Can't get baby to stop BF!

Nicki

Krystaltips wrote: »

Sorry, it was me that said nutritionaly worthless.. My brain went off on a tangent... The studies do show though that gut flora changes dramatically when formula (or solids) are introduced and these changes wouldn't occur if expressed milk was being offered, frozen or fresh AFAIK

OK thanks.

nadnad's baby is on solids already though. So presumably his gut flora has changed already, and she has a choice as to which route she wants to follow?

Krystaltips

It is absolutely her choice whether she chooses to supplement with formula or expressed milk, it's every mothers choice. All others can do is offer information so that mothers can make and informed choice.

I know in my case I supplemented DD with formula at night because people kept telling me it would make her sleep... It never made a jot of difference and she still doesn't reliably sleep through at nearly 5... I wish at the time I'd of had the confidence to research it and check the evidence for myself, I would of then made the informed choice to not bother and save myself the hassle of sterilising, mixing, cooling etc when I had a hungry baby and the equipment to feed readily available... Nadnad's situation and question are more about feeding baby when she's not there which leads to the 'expressed milk or formula' question. I just offered the study on formula supplementation that I read after supplementing DD, I wish I'd had the opportunity to read it first...

nadnad

hi everyone thanks for all the replies. i actually have a freezer full of expressed milk and have donated a lot to local milk bank, and in truth will probably send what i have there as well because Oz doesnt seem to like expressed milk AT ALL! i think i would be happy enough to continue the morning and evening feeds but in truth i don't have the time or energy or express any more, although i seem to be able to express a lot i find it very inconvenient. so i would probably feed Oz formula through the day (if he will take it!).

somebody a while back posted that their child spat out any liquid taken from a sippy cup but swallowed from a normal cup - Oz does this too, the problem is if i give him a drink with normal cup it usually ends up everywhere. I tried him with a cup with a straw in it today and he managed to take some but again spat most of it out! so not sure how to get him to swallow it! (and that was only water havent attempted milk yet)

And just to add that today i am glad i am still BF him because he hasnt eaten breakfast or lunch, don't know whats wrong with him, but he's fed from me - i bet he knows what i'm planning and he's starting his counter manoeuvre to stop me before i start! wee monkey.

daphne_descends

I would say that nursing a toddler is a very useful tool. My DS has D&V recently and I kept feeding, I believe this is what stopped him losing weight or becoming dehydrated - and of course it's a comfort when they're ill.

You have done great getting this far though and well done you for donating so much! :T

fernliebee

nadnad wrote: »

hi everyone thanks for all the replies. i actually have a freezer full of expressed milk and have donated a lot to local milk bank, and in truth will probably send what i have there as well because Oz doesnt seem to like expressed milk AT ALL! i think i would be happy enough to continue the morning and evening feeds but in truth i don't have the time or energy or express any more, although i seem to be able to express a lot i find it very inconvenient. so i would probably feed Oz formula through the day (if he will take it!).

somebody a while back posted that their child spat out any liquid taken from a sippy cup but swallowed from a normal cup - Oz does this too, the problem is if i give him a drink with normal cup it usually ends up everywhere. I tried him with a cup with a straw in it today and he managed to take some but again spat most of it out! so not sure how to get him to swallow it! (and that was only water havent attempted milk yet)

And just to add that today i am glad i am still BF him because he hasnt eaten breakfast or lunch, don't know whats wrong with him, but he's fed from me - i bet he knows what i'm planning and he's starting his counter manoeuvre to stop me before i start! wee monkey.

It was me who gives DD a 'normal' cup when we are at home. I just hold the cup for her so it doesn't spill but want to get a doidy cup at some point so she can hold it herself. She does hold it at the same tme, but I keep it steady.

I think they all spill a lot of water at first, so I used to get her to practise in the bath I would get her a drink of water and keep letting her sip it and didn't matter how much spilled, slowly it seemed as if more and more was going in! My DD will keep drinking until she has had enough and then won't take any more, i then carry on with food and then offer again a few mouthfulls later, and she may or may not take more. I think about it like breastfeeding- you can't neccessarily tell how much has gone down but if they don't want more they must have had enough???

clairec79

Are you getting the temperature 'right' for him with the EBM - it took a lot of trial and error to get it to a temp DS accepted (much warmer than either of the girls took)

tsstss7

Hi Nad

I had this exact same problem with my LO a few months back and dispaired of him ever taking to a cup. He would drink water from a normal glass with me but wouldn't milk from a cup or bottle (and he was bottle fed partially until 4 mths!)

Two things helped me - the first was to try a straw and give him juice boxes. Apparantly breastfed babies often take to a straw as it is a similar action to how they normally feed. It was certainly true with my Lo and helped when I was out as I am not a feeding in public sort of gal.

The second was to stick to water or juice in a cup rather than milk (mostly water as I'm more concerned with his fliud intake and I find too much juice gives him nappy rash, "nanny" likes to give juice as she is always convinced baby needs "more" somehow:o) )

As I still breast feed at least 3 times a day I don't worry too much about his milk intake and just give him water (or juice) when I can't breastfeed for any reason. It doesn't seem to bother him and he's quite happy with his alternative drinks so long as he gets his morning and night feed (which we both love).

He finally started to drink from a cup at 11mths but this also coincided with me stopping the attempt to give him any sort of milk in a cup (I dont express so the choice was cows or formula).

I have to second nicki's excellent post before and also advice given by others if for any reason you are worried about his milk intake just adding formula or expressed milk to food (eg weetabix) will help increase his daily intake.

My Lo is now nearly 14 mths and I am glad I'm still breastfeeding - it means when they have faddy moments you don't have to stress about how much (or what) they are eating - it's such a godsend....my lo has a faddy dad and is turning into a faddy boy and I find that only if I completely ignore what he eats from the selection I have given him that he eventually comes around and starts to eat things again - that's so hard to do when you are worried about how much they are eating.

nixinix

Sorry to jump thread but could those who have BF till 2+ give their tips for how they stopped. My LO, 2 years and 2 months shows no signs of wishing to stop, but I am ready. She is very clingy and most nights will still feed through the night like a new born......I have kept finding excuses for not dealing with it! But now I am ready to stop, but son't know how to do it....she knows what she wants and normally how to get it....how did you do it?

Krystaltips

With the night feeding the only thing I could do was put my foot down and not feed, she screamed for hours at first because she wasn't getting what she wanted but I stuck with it... If you are inconsistent they realise and just keep going until you give in... Is there someone else you could send in for a couple of nights to settle her so she doesn't expect it from you?

If you want to stop day feeds too the best way would be to cut down over a period of time so you don't get engorged... Try distracting her a lot, going out... Avoiding sitting down... All habit breaking things... Again, be consistent. If you decide you are only going to feed at set times then try and stick to them, she will learn as long as you stick to the boundaries you give her...

nadnad

Violetta wrote: »

Not an expert was too ill to feed my wee one,so lot's of respect on managing so well, but are you saying you've only tried Oz on water? My dd was funny with drinking water, he might drink better from a sippy cup type thing with some breastmilk rather than water. I can't recomend the Tommee tippee cups with the dome type spout thing, my dd really struggled with it so I tried it myself and couldnt get so much of a sip of water out of it. Sorry if I've missed some thing.

no i have tried him on milk in the past in both bottles and cups but he was having none of it. but he seems to be sort of taking to the cup i bought with the straw in it, so may buy some of the cartons of pre made formula and try him on those.