Getting Baby Back to Boob?

I would not cut out the solids, it is normal for a child at this age to start moving away from the breast and to solid foods. I started my children on solids at 4 months. If he no longer likes to breast feed, start offering him a sippy instead. You can not force him to breast feed if he has decided to ween, and I wouldn't. If he has decided to self ween that makes things much easier than having to force ween later.

No offense, but Sarah D. obviously never had a 4mo who nursed 12-16 times every day and still seemed like she wanted more (and trust me, I could feed a village!!!!). My daughter (now 6mo) started solids a week after she turned 4mo and has been a happy eater ever since. In addition to the solids she gets 3 times per day, she still nurses 8-10 times each day. In my opinion and experience, babies don't ask for what they don't want, and at 7mo, your son probably has a healthy appetite. Some older babies aren't satisfied with just breastmilk, and while most food under 12mo is more about exploration and textures, etc, some babies truly do need the extra solid food to help fill them up. And yes, most solid baby foods are about 20 cal/oz. Both my kids have been excellent nursers and eaters, so I don't have specific experience with this situation, but I can tell you what I do and see if any of it helps.

Speaking as a parent and nursing mama, I ALWAYS offer the breast first. My 6mo daughter is a champion nurser (and has been since birth), but if she wants solids, she won't nurse as long. Depending on the time of day, I'll feed her fruit in the AM or veggies in the PM or a combination in the early afternoon, and if it's close to sleep time, I'll make sure she has a little room in her belly to nurse to sleep. If it's not close to bedtime, I'll feed her until she tells me she's had enough. Sometimes, she'll tell me she'd rather nurse by refusing her food and being fussy in her highchair. My son (now 3.5yo) was the same way; he nursed until he was 2.5yo (I got pregnant with #2 and it was just too painful to continue).

Speaking as a peer breastfeeding counselor with Nursing Mothers Counsel (in the Bay Area), if you want to continue nursing, you need to pump for every missed or aborted feeding. He may be disinterested in the breast right now for a number of reasons, including decreased milk supply (which you're already experiencing). If your breasts aren't producing what he's demanding, he's going to turn to solids more. Another reason could be a mini-nursing strike. These we just have to wait out and continue breast stimulation (usually through pumping) until they decide they're ready to go back to the breast.

Another reason could be teething. Some babies have increased pain while sucking if they have teeth coming in; other babies are unaffected and still nurse/take the bottle, etc. He also has lots of textures and tastes from his solids and LOTS of stimulation from his surroundings.

I would suggest:
- I DO agree with Sarah about maybe taking the weekend to reintroduce the breast, but try not to push the issue. A hysterical baby is not what we want!
- Pump as often as you can for each missed/aborted feeding. (I know you say you don't have time, but if you don't get stimulation at the breast, your milk is going to all but disappear.)
- Offer the breast BEFORE feeding solids, and if he doesn't have a good breastfeeding, offer the breast after his meal as well.
- Since he's already nursing well at night, try to offer the breast when he's sleepy. Even babies going through a nursing strike will often nurse when sleep and/or falling asleep.
- Give him the sippy cup and/or bottle as often as possible during meals, so he can get some practice. Put something in it that he can make a good association with (ie: breast milk that you've expressed).

Take heart; this could just be a phase, and if it is, your milk supply will return when he comes back to the breast. The positive is that you're getting good breast stimulation and he's still getting what breast milk he drinks at night. If he is weaning himself, just follow his lead. Unfortunately, some babies don't nurse as long as others. If this is just a phase, again, follow his lead. Good luck!!

For more information, you can check out the following websites:
http://www.nursingmothers.org (our website)
http://www.drjacknewman.com
http://www.kellymom.com

I have a felling that everyone and their mother is going to blast me for this, but here goes.

He might just be ready for food. While it's true that babies don't get most of their nutrition from mashed peas and bananas, if he starts eating more and more "regular foods" soon he'll have a "regular diet." My son was pretty much food-fed from 9 months old, not because I insisted on it, but because it was what he wanted.

Keep offering - perhaps he's teething and it hurts to suck right now. And keep letting him nurse at night. But if he really wants food, feed it to him. I was mashing up lentils and rice and stuff like that. You can get a handheld grinder so he can have a little bit of everything you're eating. Not all right away of course, but if he's had chicken he can have turkey, etc. And if you are committed to sticking with breastfeeding, you're going to have to pump for now and practice with either the bottle or a cup.

Probably not what you wanted to hear, I'm sorry. But odds are good he'll be a good eater, which you'll be appreciative of when he's a toddler! Good luck,

At that age your baby gets distracted by a lot of things. I remember I tried nursing my son at my in-law's living room and between them all talking, watching TV, etc he just was too curious and would latch off. So I used to have to take him to a quiet, dim-lit room to nurse. And without all the stimulii and distraction he would nurse like a champ. This phase won't last forever but trust me, your baby is not weaning at such a young age. Good luck and happy nursing!

You don't say how much solid food he's eating.

If it's more than one meal, I'd say maybe cut back on the solids. I didn't have my DS eating 3 meals a day until a year.

Also, did he have a nursing schedule or were you pretty much just feeding on demand?

Maybe coming up with a stricter schedule would help. And always make sure you're nursing before offering solids. Or on the other side (try everything, right) maybe you could offer the book A LOT more. Give him the message that "here's the food" (that's also a good way to re-boost your supply).

Good luck!

Pumping during the day will be the only way to maintain a sufficient level of breast milk to have enough for the entire day. Nursing at night will provide him enough for that feeding, your body will adjust to make sure that happens. If you pump, do you use a bottle to provide it to him? 6 months is still pretty young to get all the liquid nourishment I baby needs? And 6 months is when most babies are introduced to solids and their need for milk does decrease, gradually.

You could nurse first then offer the solids. And instead of mixing cereal with breast milk, mix it with hot water... it doesn't take much liquid to make baby cereal, especially if you're using Gerber baby cereals or something similar. He's probably only eating 2-3 tablespoons of cereal and a jar of fruit.

I wish you well.

Nurse him first every time. If he indicates he's wanting solids, nurse first then offer solids. There's lots of good info in "Super Baby Foods" by Ruth Yaron. She comes from the standpoint of supporting breastfeeding.

Another option to consider is "bedding in" for a weekend. Spend all weekend together doing nothing much but nursing.

Inevitable weaning is happening I am sure but that's okay. If he's doing well health wise I wouldn't worry about it. You can get no-spill sippy cups that he can suck on..and he can switch to bottle if it suits you. If he can do night feeding great but chances are he will start sleeping through the night feedings soon if he is eating solids. Its not a big deal..he's just maturing!

I won't "blast" Jane. I'll just state that she isn't educated about breastmilk. It is NOT ok to be solely feeding a 9-month-old solids. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don't take her advice and think your son is "just ready for food". He's not. All studies prove this. He needs breastmilk. He does not need solids until after he's a year old.

Drop the solids for a while. Your MD is just plain wrong:( The AAP clearly states that breastmilk is all a baby needs for the first 12 months. Solids are only about teaching textures and tastes. It's to INTRODUCE eating real food, it's not about providing calories. Look at it based on nutrition alone. An ounce of breastmilk has a varying number of calories, but it has at least 20 calories per ounce and more the long you've been nursing. Now compare that to a small jar of pureed food you're giving your baby. Is it 20 calories per ounce? Probably not! Especially not for vegies and cereal. So, you're actually robbing your baby of much-needed calories, plus providing no fat for brain development or any of the other nutrients that only breastmilk provides.
So, stop the solids, only offer the breast. In another few weeks when breastfeeding is re-established, then offer solids ONLY in between nursing sessions.
To get back to nursing quickly, take the weekend and stay home and offer the breast every time he fusses for any reason. He'll realize quickly that's where his food is going to come from.
You know better than your baby. Don't let his desires for solids dictate what he eats. He needs breastmilk, he won't NEED solids for at least 5 more months. He needs the fats and nutrients only found in breastmilk.

*Ummmm...actually...my second son nursed every 1.5-2 hours around the clock until he was 9 months old. He wasn't just nursing 12 times a day at 4 months, he was doing it at 8 and 9 months old. So, I know exactly what it's like to nurse A LOT and still not give solids just because old-school docs and grandmothers say the baby just needs solids. I stuck with current medical advice and research and waited on solids until I knew my children were ready - after 6 months old. No baby is ready for solids at 4 months old. Read about the "open gut".

I have training in birth and lactation and a best friend who's a lactation consultant with a background in nutrition. Babies DON'T need solids at 4 months and can be damaged when they are fed them against all medical advice.

I wish I had some good suggestions for you and am curious to see the other responses. I'm also having a bit of trouble nursing my 6 1/2 month old but she will take a bottle so I will start with the bottle and then stop and sometimes she will nurse and sometimes not. I've also started pumping at night (set an alarm and wake up and pump for 10 minutes). I heard the night pumping can help keep the supply up more than day pumping. It could just be a phase, so I'd try to hang in there. At this age he should still be getting most of his nutrition from breast milk or formula, since the solid foods they eat at this age aren't complete nutrition. I do think this is a situation where you need to consult with the dr. on what to do. Also, I have seen a lactation consultant in the hospital where I delivered and they were wonderful! Good luck!

What you are describing is normal. I had the same experience with my daughter. She was extremely active (!) and nursing a lot but not gaining weight. So at five months the doc recommended solids. She took them and gradually weaned herself off the breast. I was able to nurse at night until 9 months. I was sad that I couldn't do more, but as all parents do, it was her life, not mine that was important.

Don't cut back on the solids. He obviously needs them. If you need to provide breast milk pump during the day at work. That is your "need".

Your MD is a nut job. Babies are nursed for a year full time. Too bad you did not know this before you went along with the "expert". I learned NEVER to trust the doctor when I was raising children. I learned herbalism and had been brought up to know nutrition. My children were raised on organic food and when we ate meat I raised the animals and killed them myself.
Did I vaccinate. Not after I nearly lost my first daughter to measles vaccine. And though she was treated for shock by another MD, our pediatrician insisted it was something she ate.
I could go on but the best thing is to educate yourself so you won't be cowed into thinking doctor knows best.
Reduce the amount of solids and he will nurse more.

Whoa, if he's on the low weight side, you might not want to cut out solids. Your MD is correct in getting you to give him more calories. It might be that your milk is not fatty enough (no one actually tests for this, but if you want to fatten up your breast milk you have to eat more fat yourself). Also, it's totally normal for babies at this age to be less interested in the boob. Solids are still a novelty, after all. Like the other mamas say, try nursing him before you give him the solids. Also, don't forget that babies nurse waaaay faster at this age. They are way more efficient. You might not know it, but your baby may be getting the same number of ounces in three minutes or less per side. I belong to a group of mothers, all of whom are huge breast-feeding advocates and their babies all nurse only a couple of minutes per side at that age. If you really want good solid advice, I'd suggest you contact the lactation department at Evergreen Hospital in Kirkland. They will have all the info on how much baby should be drinking at this age, and how long the typical baby nurses at this age. It will put your mind at ease to say the least. The composition of your milk may change at around 6 months after birth, as well as your body... You haven't said how you know your milk supply is dwindling, but if you're not pumping and your boobs are shrinking, it doesn't necessarily mean your milk is dwindling. Anyway, check with the lactation consultants, most of them are pretty good over there. Good luck!