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Hi. My daughter is 7 months old. I started introducing foods to her at about 5 months. Fist cereal, then fruits and vegetables, and now she's on dinners too. ever since I started solids, she's less interested in breastfeeding. Each time I BF she'll only nurse about 5 minutes on each side. It also seems like my breasts don't get full like they used to. When I took her to her 6 months check up, she had only gained 1 pound from 4 months to 6. The doctor said to just start giving her cereal 3 times a day, instead of 2 times like I was giving her. I guess I'm just worried that she's not getting enough breast milk. She still has wet diapers, so she must be getting something. Last night I started pumping everytime she gets done nursing. Not much comes out, but I'm hoping maybe it will cause me to make more milk and maybe she'd stay latch on longer if there was more supply. I think part of the problem is she's so active. She nurses really quick.. then wants to be on the go! Oh.. I almost forgot the second part of my problem is that I can't get her to drink formula from a bottle. So if she isn't getting enough breast milk, I don't know how I'll even suppliment? Thank you very much!!
Dear Tamie,
First, congratulations for giving your daughter the best start in life by breastfeeding her!
On your current situation:
1) On your breasts not getting as full as they used to: it's perfectly normal not to feel the fullness coming in by this stage of nursing. It's part of your body's adaptation.
2) On your daughter's getting enough milk: Put as much breast milk or formula as you can into her cereal, and maybe even giving her a fourth snack of a little cereal so she will be getting the milk that way. Also, try giving her puddings, yogurt, and other foods that have milk in them -- and when appropriate, adding a little extra milk.
3) Continue pumping right after nursing sessions. Even though pumping is not as efficient as a nursing baby, this can often stimulate milk production.
4) Since she won't drink from a bottle, try giving it to her in a cup. A lot of babies will take it this way, sometimes in a sippy cup with a fancy straw, sometimes in a plain cup.
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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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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