Jokerette's BFing journey ("Breastfeeding Kenny" - 19 months)

[RaspberryK]

Well done!

x

 

[Jokerette]

7 1/2 month update-
Now that Kenny's eating solids his nursing has been naturally spacing out.
He is really loving food. I originally tried Traditional Weaning but he was more a BLW type of guy and after a short time he started rejecting purees in favor of real food. Now he just loved digging into food and he eats lots of veggies and fruits. Its a mess but he is doing so well and loves his food! It's finally helping his reflux too, which is nice!

He is still waking up at least once in the middle of the night to nurse and he also nurses in the morning, around lunchtime, and before bed. This means i only need to pump once at work now, which is making it much more manageable and I know it will only help my goal of continue to breastfeed as long as possible. I think I might aim for 18+ months if Kenny wants to continue that long.

At this point I don't even mind waking up in the middle of the night to nurse. I'm so used to it that it doesn't make me tired anymore, and also now that I'm back to work I dont mind the extra cuddles.

 

[Lawhra]

What a lovely thread. Well done for sticking with it, I've only just read this and the updates were lovely and inspirational for those struggling in the early days.

 

[Jokerette]

Thank you. I know reading threads like this really helped keep me going in the early days

 

[frisbeemama12]

you are such an inspiration! Im on my way to 3 months.. and it was VERY difficult to talk myself into continuing to nurse.. but with your story and other encouragement Ive been able to soldier on! Thank you!

 

[Jokerette]

That's great news frisbee!!

 

[Iamblessed]

You are an inspiration and am very thankful for your story as it has helped me to push on as well. ! TYSM for your story! I hope it helps many others the same!

 

[Jokerette]

You are an inspiration and am very thankful for your story as it has helped me to push on as well. ! TYSM for your story! I hope it helps many others the same!

Thank you so much! im so glad it was helpful and great job to you for continuing!

 

[Jokerette]

(almost) 9 month update-
And the saga continues...
We have been having some new struggles lately. Kenny is loving his solids so much that he is almost completely refusing to nurse during the day. Daycare also really struggles to get him to drink his breastmilk bottle and usually he only drinks about 2 or 3oz of breastmilk for the whole day at daycare. If I try to nurse him during the day on the weekends he might nurse for a few seconds then cry and push away. Or he will bite me!

I think its possible that he is teething and its causing him to bite and nurse less often... but it also seems a lot like early self weaning.

So now he is nursing morning and before bed, and occasionally in the middle of the night. I worry that is not enough for a baby his age. He is too young to start giving him cows milk I think, and I really don't want to supplement with formula either. So, I have been trying to ensure he gets his nutrition from other dairy or calcium rich food like yogurt, cheese, broccoli, etc. I am not really sure what to do. I really had hoped to breastfeed him until at least 12 months then start adding in cows milk but continue our morning nursing sessions for several more months.

I'm going to speak to his pediatrician about it in a couple weeks at his next appointment. Stay tuned. Any advice or anyone with personal experience? Anyone offer cows milk at this young age? Did anyone have a baby go on a nursing strike like this then come back to nursing during the day?

I'm considering stopping pumping at work too because hes barely drinking any frozen breatmilk anyway and I have 300oz saved up so that's more than enough to get him to 12 months.

 

[Sproglet]

Can you use breastmilk in foods? Like give him cereals with breastmilk, mix it into foods like mashed potato or puddings (or are you already doing that?)

Will he maybe accept a cup at daycare instead of a bottle?

 

[Jokerette]

Can you use breastmilk in foods? Like give him cereals with breastmilk, mix it into foods like mashed potato or puddings (or are you already doing that?)

Will he maybe accept a cup at daycare instead of a bottle?

Thats a great idea about mixing it in with foods!!! I dont know why I didnt think of that He eats with his hands (no purees or anything), but things like mashed potatoes I could do. Thank you

And he also rejects breastmilk from the sippy cup or a straw cup though he will drink water from cups just fine

 

[Jokerette]

UPDATE NOVEMBER 9, 2012 - 9 months old
It turns out that Kenny was getting teeth and that might have been contributing to his biting and refusal of bottles/nursing. His teeth have not come through all the way yet, but I can see them and I hope they cut through soon.

He is still a bit distracted nursing so I take him into a dark room and I also wear a nursing necklace to keep him focused toward my chest. This seems to be helping a lot! If he refuses to nurse I don't force him, I just offer again later.

I have also been mentally timing his sessions and I think he is actually getting more milk than I originally realized so I am no longer concerned about his milk intake. I'm thinking he gets at least 20oz a day even with him only drinking 2-3oz at daycare. I have also reduced his solids and water just slightly to encourage extra breastmilk.

Since he only drinks a couple ounces at daycare, and because I have a huge freezer stash I have decided to stop pumping at work! It's liberating and freeing and I love being able to socialize more on my lunch break! I have more than enough breastmilk to supply Kenny with daycare bottles until his first birthday and I will continue nursing him morning and night for as long as he wants I am now 100% confident we will make it to my original goal of 12 months without supplementing with formula. I'm now thinking I'd like to continue nursing past 12 months if Kenny still wants to.

 

[CeeDee]

I love seeing your updates. You are an inspiration.

 

[Jokerette]

Thank you for your support!!!

 

[Jokerette]

Today Kenny bit me the hardest he has ever done, and he DID NOT LET GO! Ugh, it was terrible! He has bit several times the last month but always lets go and I have been working on teaching him that that is not ok. I say to him in a calm but stern voice, "No. That hurt mommy. Don't bite." and then I usually end the nursing session. As long as I don't yell at him he's fine and doesn't get to upset. It seemed to be working, but OH MY GOD. The bite yesterday brought tears to my eyes and blood to my nipple. His top two teeth are totally through the skin so now when he bites it is between his top and bottom teeth. It hurt so much I was literally begging him to let go between tears and then I remembered to pull him into my breast so he can't breathe for a moment and he released.

I have to say, this past month breast feeding has not been as special or fun as it was before. I don't feel like we are bonding as much. It seems like during the day he is just so distracted and barely has an interest in nursing, he pulls on and off, reaches up and grabs my face, or kicks with his feet, or bites. The only calm nursing sessions are the occasional middle of the night wakeups when hes half asleep. But aside for a few blips he mostly has slept through the night for the past month.

I've come so far that I really want to make it to my goal of 12 months. At this point I feel like we can make it without introducing formula and I'd like to do that. I just would love him to cuddle with me during the day like he does in his middle of the night sessions. Anyone with experience in this?

 

[Jokerette]

Kenny is 10 months old now and we have had some new breastfeeding struggles. Nursing a 10 month old is so different than nursing a little baby. He is just so distracted. He is also a lot more efficient which means he is on and off the breast pretty quickly and I still worry that he might not be getting enough.

We are 48 hours into a nursing strike right now, which was brought on by a stomach bug and diarrhea. The only times he has nursed in the past 48 has has been in the middle of the night half asleep. He has not nursed while awake. I'm really worried and I don't want this to lead to early weaning. He also refuses breastmilk in a bottle, so I think it truly is a stomach issue. I have been pumping at all his normal feeding times to maintain supply. We have made it this far, and I really hope we can make it another 2 months to get to his first birthday. Please keep us in your thoughts

 

[Geegees]

Good luck mama! I'm sure you'll get there. You've come so far! xxx

 

[Bevziibubble]

aww good luck! I hope he starts feeding again soon

 

[CeeDee]

I hope he gets back to it soon! Poor guy! Congrats on 10 months!

 

[Jokerette]

Phew! We made it through the nursing strike! It started with an ear infection, then he had a stomach bug and felt sick and didnt want anything to do with nursing. The strike lasted for about 5 days with him only reluctantly nursing in the middle of the night half asleep. During the day I had to pump at all his normal feeding times. He refused bottles. He drank water from a sippy cup but refused breastmilk. I'm so glad he's finally doing better and has come back to the breast.

He is finally cuddling up and seeming to enjoy breastfeeding again. So much so that he has started waking up to nurse 2 or 3 times every night! It's nice having my little cuddly baby back and I'm so glad that he's getting so much breastmilk!

I am so thankful for everyone's support. I felt ready to quit because it seemed like Kenny was trying to wean. But I kept reminding myself that weaning before 1 is very rare so we stuck with it and now I'm so glad we did! Only 6 weeks to go until his 1st birthday and my big goal will be reached! We will continue breastfeeding at his pace and I will introduce some cows milk too as we approach his birthday.