doesn't want to stop to nurse. Maybe trying to get out and about where she'd be less inclined to think about nursing, tiring her out a bit with some play groups or time at the park and then perhaps back in the house three hours later she'd be more inclined to settle for a relaxing feed....might be wishful thinking on my part though as she seems determined to learn those new skills!!!

Really good suggestions!! We do go on a mile a all everyday and then to the park where we watch her sister play. But I guess we aren't out super long there. The longest recently was about 1.5 hours and she took a good nap later but still nursed the same. Maybe she is just itching to walk haha

Thanks for the suggestions!!!

 

[happynewmom1]

My LO has been a distracted nurses since she was 4 months old and it isn't getting better, I find it very frustrating because I have to always nurse her in her bedroom with the lights off. It makes it hard to go out for any period of time because I have to make sure I am back in time to feed her, although it is getting better now that she is eating more solid foods so I can give her a snack if we are out. She will sometimes nurse at someone else's house if we go to a dark room, but usually not. I can manage because I don't have other kids go look after so going to her room isn't a big deal. I have tons of expressed milk in the freezer that I can put in her cup if we are going to be gone the entire day hiking or something. She will have the odd occasion when she will nurse in a distracting environment, like the other day when she asked to nurse in our living room while we had guests over which really shocked me, but those instances are rare. Sometimes I feel done because it can just be so inconvenient, but then when I really think about stopping I know I am not ready. Hang in there momma!

Eta her new thing is sticking her hands into my mouth while he is nursing, she gags me and scratches my gums and just generally annoys me, but it keeps her entertained while she is nursing so I just go with it.

Thanks for the reply! I remember you having this issue when I made a thread like 5 months ago... This distracted nursing is long lasting lol I really appreciate knowing you have gone through the same thing and sticking with it! I'm going to try!

The whole sticking her hands in your mouth.. Aliya does that when in the carrier in the front.. I tend to move her to the back haha really hope she doesn't go to that with nursing soon! We must all have very active little ones!!

 

[noon_child]

Eta her new thing is sticking her hands into my mouth while he is nursing, she gags me and scratches my gums and just generally annoys me, but it keeps her entertained while she is nursing so I just go with it.

Would she play with a nursing necklace instead do you think?

 

[jessmke]

Eta her new thing is sticking her hands into my mouth while he is nursing, she gags me and scratches my gums and just generally annoys me, but it keeps her entertained while she is nursing so I just go with it.

Would she play with a nursing necklace instead do you think?

I've tried that, she is too interested I the necklace and pops off even more so she can try to chew on it and play with it.