Could he have gotten this efficient?

[beckybeachgirl]

My ds is 7 months old and has been eating solids 2 times a day for about 2 months.  Ever since we introduced the solids, it seems he has not nursed as much, but I don't know if that is because of the solids or if the timing just coincided with him needing to nurse less frequently. 

Over the past few weeks, he seems to nurse for less and less time - I feel LUCKY to get him to nurse for 10 minutes on one breast now - and when he's not interested, he's NOT INTERESTED; will arch his back and kick and push away.  I keep thinking he's not getting enough milk but it's impossible to get it into him.  I've tried pumping and putting it in a bottle -he doesn't usually want it that way either.

Could he have gotten so efficient with nursing that he gets enough in 5 or 10 minutes?  He's only doing that amount of nursing maybe 4 times a day now and when I leave him with caregivers they have a heck of a time getting him to drink more than 3 or 4 oz. from a bottle.

Any ideas about what's going on with him?  He's down to about 5 or 6 wet diapers a day and usually poops once a day.  Sometimes I feel like the wet diapers are a little "light" but he seems content ... and I try to feed him any chance I get but when he absolutely fights me like this I just give up ...

[annamum]

Do you offer breast before solids? This is the way to ensure that he will still get his milk. Up to one year, milk is supposed to be a main source of nourishment for infants, solids are just for fun and to introduce little ones to the different textures, tastes and so on. If you offer breast first and he still takes as much as he does, I would say he knows what he is doing. Babies actually become efficient eaters around 8 weeks and some may be done in even 5-10 minutes so your little one is not unusual.

However, if you offer solids first and tend to overload him, he may not be hungry for milk. In this case you need to change the sequence and start with nursing, then 45 minutes later or an hour later (or whatever works for you and him) offer solids.

[beckybeachgirl]

Thanks, Monika - I feel reassured.  I offer him the breast and/or caregivers offer the bottle first all the time ... he's just not that interested in it usually.  But he will happily scarf down ANYTHING offered to him by spoon!  I guess maybe he is just very efficient at this point.  We have a doctor's appt. tomorrow so I'll get his weight and make sure he's still gaining properly.  If so, I guess I'll just have to face the fact that my little baby boy is growing up!

  Becky

[annamum]

One more thing. Some babies at around this age go on nursing strike. This can be caused by teething pain or anything else... Make sure you continue to offer at times he used to eat, he may be ready in a couple of days to go back to his previous nursing pattern.