Author Topic: baby has dropped his final feed before bed!!!  (Read 2029 times)

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Offline zelkad

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baby has dropped his final feed before bed!!!
« on: August 31, 2005, 21:53:28 pm »
I don't know if this is a problem or not.  Our 6 month old son has been on solids for about a month now. (We had to start because he's a big boy and breast milk was no longer enough!)  The past two weeks he has not wanted to nurse before bed.  Is going to bed at 7 okay when his last meal was at 5:30 (solids)  He wakes around 6 am to nurse.This makes his last milk feeding at around 3:30 pm!  The milk feedings total 4 times per day (early morning, mid morning, early afternoon and late afternoon)  He doesn't want to nurse after having his solids and it's not as though I'm feeding him an abundance of solids.  He sems fine but I was just worried about him not wanting to nurse in the evening.  I've been pumping that milk and have been using it sometimes in his cereal the next day just to make sure he's not getting short changed on milk.

Does anyone know why he would be doing this or if it's a problem??
Thanks so much!
Zelka


annamum

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baby has dropped his final feed before bed!!!
« Reply #1 on: August 31, 2005, 23:37:05 pm »
I think that 4 feeds per day at his age are too little. Milk should be a main source of his diet for now and up to one year. Solids are supposed to be an addition and not replacement for breastmilk, especially not at such a young age. I am curious how much solids do you give him, what for you may seem as not an abundance may be a lot for him. I actually think that is the reason he refuses breastfeeding in the evening, he doesn't seem to be hungry.

Try to reduce times you feed him solids, is it 3 times a day? If so, try less and see if he would be more willing to nurse in the evening.

Offline LindseysMom

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baby has dropped his final feed before bed!!!
« Reply #2 on: August 31, 2005, 23:45:00 pm »
Will he not even latch on at all or does it just seem like he is not getting much from you?  At his age just be sure you are offering all milk before solids.  I personally don't think 4 feeds is too little, especially if you are adding some ebm into his cereal during the day.  However, if he is truely not even wanting to latch on at bedtime, you may want to try and cut back a little on his solids to see if it helps.  Annamum is right, breastmilk is still supposed to be the main source of nutrtion at your babys age.
Lynne
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Mom to Lindsey Elizabeth 10/28/04
Baby girl due December 8th


Offline zelkad

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baby has dropped his final feed before bed!!!
« Reply #3 on: September 01, 2005, 13:30:44 pm »
Thanks so much for replying ladies!!

I have been feeding him solids 3x/day.  Maybe I will try cutting back a feed or the amount at each and see if he wants to night nurse again. 
Part of the reason why he stopped I think was because I used to nurse him after his bath and he would get sooo sleepy and I would put him in his crib.  He would then wake up at the 45 min mark.  He would put himself back after a few minutes (thumbsucker) but I knew he was waking up because of the way he was falling asleep (with breast in his mouth)  That's when I decided to start trying to nurse him before his bath.  He doesn't want to do this (doesn't even latch on)  because I think he knows he will not be going to bed right away.  I could go back to trying to nurse him right before bed but I don't know if it's a bad thing to do.  Like I said, he doesn't wake for long at the 45 minute mark, but he does wake.  However, the night nursing to sleep has never impacted the way he's gone down for his day naps.

I will cut back on the solids but if either of you (or anyone else for that matter) has any input on the timing of the night nursing I'd welcome it!

Thanks soooo much!
Zelka


Offline LindseysMom

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baby has dropped his final feed before bed!!!
« Reply #4 on: September 01, 2005, 14:16:07 pm »
I have always nursed Linsdsey as a last step before bed.  She used to get really drowsy when younger but now it just relaxes her and she pulls off when done and is still awake but relaxed.  I would try it again but maybe leave some light on and then turn the light off after nursing.  Also, I think as long as he is putting himself back to sleep at the 45 min mark then I would think the nursing before bed is not a problem.
Lynne
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Mom to Lindsey Elizabeth 10/28/04
Baby girl due December 8th


Offline zelkad

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baby has dropped his final feed before bed!!!
« Reply #5 on: September 01, 2005, 18:11:04 pm »
Thanks for replying so quickly!!

I will try it that way again!  I'm almost positive he'll take it before bed.  I'll let you know how it goes.

Thanks so much!


annamum

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baby has dropped his final feed before bed!!!
« Reply #6 on: September 01, 2005, 19:20:02 pm »
I also noticed that my dd when she was 2.5 months old and I tried not to feed her before sleep, refused the breast. After I included it again in her going to sleep routine she was more than happy to nurse again.

Offline zelkad

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baby has dropped his final feed before bed!!!
« Reply #7 on: September 02, 2005, 00:35:58 am »
Hi Lindsey's mom and Annamum and anyone alse reading!

I let Nikolas nurse after his bath (right before bed).  He did take it eagerly whereas he still didn't want it before the bath only 10 minutes earlier!.  He did get super sleepy at which point he stopped suckling so I took him off.  He was then more awake, burped and fell asleep quickly in his crib.  He turned to his side and sucked his thumb for several minutes.  He didn't wake at the 45 min mark either.  I wonder now, too, if his refusal to nurse before the bath is because he doesn't like the new routine or if it's because he started to suck his thumb when I changed the order of his nursing.   We stopped giving him his paci a couple weeks ago because it was interfering with his sleep...the night we took it away was the time he was more than happy to use his thumb (I know the thumb will be a bigger issue later but his sleeps are so much better now)  Anyhow, this all happened at the same time so maybe he was fine using his thumb to suck on instead of me?!

Anyhow, I reduced the amount of his cereal today.  He kind of looked at me when the bowl was empty as if he wanted more but he never got upset so I think we'll try this for a week (reduced solids and back to nursing as last thing before bed) 

Just a thought, I've heard of mom's offering the breast before solids at meals to ensure enough milk intake but Tracy's books say not to do this....any thoughts?

Thanks again for listening!


Offline LindseysMom

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baby has dropped his final feed before bed!!!
« Reply #8 on: September 02, 2005, 02:16:39 am »
Hello.  I don't remember in her book where she says not  to feed milk first but then I have not read it in a while.  I have always heard that until your lo is closer to one year it is best to do milk first then solids as milk is still supposed to be the most important form of nutrition.  I have just now started giving Lindsey solids before milk for lunch and supper and in the am she still gets her milk first before breakfast.    I always would give milk first, then an hour later offer solids.  Plus, if you offer milk first then wait an hour, you can be sure he got all the milk he wanted/needed and you don't have to cut back on the solids so much.  HTH.
Lynne
Registered Nurse now Sahm
Mom to Lindsey Elizabeth 10/28/04
Baby girl due December 8th


annamum

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baby has dropped his final feed before bed!!!
« Reply #9 on: September 02, 2005, 02:19:03 am »
Well, it looks like everything went better than you could have planned. I am so happy for you.

I wouldn't worry at all about his new self soothing technique, his thumb is so much better than a pacifier, you don't need to come in the middle of the night to insert it in his mouth. And I think, it's better for him to be in charge, too. I honestly think that thumb sucking is a better habit than pacifier, even in older children.
I still think that he didn't want to nurse because of a new routine. My dd also refused to nurse because she figured out that she won't have boobs for going to sleep. When I went back to nursing after a bath, same story as yours, she gladly had it. It could be a coincidence that at the same time he has found his thumb, but I think you don't care what is the reason as long as your baby is happy and sleeping well.

At 6 months, you want him to still take breast first and then solids, you may offer solids 30 minutes later or one hour later, what works better for your little guy. This way you ensure that main part of his diet is your milk, this should stay this way up to 10 months or so, but many babies rely on breast for much longer, even up to a year or more.  I don't remember reading it in Tracy's first book, I haven't read a new one so I don't know what she had in her mind.

Offline zelkad

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baby has dropped his final feed before bed!!!
« Reply #10 on: September 02, 2005, 12:10:20 pm »
Thanks again to both of you!  I feel a lot better about things now.  I absolutely love nursing and I was not comfortable with not having the night feed.  (In fact, it's one I'd still like to keep when I go back to work when he's a year)

In the new book she mentions (unless I misread on pg 96 in the chart for 6-9 months) to top baby off with breast for 10 minutes after eating solids (breakfast, lunch and dinner).    Up until this point, Iwas nursing him in the early morning then would offer breakfast (solids) an hour later which is fine and what Tracy says to do.  But then after his lunch and dinner I would give him the breast (he usually didn't want it for long)  I also give him mik in between meals which he gladly takes.  I very much am looking forward to nursing him before the solids now.  I'll feel better knowing that he's getting enough milk.

Thanks again....I'll keep you posted!

By the way, Monika, your comment about the thumbsucking makes me feel a lot better too!  Our house, naps and bedtime have been sooo much better this way and it's good to hear that maybe it's not so bad!

Zelka


annamum

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baby has dropped his final feed before bed!!!
« Reply #11 on: September 02, 2005, 16:15:15 pm »
I really believe that if we are born as mammals, we have a very strong need to suck. This is a need that doesn't go away if not satisfied in this form or another. Very few moms are able to offer breast as a pacifier all the time, thus invention of a substitute pacifier. But I think it is better for a child to suck on his thumb, he is in control of it, can take it out when has had enough but can also put it in. I think, also experts say that thumb sucking is better from the point of view of speech development and how the mouth muscles form with use of bottle, paci and thumb.

Offline LindseysMom

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baby has dropped his final feed before bed!!!
« Reply #12 on: September 02, 2005, 16:21:31 pm »
I agree with annamum here.  I am sooo glad Lindsey is a thumb sucker and did not get attached to a paci.  We would try to offer them to her when she was younger but she did not take to them as she liked her fingers/thumb better. :D
Lynne
Registered Nurse now Sahm
Mom to Lindsey Elizabeth 10/28/04
Baby girl due December 8th