I had the great honor of contributing to my friend Megan's awesome blog,
SortaCrunchy, this week. We had been having a discussion about the trials of nursing an older baby/toddler, and she posted my response to a question she asked me. You can find it
HERE. One of the advantages to having a large family is that I have, through the years, accumulated a certain amount of, for lack of a better word, wisdom, in dealing with these issues, the ones that young mothers fret over. I remember what it was like to have questions, and to be frustrated, and to think that I was the *only* one dealing with all of this. I want to reassure all mommies out there that YOU ARE NOT ALONE, and offer reassurance from someone who has been there.
I am humbled and honored to be a part of Megan's wonderful blogging community. She is an inspiration, and a wonderfully talented writer. I posted about another project of hers
here. Please check it out - there's so much she has to offer. :)
**End of shameless self-promotion** ;)
Hi Karen, I came here from SortaCrunchy, and have a question I can't find the answer to on the web (and my pediatrician isn't very helpful on these issues). My 12month old seems to be self-weaning (not nursing much these last few days), and I don't have a problem with her leading the weaning, but she doesn't drink enough cow (or soy) milk (or formula or expressed milk, either). My pediatrician is not very helpful. My daughter is pretty tiny (3rd percentile in weight), and I just don't know how to get her to drink enough milk (mine or otherwise).
ReplyDeleteDo you have any suggestions? Should I just not offer her the breast anymore and let her wean (she only nurses after she wakes up and after her 1st nap)? Also, how can I get her to drink more milk?
Thanks a million!
Hi, Melissa! Thank you for trusting me to answer your questions! The first thing I want to tell you is to make sure she's actually weaning, and not just going on a nursing strike. Check out this page for some good info and links on nursing strikes: Kellymom.com
ReplyDeleteThe next bit of advice I have for you is something that was told to my mom, way back in the '70s, when my brother was struggling with dairy allergies - once they wean, they really *don't* need milk anymore. It's just a fallacy extolled by the Dairy industry to keep us consuming their product. Of course, milk is an easy way to get calcium, etc, into a child, but there are other ways... If she won't drink it, you can't make her. That will only make both of you miserable. If you are worried about her weight gain, the advice given to a good friend of mine who had a tiny failure-to-thrive toddler was to add butter to EVERYTHING. Cook with heavy cream - you get the idea. Avocados are another good source of fat, too... And eggs, if she'll eat those Cheese and yogurt... She really doesn't *need* cow's milk. So don't stress about that...
My kids have never been milk drinkers - they all went from the breast to juice/water (we have dairy sensitivity issues, here). And they are all happy and healthy - not a sickly one in the bunch. :)
So, If I were in your shoes, I'd continue to offer her the breast, and if she resumes nursing, great. But if she doesn't, that's okay, too. My older girls both weaned at 14-15 months, b/c I was pg again, and my milk dried up. They never drank milk, either. Find out what she will eat and drink, and go from there, emphasizing high-calorie, high (healthy) fat choices. I would dilute any juice half and half with water, though. Too much juice can fill them up too quickly... As long as she's gaining, even slowly, she'll be fine.
And, most importantly, trust your instincts. Moms always seem to be the best judge of how their child is doing... If you are concerned, take her in for a weight-check. If she's happy and healthy, no matter what you're feeding her, you're doing a good job.