Monday 9 April 2007
Nursing Toddlers and Beyond
I think this group of moms are feeling neglected. Most support groups seem more geared to pregnant & new moms. Society in general tends not to react very favourably towards moms breastfeeding their older children, although WHO recommends that children should be breastfed for at least 2 years. Are you breastfeding an older child? Do you feel in need of support ?
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11 comments:
Hi Christine,
My baby is now 8 months old and has started solids for just over two months now. He usually has a a little oats in the morning and quinoa at lunch with either carrots or sweet potato. Before the solids, he used to have a bowel movement every 2 or 3 days and it is still the same now. HOWEVER, since we moved to Indonesia, I think he is constipated because he seems in pain sometimes when he does it and it is very hard and dry. Could it be that he is sweating all day long and losing a lot of fluids that way?
Is it the solids? How much extra water should the baby be drinking? I can only feed him water with a spoon because he just plays with either a bottle or a sippy cup and doesn't drink anything. How can I help him avoid constipation?
Thanks for your help.
Hey Christine, yeh, I get comments from people sometimes saying things like "wahh..your baby so big, why still feeding? " or " are you sure your milk is enough? it won't be nutritous anymore now!"
well..I am beginning to feel like perhaps the supply is not as plentiful as it used to be anymore. Or maybe I'm just paranoid? I have tried supplementing, but J(20 month) totally refuses any milk supplements..fresh or powder. I am getting worried..coz I plan on weaning her at 2.
my daughter had this problem for a while..I realise that when intake of water is up, the constipation goes away. Also try apples ..cut the apple in half, and scrape it with a spoon so it's fine and feed your little one. Quarter of an apple will do for now I think.
Hi,
I've been trying to increase water intake but Aaron just refuses it. He literally digs his fingernails into his gums as if to get the water out!!
If I offer some slightly flavoured water....like with a bit of barley or sweet potato....he laps it up. Any ideas on how to get a baby to drink PLAIN water? I'm worried that he'll develop a sweet tooth after all that sweet breastmilk.
My toddler is 2.5 now. We used to get the occassional comment, just like mumsico on here mentioned, but haven't had any in recent months. For me the bigger challenge is when she demands to nurse at a time when I want to do something else and she refuses to be deflected by suggestion of anything else - it's times like that I'll wonder why I'm going on so long. But then I remember that she's incredibly healthy, never catches the cold or flu that seem to plague all her friends, and has a wonderful bond of trust with me that I am not keen to jeopardize, and is relatively easily soothed when upset, unlike other kids her age whose tantrums can go on and on and on. That's when I feel it's all so worth it. I thought I'd wean her by the age of 2. Now I'm thinking of 3. If she still shows no signs of self-weaning by then, we'll see... I guess I'll just cross that bridge when I come to it!
Hi Christine, I wrote before, asking about weaning..but received no reply. Toddler will be 2 soon...but refuses any sort of milk. Doctor says her weight is way below 50%. I want to wean her, at the same time, I'm worried that if I wean her, she's not gonna get any milk since she refuses any other milk. SHe's also a fussy eater. I need to wean her coz of work. Any tips? Help.
I would be a little cautious of weaning her completely if she doesn't take any other milk & she is a picky eater.Sometimes children who are very fussy with their foods have problems with intolerance to certain foods. Do you have any family history of allergies, asthma, eczema or food intolerance. It may be worth checking this out & not pushing her to take foods or drinks she is not keen on. Active toddlers often like to take very small meals & snacks frequently rather than taking 3 bigger meals. Have you tried offering small healthy snacks up to around 6 times a day.You can also offer other drinks such as water or fruit juices.
If it is at all possible for you to continue giving some breast milk it would be beneficial to your daughter. Could you just breastfeed in the evenings or maybe express occasionally at work. If this is not possible & she won't drink other milks then you need to look at other foods which would provide her with calcium. Can she take other dairy products eg: yoghurt, cheese etc.
Re: her weight. Did your doctor mean she is below the 50th percentile & if so is her weight actually dropping or is it following the same gradient. Some children have smaller builds than others & it may be quite normal for them to be below 50th percentile. If you are worried check on her growth chart & discuss this with your doctor.
Hope this is of some help. Maybe some other mums will chip in with food suggestions for you !
hi christine
my girl has the same aversion to water. Her fluid intake is adequate, as seen for her bowel movements. What helped me was to increase the amount of water in her solid meals. For breakfast, she eats oatmeal with a grated apple/pear with lots of water. Lunch and dinner is watery rice porridge with fish/meat and veg. She is still nursing substantially 3x a day. Besides this, her water intake from a straw cup is a dismal 1 oz or less. Just keep offering water regularly. Don't be upset if your child doesn't take. we will have to cross the bridge one step at a time. Personally, I'm still holding out on not giving sweet drinks. Same concern. Hope this helps.
Hello Christine,
Our toddler is 17 months now. She is a typical active toddler, inside the home & outside at the playgrounds and so is breastfeeding much less. Typically, she nurses once per day on each side. When she feeds, it is usually not for very long & she's off again. My question is regarding my menstrual cycle. Is it common to have a bit of spotting about two weeks prior to my period? This has been happening for a few months now. This does worry me, as I have always experienced a predictable cycle. Are hormones playing a part here? Please provide some input. I just came from my annual exam with my gynae & everything was normal.
Thanks for your help...
Hi, it possibly is hormonal. As long as your gynae has given you the all clear there is no need to worry. It will probably settle back to normal once your baby is fully weaned.
I am still nursing my daughter. Just turned 6 and started first grade. I did get comments for many years. I don't think anyone know she still nursing. It is a bedtime routine mostly. She will sometime ask during day, just to reconnect with me. I cant see here doing it much longer.
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