Please help me continue breastfeeding: 10 month old has no interest in it :-(

[minties]

I'm not sure what to do. I'm lucky if she's nursing twice a day. Today it was 5:30am and I've offered over and over since but nothing (now it's 4pm).

She will also only snack feed, so only takes one side and only takes formilk. Very brief feedings. My left breast is starting to dry up.

We co-sleep from 10pm, we do skin to skin, and I offer frequently. There are a lot of distractions with her big brother, but I can't leave him alone too long and take her elsewhere or he causes havoc/has tantrums/tries to escape from the house.

She's happy to have any other liquid from a sippy cup. I try to restrict other liquids but it's hard sometimes and she steals Thomas's water a lot.

She wouldn't even care if I never breastfed her again. This makes me very sad.

She has a dummy, is getting a tooth and has her first cold if any of that info helps. She is also BLW'ing so is totally independant with feeding and drinking.

 

[SarahBear]

I've been nursing Violet in a mei tai carrier for the last couple of months because unless she's really tired, it's pretty much the only way she will nurse. I know that for Violet at least, it would seem that she has no interest if I tried to nurse her without it. She's starting to calm down now, but she has a really hard time being still, long enough to nurse unless she's in it. Recently, I've been able to nurse her in a seated position with her legs straddling me as if she was in the carrier, but she'll only do this position if she's ready to sleep. What sort of positions have you tried? Is there a difference between when she's tired and when she's not? Have you considered taking away the dummy?

 

[Dk1234]

Personally I'd say this is natural progression. Could you be pregnant though? I was pregnant and my supply dropped way down so my son lost interest. Hiwever, my son went down to milk 3 times a day around 10 months and only has it twice a day now out of a sippy at 14 months old. Maybe nurse the two times a day and pump once too and offer that milk.

 

[cat lover]

no advice but dd2 isnt too bothered either. she loves the boob when tired but otherwise isnt that bothered xxxx

 

[Jokerette]

My son went through a similar phase around that age. I thought for sure we would not make it to a year. But they go through phases. Keep gently offering but don't force it or make it stressful. There's a lot going on at 10 months but then I found by 14 months my son was back to nursing like there was no tomorrow! and dont even get me started on 16 months

 

[MommyJogger]

This does seem to be a really common age for strikes, even if she didn't have all the poor ickies going on. I second the nursing in a carrier suggestion. Even if you don't have a carrier, you can walk cradling her and see if she's willing to latch while you're walking around the house. Do you nurse her to sleep at all for naps? If J isn't feeling like nursing because of teething, I'll just keep him latched on through his nap and he'll drink while he's asleep even if he's not interested in ingesting anything while he's awake. Does she have a sore throat perhaps? I know J prefers cold bm when his does so I offer him some from the fridge and just pump some extra.
Even if this lasts a while and your supply suffers, I would encourage you to let her latch on when she wants in the future, if you'd still like to bf. Relactating after 10 months of lactating is much easier than relactating early on. Women continue to make and store small amounts for months on end after they completely wean and it will increase again if she starts nursing again.

 

[seaweed eater]

I'm sorry you are going through this mine nursed for the last time 3 1/2 weeks ago. I tried everything to get him back to the breast. I hope things work out better for you.

One thing that stood out to me in your post is that she loves her solids. Are you offering the breast first every time? I've heard some people say it is still appropriate, and can be important, to restrict solids at this age since BM should still be the bulk of their nutrition and they do become so distractible and independent.

Also I heard a lot of success stories involving dream feeding. So it is great that you are already cosleeping. And I agree, just keep offering but don't let either of you get frustrated. Maybe hand express a few drops onto your nipple to remind her of the reward and to get a letdown.

It might not be what you want but if she continues to nurse just during the night, she will still be getting all the benefits of your breastmilk. You say she wouldn't care if you never BF again, but if she is still nursing during the night then I would imagine it is a helpful source of comfort to her.

Good luck

 

[minties]

Thanks so much for all the wonderful encouragement and ideas!

She is better at feeding when sleepy. She wont nurse to sleep, she pretty much never has since day 5 (unlike my son who nursed to sleep until 17 months). For the first time since...well I can remember...she nursed to sleep about 4 days ago for a nap.

I always offer breast first before solids, and it's almost always firmly rejected.

I am not pregnant, I have been in and out of hospital with gallbladder stuff and they always test my urinë and bloods. However my period started back up again 9 months on the dot. She started nursing less then.

I think I remember a stage like this with Thomas, but it seems so long ago!

I am...lets say...bodily challenged (fat haha) with large breasts (the word pendulous comes to mind) and can only nurse lying down, or with Sophie on a pillow on my lap. I've never mastered any other way as I need the hand by her head to hold my breast.

I've tried seating her more upright today, she thought it was a great position to bite my chin...lol!

What makes it tougher also is her weight gain. It was great until 3 months. Earlier she gained heaps, some weeks over 400grams (about a pound). Then it went wonky. And between 6 and 8 months she was gaining 38 grams a week, now she's more established it's been 121 grams average a week between 8 months and now. So less milk, more weight!?

 

[MissCurly]

Not advice as such, but i have been through this with dd.

when she starting eating solids, she rapidly lost interest in bm, so by 8 months it was difficult to get her to feed well. and by the time she was almost 12 months i had to concede and give in.

She really was non interested and did not feed to sleep. I was really gutted this had happened, but i physically couldnt force her to drink! and she wasnt taking a bottle/sippy cup of milk either as she didnt like to do so! so there was another worry of NO milk other than cereal milk getting into her.

so she lived on cheese and yogurts. And only in the last year has she started drinking milk because she likes it!

whoever heard of babies not liking milk?!

With ds, i was anxious he would go the same way once solids came in to play, and much better this time! and i think it massively helps that he feeds to sleep- as frustrating as that may be at times.

Anyway, just want to say I know how you feel. Its not very nice for mums who would LOVE to carry on bf.