Starting to struggle breastfeeding my 7 month old

Brenda - posted on 01/04/2010

They are very distractable at this age. The only place I nurse my nearly 8 month old is in the bedroom with the lights off. If there is anything that can distract him, he's done. The pinching, smacking and scratching is normal. Get a nursing necklace to wear while nursing, some sort of baby toy that he can play with to hang around your neck. It will stop some of the aerobics.

Kristina - posted on 01/04/2010

Some babies like to rock while eating it keeps them calm. this is just another suggestion for you if the lying during the day does not work. this is the only way i can get my son to eat during the day he loves to rock in his room in dim light with no noise.

Veronica - posted on 01/04/2010

I know how you feel! Keirnan has gotten into biting me so bad I was bleeding pretty bad! (One day it was so bad he spit up blood!) I have taken to calling him my little Cullen! lol He is almost 8 mo, thankfully has no teeth, loves eating, but tries to push my breast away while trying to eat. I have to hold his hand to keep him from pulling me in different directions!As for the biting, the oww trick didn't work for us- the little moster laughed! Its been very hard and painful, but we are getting better. It has just taken time and persistance to get him to do it right. He decided it wasn't worth it when he stoped getting fed! (Don't worry I did starve him, just closed the bar and made him wait about 5 min. before trying again!!)

Dana - posted on 01/04/2010

Thank you all so much for the suggestions. Today, I have tried to start his meal with a breastfeed and then offer solids, and it really has made a difference. Also lying down in the bedroom with him rather than the living room has helped too (gave me some much needed rest too). He was much more interested in his milk, and I have definitely noticed that he ate less at meal times. Again, thank you so much.

Rebecca - posted on 01/03/2010

As some of the other moms have stated I would just cut back on the solids. Once he realizes that all he is going to get is breastmilk then he will happily return to bf. I think at this age they just get really excited for the solids because the tatse and texture is far different then the bm and they really like "new" things so he looks forward to it. I would also definitely nurse first then offer the solids if he still wants. My daughter is almost 8 months and nursing has become a "battle" since about 5 1/2-6 months. She is so preoccupied by crawling and grabing,playing ect then she is about nursing and since then only snacks at the breast during the day (usually a few times an hour sometimes just for let down) and then nurses lots at night to make up for the extra calories she needs. We follow baby led weaning so she gets food a few times here and there through the day.

Emily - posted on 01/03/2010

My 7 month old is eating 4 meals of solids a day and nursing. I know what you mean about the pinching. when he does I just put my thumb in his hand and refuse to let go until he gives up trying. to keep him nursing I offer his solid at his normal meal time and follow it with nursing until he is full. This has worked well for me, however I have been told it is best to finish each meal with what he likes most, so if your son likes solids best I would suggest to nurse first and offer solids after, however the only way to get him to nurse may be to not offer the solids in between or if he hasn't nursed. Good luck!

Michelle - posted on 01/03/2010

My son started to have some interesting behavior once he started to move around & crawl (7 months ish) and I think its because he is so thrilled to be able to roll away & go explore, and I would usually let him. I think if the feedings get disrupted all the time its frustrating (especially when you let down your milk & they roll away!) but I found that if I kept offering a few minutes later, he would eventually nurse. Sometimes it's teething or curiosity or distractions, you have to learn how to figure those this out and eliminate those problems. Try homeopathic teething drops, or oral gel. They feel teething long before you see any teeth. Ice your teethers and also try giving some loving play time in a quiet area before you nurse. We still nurse and my son still rolls away on me, but he does still nurse at night and a few time during the day (12.5 month). Good luck, you can get through this, trust me!

Eve - posted on 01/03/2010

How long between his solid feeds? I used to give my son (now 9m) his veggies puree at around 11.30 and his fruit in the afternoon around 15.30, with a breastfeed in between. My doctor advised to skip the breastfeed and give later in the afternoon (around 18.30) and it's worked great, he breastfeeds well both sides without playing about/biting. Apparently I was trying to feed him again before he was hungry enough.
Hope this helps :-)

Lequita - posted on 01/02/2010

i usually nurse my son in the morning when he wakes up. then i give him a snack in the afternoon. after that he nurses a little more until it is time for lunch. once he has lunch i nurse him again. last, he eats a nice little dinner and then goes to sleep after nursing for a little bit. also the way i get my son to stop biting me and saying owww and removing my breast from his mouth even if he wants it.

*Fluffy Bunnies - posted on 01/02/2010

My daughter is almost 8 months and is the same way. She gets distracted pretty easily and I feel like I'm wrestling with her sometimes. We usually have a good feeding when she's sleepy. If you feel he's getting more solids than breastmilk, you could cut out a solid feeding. Instead of letting him wait until solids, skip solids and offer the breast again. Solids are just for play at this point anyway. When he bites, put him down and offer a teether. Try nursing again in a minute or so. I have tiny bruises on my arm where my daughter pinches me. Holding her hand or giving a small toy has helped.

Kiva - posted on 01/02/2010

Olivia and I had a bit of a rocky time around the start of foods too. I think it is pretty common to have some trouble stages. I found that even now (at 16 months), she will gets over stimulated and distracted. I will take her into another room that is quite so she can focus on BF and not all the other things going on. Any time she would bite, I would stop and then try again. She also would pinch and try to do head stands while nursing. I found that keeping a calm environment and gently telling her "no" if she was biting or pinching was helpful. Growing pains... hang in there. I have found it worth it!!! Good luck.