9 month and she "forgets" to ask to nurse?

Anita - posted on 01/27/2010

I am sort of in the same boat. My daughter is 8.5 months. She nurses best in the morning and I offer it to her every 2 to 3 hours after that. Like Faith, my doctor also recommended solids three times a day. Lately, she has been nursing for 5 minutes or less, getting distracted and just wanting to play. If I offer her expressed milk, she will take it and get distracted less so it does seem like she is hungry. I am hoping that I don't have to keep pumping to ensure she gets breastmilk. I was stressing until I read your comments. I hope this is a phase like some of you have said and we get through this soon!

Chelsea - posted on 01/26/2010

I don't think that you should ever have a set standard for how much a baby should eat. Each child is as individual as each person and we need to be realistic in what we expect from our children. I am saying that in response to how much solids your child should be taking in. The goal is to have a baby ready to use solids for nutrition around 12 months of age. A 9 month old is going to be experimenting with eating more than using it for nutrition. A breastfed baby especially is going to be able to regulate how much he or she needs/wants because they are used to follow their bodies cues on when to feed and when to be done. Trust your baby and trust that a healthy child will not starve themself. Also what usually works best for feeding infants is allowing them to self feed with cubes of steamed foods or soft foods. This allows them to regulate how much they are eating better and gives them the control. What often happens with feeding babies is that they feel as if they have no control so they fight the spoon and don't eat as much as they would if they were allowed to pick up the food. Give it a shot the easiest foods to do this with are:

banana
avacado
steamed:

apple
carrot
potatoes
squash
broccoli
cauliflower


In response to your question about the frequency of breastfeeding it sounds like what your baby has done is reverse cycled. If your baby is feeding frequently at night (on what seems like a daytime routine) and not often during the day it's called reverse cycling. If this is working for you both and you are getting enough sleep that's wonderful. Your infant is just choosing to eat at night and seek the comfort of your breast at night. I think it's wonderful that you are co-sleeping and allowing your child to lead the breastfeeding relationship. There is not need to be concerned. I would also say that my daughter didn't nurse often at all when she became mobile and it was very concerning to me as well. I spoke with my LLL leader/ LC who reasured me that she would come back to the breast just as she had before. After a few months my daughter began to ask to nurse more an continues to do so at 16 months old. Her lack of interest happened from roughly 10-12 or 13 months of age. Don't pay attention to percentiles on charts from doctors pay attention to your child.

Katie - posted on 01/26/2010

Sounds pretty normal but I would say, don't stop offering. Don't offer, don't refuse is a gentle method of weaning. So if you don't want to encourage weaning, then keep on offering. 9 months is a pretty busy time for a baby. There's a lot going on as far as physical and psychological development. My son went through a similar phase and I believe it was around 9 months as well. He's 13 months now though and although he mainly nurses for comfort, he asks for it quite frequently (mainly in the first half of the day).
As far as solids go, breast milk should be the primary source of nutrition for the first year. There's a saying that goes, "food for fun until they're one". So don't stress about her solids intake. we did baby-led weaning with our son and one of the many nice things about it was never knowing just how much he was eating. there was never any measuring involved and it took away some stress that could have been there if we fed him purees. Always offer the breast a little before solids and just ignore the amount she's eating. Just let her eat what she wants and keep meal time positive and pressure free.

Faith - posted on 01/26/2010

To complicate things: Her doc told me at her 6 mo apt that by 9 months she needed to be eatting solids 3 times a day (she said a small jar of food at each feeding. Is this realistic for a breastfed baby???
I've been trying to meet that "goal" but I don't think it is working and I don't think she takes in enough milk during the day. The doc has bf her babies and seems to be supportive.

*Fluffy Bunnies - posted on 01/26/2010

My daughter is also almost 9 months. She does the same thing. I, like Rebecca, just try to offer about every 2 hours. When I do offer I make sure we are in a quiet room with the TV off so that she can focus. My daughter only eats solids once a day and it's not that much so she breastfeeds 7-8 times a day and once at night.

Rebecca - posted on 01/26/2010

My daughter will be 9 months on the 6th of Feb and I am in the same boat as you. But however I do offer to her at least every 2hrs. I find that if I dont offer she wont ask for it and I am trying really hard to not have her "wean" on her own. (Im hoping to bf at least until 2yrs) My daughter only eats some solids as well (maybe a jar throughout the whole day) she dosnt get any juice or water though and she nurses at least 2-3 times at night. What I would do is just offer it to her as often as you can (or remember to) you will be surprised to see that when you offer she will be more apt to eat. My daughter will not eat for long all the time, sometimes just for let-down, sometimes longer but usually 3-5mins and sometimes just a few sips but at least I offered. Its hard at this stage because they are so distracted by the world around them and having to sit quietly and nurse is just so hard for them right now. All it takes is to hear a noise or see something and they will come off and not always because they are full. If she really starts to cut down on her milk then I would cut out the solids until she gets back on a better nursing schedule and then start offering the solids again. It is however just a stage and will change again before you know it! take care and hang in there!!

Faith - posted on 01/26/2010

Oh and she does sleep with me and nurse well at night. She wakes maybe once to eat and nurses off and on from 6am to 8am