Weaning? or just not hungry?

[nattyfred]

DD is 8and a half months old. She was fully bf for 5and a half months until I introduced solids as she was super small (still is) but healthy. She is now eating 3 good meals a day and snacks. She has fingerfood and light mash but eats things like baked beans and peas so is getting some good food in. She does not drink ebm but bfs after breakfast and after dinner. I give her formula now at lunch time as she was starving herself at daycare so we made the formula an everyday thing so she could take it if needed such as daycare, with daddy etc.

Lately she has had a nasty cold along with feeling generally miserable, teething etc but I have noticed she gets really excited at the prospect of boobie but then cant breathe and drink so gets frustrated etc. Tonight she wont drink, infact she just bit me (gummed me but it still hurt) so I have terminated the feed before it even started.

Could this be the beginning of the end for us? Do I offer her some formula to see if its bm she doesnt want or milk in general? It is so hard to get her to drink water that I worry she needs some fluids..

Thanks

[~Kaz~]

hun. I remember feeling anxious about DS water intake and whether he was weaning or not. Based only on my experience with DS, I'd say don't worry at all about the water thing. She will drink more when she's ready. If you're offering b'feeds and formula she's likely getting enough fluids each day. I found DS didn't really start drinking water until he was 10-11months old and it was summer time too. Just keep offering it or have it available to her.

With the feeding, I don't think it's the beginning of the end for you. I'd say it's way more likely that the cold has interfered with her ability to drink. Biting down (gumming) is probably teeth related too. One thing I have found helpful to remember is that from the moment we introduced solids to DS, he was on the path to weaning. (Don't know if that helps you at all but it helped me to remember that it was already happening and would likely be a lengthy process!). Just keep offering feeds, once her cold is gone I bet she goes right back to normal. (btw, I think you did the right thing in stopping the feed after she bit. I wasn't hard enough on DS with that and ended up with terrible damage that took months to heal).

You're doing a fantastic job! She's such a cutie-pie too. xx

[~Minny~]

I would say if she is snotty and cant breathe properly thats it just frustrating her not being able to feed properly. DS has been like for the last couple of days and now that his nose has cleared up he can feed again properly. In a few days it should sort itself out

[nattyfred]

Thanks ladies for your replies.

Kaz that really is helpful to think of it like that. V has dramatically cut down her bfs but that is because we are in such a good routine now and she knows what happens when so I dont think she wants to snack anymore which is fine with me. I really enjoy our bf relationship and am happy to continue as long as she is happy and just do a morning and night feed but faced with the prospect of her weaning altogether I really felt a bit panicky.. I have heared a lot of stories that once a bottle is introduced they dont want boobie anymore... I would be so sad if that happened.

Also thanks re the water. I feel like there is something wrong as she really doesnt want it but i always have it there. Every now and then she will have a bit but not really enough to count..She will drink the bathwater though....

Minny Im glad to know your ds has picked it right back up again. Thanks

[Barb Glare]

Hi,
Babies don't self wean at 8 mnths - they are far too young. Human babies are designed to breastfeed for 2 or more years. If you want to keep breastfeeding, please don't give her bottles, or you will wean her - this is not self weaning, this is parent guided weaning. She knows where breastmilk comes from - breasts. She sounds like she is unwell. She will come back to breastfeeding when she is feeling a bit better

[Jennifer13]

I wouldn't replace the bf with a formula feed if she's frustrated (the ones you are usually offering, not the daycare one). If she's unwell, I'd suggest you offer her a few more frequent bfs, or maybe even try bfing her when she's sleepy, relaxed, in the bath, darkened room, etc. Have a look at the suggestions for breast refusal and perhaps some of those will work.

I hope she's feeling better soon. I agree with the others that 8 mths is too young to be weaning, it sounds like breast refusal.

[~me~]

Hi Natty..our DD's are the same age.

Perhaps now that you have introduced one bottle, she is finding it easier getting her milk that way rather than BF? I am finding at the moment, as DD too has a cold, she is getting a little frustrated with herself as she is having trouble breathing and attaching at the same time, this is causing the let down to come a little slower than usual, so she is getting a little frustrated and squeezing and tapping my Breasts to make it happend. Once I and she relax it's all good.
Can you feel a 'let down'? I still can which is how I know it's a little bit longer for her get what she wants straight away.
Have a look at this thread if you are worried about supply, I have just printed it out Lol


https://www.bellybelly.com.au/forums...es-recipe.html

I only offer DD water at meals times and not during the day...I have one of those sipper cups and to make it easier for her to get the water I take out the silicone attachment under the spout out so she doesn't have to suck so hard to get the water.

Hope little Violet is feeling better soon

[Snacks]

Hey mate.
My gut tells me she'll probably go back to the breast again once she feels better.
I thought that Phoebe was choosing the bottle over me when I introduced it too as we had several episodes of breast refusal. I tried not to worry about it but just keep offering. Phoebe is still feeding at least once a day at 14 months. (And often several times at night... but don't get me started LOL!)
Having said that, Natalie refused the breast at 11 months and I only offered a couple of times after that and when she kept refusing we weaned. She'd never drunk from a bottle. I don't know what brought it on and probably if I had've tried other things we could've resolved it... who knows. They are all different.
My advice would be to keep offering and try to stay relaxed about it. She will really pick up on your feelings, so try to keep things light and happy and relaxed if you possibly can.