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Breastfeeding/Almost one and done?!
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Question
Hey Sally,
Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my question! My son (One year old on August 9th), decided last night that he was done breastfeeding. I was out with my friends, and my husband had him asleep by the time I got home. He said he couldn't keep him awake! He hadn't had his normal night time breastfeeding, and I was sure he'd wake up to eat in an hour or two, but he didn't!
Now he usually would eat 3-4 times a day. Once in the morning, mid-day, night, and sometimes at like 6 am and then he'd go back to sleep. He did not wake up at 6 am this morning to eat. Showed no interest this morning, and still hasn't eaten! I'm taking this as a clear sign that he's done breastfeeding, but I'm shocked at the way that it happened.
Is it normal that he went from 3 feedings to done overnight (I read your excerpt from your book about gradual weaning, which was my plan)?!
I'm very engorged, should I be worried about any kind of breast infection?
I actually dried up with my first son when he was about six months old, so I've never had this problem! Help with my second, please!
Thank you!
Michelle
Dear Michelle,
Well, it sounds as if your son has made up his mind! It's fairly unusual for a baby to give up nursing so suddenly, but then babies are unpredictable and keep doing unexpected things.
I assume that at his age he's eating solid foods and drinking from a cup, so he should have no problem getting nutrition from other foods.
As far as your engorgement is concerned, you should take steps to alleviate it so you won't get an infection. I'm attaching an excerpt from my book that may help at this point.
Good luck!
Sally
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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. Now in revision for a fourth edition, with Laura M. Marks, M.D.
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>> If you have to wean suddenly, you are likely to be quite uncomfortable for several days unless you’re producing very little milk. You can hasten the drying-up process and minimize discomfort in a few ways. You’ll need to wear a firm, but not too tight, bra, perhaps in a size larger than the one you usually wear. You can also relieve discomfort by expressing just enough milk to ease the pressure on your breasts. And you may also get relief from ice packs applied to the breasts several times a day. Ask your doctor to prescribe a pain reliever, which can be relatively strong, since now that nursing has ended, you don’t have to worry about the medication reaching your child.<<
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Answers by Expert:
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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