The Nursing Baby - Q&A

One mother asks asks:
My daughter will be 9 months old next week. She was nursed only for over 6 months, at which point I started her on some cereal and progressed to some solids. She eats the cereal like a champ, and I am just now figuring out that she has been slowly weaning herself from breastmilk ever since she started the solids. If I let her eat until she's full, she does not nurse. She would rather get her nutrition from the food than from nursing. I have to practically keep her hungry and thirsty in order to keep her nursing. I don't know what is right. It certainly does not seem right to have her hungry all the time to force her to nurse. I know the breastmilk is what is best for her nutritionally, but what do you do when they just don't seem to want it? If I let her have things her way, she eats about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of oatmeal 3-4 times a day (a HUGE amount compared to other babies from what I've read recently), and she can eat sometimes up to 10 ounces of baby food in addition to the cereal sometimes. She is about 75th percentile for height & weight, as she was on breastmilk for the first 6 months. I'm just very confused about how much I should push breastfeeding. Like I said, she will nurse well if I keep her hungry, but that just doesn't seem right somehow! She is very fussy unless I give her the solids, which then makes her barely nurse at all. I am trying to find a balance to keep her nursing as much as possible and still give her enough solids to make her happy, but it seems to be either one way or the other only. Either she's hungry and breastfeeding, or she's happy and not nursing well at all. My husband wants me to feed her solids, make her happy, and get past this nursing stage. I will not wean her against her will, I will still offer the breast whenever I think she may want to nurse, but is it time for me to give up the fight? I have not heard of anyone else with this problem, all I find anywhere to read are people who say their babies do not want solids!! Mine is the opposite. Anyways...sorry for the rambling, I just wanted to provide as much information as possible. Thank you for your time & work on this!

Dear Mom, One of the easiest times in a baby's life to wean is around 9 months. This is why you'll still see 9 months recommended as a time to wean. Babies are fascinated by what they put in their mouths (whether food or not!) along with tastes and textures. Some are learning to crawl and even walk! They begin understanding so much more of what's going on around them, and spend less time sleeping and more time exploring.

It's no wonder with so much going on that nursing may take a back seat. For moms who do want to nurse beyond 9 months (and the AAP recommends one year, and the WHO recommends two years), 9 months is an age where you must take some caution.

The majority of mothers have introduced solids at this point, and there are some babies who will naturally wean at this point. Some consider it a nursing strike - but a nursing strike where a baby never resumes nursing is weaning nonetheless!

Your baby isn't striking yet, which is very good news. Some babies *will* strike if mom appears 'pushy' about nursing. And some strike for no discernable reason. Yet there is another school of thought that says that much food replacing the breastmilk at that age is unhealthy, and mom should not give so many solids. My own feeling is that you must look at your baby and make your best compromise. It is rarely wise to attempt to control the foods that your baby and child eats. It is generally considered best to offer an array and let baby choose when it comes to solids. On the other hand, there are some things you can do to encourage nursing.

Many 9 month olds are ready to graduate from spoon-fed mushy foods to chunkier foods and foods they can feed themselves. A 9 month old feeding himself simply cannot eat huge quantities.
Liquids - of course you want your baby to be well hydrated, but let baby meet the majority of his thirst through nursing if possible.
Offer to nurse before meals.
When offering the breast, just offer once, and don't make it a big deal if baby's not interested. Try different nursing positions if you think baby has tired of positions where baby cannot see. At nine months, many babies enjoy sitting on mom's lap or beside her with their heads partially turned out.
If baby seems to be day weaning, concentrate on still providing nursing at night. Take baby into the bed beside you and let him nurse at night.

Good luck, and Happy Nursing!

These tips are not intended to be medical advice. Please consult your healthcare provider if you have questions.

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