Okay ladies.. I need some help..

Kylie - posted on 09/13/2009

I think it's normal and natural for 9 month old babies to want to breastfeed and have contact with mum during the night. Breast milk is not only for nutrition but its helps baby fall back to sleep and feel warm and comforted. have you considered co-sleeping? I have my son next to me most the night and I took off the side of his crib and pushed up next to our bed so we have easy access to each other during the night. he wakes up anywhere from 1 to 5 times a night but i never feel tired or like i have lost sleep because i pop him on the boob when he wakes and he falls back to sleep within minuets. co-sleeping may help you both after you go back to work to give you that extra bonding time during the night. children will learn to sleep through on their won when they are developmentally ready. My first child co-slept and didn't sleep through without the breast milk until she was 18 months. shes 4.5 now and an excellent sleeper and has been in her own room in her bed since the age of 2.

Rebecca - posted on 09/13/2009

I had that problem with my nine month old. I still breastfed but I pumped some milk and started working with the bottle primarily during the daytime and he didnt like it and fought me but when he got hungry enough...he took the bottle. From there, my pediatrician said I needed to stop feeding him through the night if I ever planned on getting a restful nights sleep ....so I decided that I would stop breastfeeding at 11pm and I would start feeding again by 6am. If he woke up in between times, then I would give him a bottle of only water. He loves water so that helped in my case because he will only drink a small amount and goes right back to sleep. Which there were nights he fought and wanted a boob and milk instead of water...but slowly it got better. Also I tried to increase his food intake before bedtime in hopes that he will sleep longer if his belly is full of food and not just milk. Its just a process that takes time and every child and every situation is different so just try different things and find out what works the best for you. Good Luck!

Tiphanie - posted on 09/09/2009

Hi

Why don't you try increaing her food intake, I breastfed but not long as you so well done for coping for so long. My Son is just 10 months and has been on 3 meals a day for some time now. I have been lucky that he has slept through from a young age but this is what he has in a day, 7.00 bottle, 8.00 baby porridge with cows milk, 10.00 banana or some form of fruit, 11.00 bottle, lunch when he wakes from nap cheese on toast n yoghurt, bottle at 3.00, dinner at 5.00 baby food n dessert and bottle at 6.45. He has cut down quite a lot on milk but I am still offering 4 bottlrd till he 12months. We also have a good bedtime routine in place and have done since he was 6 weeks old, at 5.30 we shut all the curtains and have gentle play time then bath time at 6,15 then gentle massage playing a chill out cd and bottle and bed. Works a treat, hope that helps good luck

Lyndera - posted on 09/09/2009

i truly understand... my nine month old wakes up every four to five hours though. i had the problem of trying to get her on the bottle around 6 months. i tried to give her different nipples, cups, spoons and everything. but then i talked to her doctor and she adviced if she gets hungry enough she'll take the bottle. that same day i tried it and that's when she started on the bottled. i didnt want to starve my baby but it worked. i am still breastfeeding as the main food source but in between the feedings she drinks from a bottle and eat crackers, baby food and everything else now. Hold her like your breastfeeding her and give her the bottle. if she looks for the breast dont give in when she cries. everytime she cries to eat, hand her the bottle. so that you dont get engorged pump your milk during this time. i know it will be hard, (it was hard for me, but it worked) when time goes by and she see that when she gets hungry you give her the bottle, she will eventually suck it. first try it during the day and not at night. so that you can deal with the crying a little better. and also put a little cereal in your bottled milk so that it can be heavier on her stomach. once she get in the rythum of drinking from the bottle, then at night give her the bottle every other time she wakes up and not aways the breast. she wants to have that sucking motion and she may not be really that hungry. but if you are feeding her baby food and cereal she will sleep longer. when i feed my little girl, baby food, give her a bottle of water wtih cereal, take her a bath in the bathtime soothing moisturizer, lotion her with the bathtime lotion and breastfeed her to sleep, she'll sleep for about six hours. so i hope that works for you. it wont hurt to try.