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Breastfeeding/10 mos old getting enough to eat

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Expert: - 3/27/2007


Question
My first question is, how long does it take for a 9 - 10 mos old to drain my breast. He nurses 5-7 times a day. Most feedings he gets one letdown per side and seems to be done in 2-5 min. a side. He pretty much stops when the flow slows and dosn't want to work for more milk. 1 or 2 times a day he nurses longer and gets additional letdown when I massage. He eats solids up to 3 times a day but recently not very interested in them. He has been about 5% on the weight chart since 6 mos. 15% at 4mos. 25% 0-3 mos. Im worried he's not getting enough breastmilk. I mix cereal w/ formula and offer it to him in a cup w/ meals and in the afternoon as a supplement. Will only take 2-4 oz at a time. When I pump its a miricle to get more than 1-2 oz. per side. Is he more efficient at nursing than I think?

Answer
Dear Sarah,

First, congratulations for giving your son the best start in life by breastfeeding him!

A healthy 9-10-month-old should be able to get all the milk from one breast in about 5 minutes, maybe sooner. And yes, he is much more efficient in getting your milk than even the best pump can be.

Maybe you can also mix formula in pudding or some other food that your son may like better than cereals. It sounds as if he has been on the small side since birth, but since he is now at a lower spot on the weight chart, it wouldn't hurt to ask your pediatrician whether she/he thinks your baby is growing normally. If you and the baby's father are also small, this may explain his size.

You can also judge whether he's getting enough nutrition by his behavior -- if he seems alert and vigorous and sleeps well for several hours at a time. I give some other benchmarks in my book (see below).

Good luck!

Sally

Sally Wendkos Olds
Author, THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING: Eiger & Olds, 3rd edition 1999, published by Workman Publishing & Bantam Books, and available in most public libraries, bookstores & La Leche League chapters.  

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Sally Wendkos Olds

Expertise

What do you want to know about breastfeeding? I can tell you what`s good for the baby, what`s good for the mother -- and the father, how it`s related to a woman`s sexuality, how working moms can nurse, how to overcome obstacles, and lots more. As the author of THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING and author or coauthor of 8 other books and more than 200 articles about child and adult development, I can offer sound, sensible advice on breastfeeding, child care and family issues.

Experience

I nursed my 3 daughters and am the grandmother of 5 breastfed children. My book THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING (written in consultation with pediatrician Marvin S. Eiger, M.D.) was first published in 1972, and in 1999 came out in an updated 3rd Edition by Workman Publishing & Bantam Books. It is now a classic, with over 2 million copies in print. I am now revising this book for a fourth edition, consulting with pediatrician Laura M. Marks, M.D. This new edition will be published September 2009. I welcome any and all suggestions for the new edition. I coauthored college textbooks A CHILD'S WORLD: INFANCY THROUGH ADOLESCENCE, and HUMAN DEVELOPMENT; both are leading texts in their fields and have been read by 2 million students. I am the coauthor of HELPING YOUR CHILD FIND VALUES TO LIVE BY and RAISING A HYPERACTIVE CHILD, and author of THE WORKING PARENTS' SURVIVAL GUIDE & THE ETERNAL GARDEN: SEASONS OF OUR SEXUALITY. My newest book, A BALCONY IN NEPAL: GLIMPSES OF A HIMALAYAN VILLAGE, published in 2002, tells the story of the way of life in a remote village in Nepal, where all the women breastfeed! My book, SUPER GRANNY: COOL PROJECTS, ACTIVITIES, AND OTHER GREAT STUFF TO DO WITH YOUR GRANDKIDS, will be published March 2009. I speak often to professional, parent and general audiences and make many radio and TV appearances.

Credentials I received my B.A. in English Literature from the University of Pennsylvania, where I minored in Psychology, was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and graduated summa cum laude.

Other points of interest I have received national awards for my writing, and am a former president of the American Society of Journalists & Authors. I am listed in the World Who's Who of Women, International Authors & Writers Who's Who, and Contemporary Authors, and am a member of several professional and civic organizations. I believe: that all parents are working parents; that parents employed outside the home need special support; that mothers' well-being is crucial to their children's welfare; and that the family is the best institution in the world and the one for which we are least prepared. My thrills come when parents or kids tell me they were helped by my writing or speaking or just understanding. To find out more about me, go to

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