We have three kids. Our littlest is 11 mos old and only 20 lbs...he's a peanut. So I've nursed him longer than the other two ever were, in hopes of keeping him healthy (he had issues when he was very young). Consequently, we have a baby who has never really slept through the night (STTN) and has nursed 2-3 times a night.
We'll he's almost a year and it's time to break this habit, start weaning and TRYING to get him to eat table food better. He just doesn't eat much! He never has. I do my best to "fill him up" at dinner time (for him about 5:30) before bedtime (about 7:30-8:30). He's SOOO busy crawling, climbing and keeping up with the older two he hardly nurses during the day, and then plays "catch up" at night, waking and wanting to breastfeed.
I'd love your ideas and suggestions on how to break this cycle we're in.
Many thanks for your advice.
I don;t have any advice, but I did laugh when you said your 11mnth only is only 20 pds, because that still makes him bigger than my one year. and if he crawls around a lot like you said he is going to weigh a littl less because of all the calories he's burning (thats what our doc said about our son at his 1 yr checkup.)
Hi!
As much as I hate to say it (because I am so pro-nursing...), you may have to move to formula, even if it is just for the evening pre-bed feeding. At about 9 to 10 months, my little boy was still not sleeping through the night and I was just plum exhausted. Then on a few random nights in which he got formula bottles instead of nursing, he slept right through. I was astounded. But the sleep was so welcomed. I gave myself permission to give him the formula, but we split it up... he'd nurse first then take 2 to 4 ounces formula. It worked like a charm. (I think the formula stays in the belly longer than the milk which I know mine was strarting to thin out....)
We continue to nurse vigourously during the day and he continues to thrive and grow and be a bubbly beautiful little boy.
Good luck.
~C.
He's not small. 20 pounds at one year is fine. I understand wanting him to sleep longer stretches, but that's no reason to totally wean him. Here's info on the benefits of extended breastfeeding (there are basically no disadvantages):
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/bfextended/ebf-benefits.html
* In the second year (12-23 months), 448 mL of breastmilk provides:
o 29% of energy requirements
o 43% of protein requirements
o 36% of calcium requirements
o 75% of vitamin A requirements
o 76% of folate requirements
o 94% of vitamin B12 requirements
o 60% of vitamin C requirements
-- Dewey 2001
I see no reason to wean him early. Nurse him in between meals and keep offering him solids and table foods when the family sits down for meals.
Here's goo info on night weaning:
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/weaning/weaning-night.html
Hi there,
I hear you!! Our little one will turn 13 months in less than a week and she's just under 18 lbs! My husband and I are both very petite so that partly explains it. Having said that, she's SUPER active and doesn't eat a lot. She does know how to use a sippy cup but she isn't a big drinker, either, so getting her to have a nice cup of milk before bed, doesn't work. She has never, ever slept through the night and like your son, saved his eating for during the night. Hence, I'm a very tired mama! I decided 2 weeks ago that whether he's truly hungry, or just waking out of comfort, is irrelevant. The habit needs to be broken so I can get some sleep.
Our little girl is very strong-willed so there have been no miracle transformations on our end in terms of getting her to sleep through the night in 2 or 3 days like so many of my mommy friends were able to do with their babies. What I've done so far, is put her to bed (usually between 6 and 7...depends if she skipped an afternoon nap), and I don't nurse her at all unless 6 hours has passed. That means if she wakes up at 9, 10, 11, etc, I go in and pat her back and walk out. No eye contact, no singing, no talking, no picking up. I just lean over, pat her back for about two minutes and leave. There are times I have to repeat that scenario 3 or 4 times before she's asleep. I know many people would say I should just continue to do that all night long but once 6 hours has passed, she's usually pretty hysterical if not nursed, and the patting/walking out, just doesn't work. So, despite my desire to sort of go cold turkey, I've had to be more flexible than I had otherwise planned.
Good luck...I know it's hard.
-R.
