Ok. Ladies....question for ya'll. At what point did you switch to nursing or giving formula only 3x/day. I'm still at 4x/day, but the last feeding is a struggle.....whether I nurse her or give her a bottle of expressed milk - same result. The other night, I gave her a bottle, and she refused it after 2 oz. At most, I got her to take in 2.5 oz. Then I pumped and only squeaked out 3.5 oz, so it tells me she's taking in less at night. Which to me, is interesting.......she eats kinda like we're supposed to eat: King for breakfast, prince for lunch and pauper for supper....I can sense that she staggers her intake like that.
So, I've started the phase towards 3 meals a day differently. I used to give her solids at 7, 11, and 3 - her first 3 nursings of the day. But the other day, I switched it to giving her solids at 7, 11, and 7, and only breastmilk at 3. And, she seems to nurse a little better at 7PM now.....she's calmer, a little hungrier and not crying like she used to. I guess being tired and forced to eat when you're not that hungry make for an unhappy baby. Couple that w/ teething and possible gas bubbles, I now have a baby that's crying hysterically. And that of course, makes me more tense, which in turn, makes her more upset....it's a vicious cycle.
Anywho, it seems like in the next month or so, something will have to give. I'd like to continue to line up her meals w/ ours....promote the family mealtime and whatnot, so I'm wondering how ya'll did that and if you transitioned to 3 nursing or formula sessions, etc. I try not to hyper-schedule, but sometimes it's hard not to....even though it stresses me out to be too scheduled. Vacation really taught me to go w/ the flow, and I'm more than happy to do so (w/ some basic structure in place), but I cannot keep up w/ nightly pre-bedtime meltdowns.
The solid schedule switch that I've done actually seems to work at night. The only downside is that she's woken up a little cranky in the morning and is eager to nurse - but I don't feel like she's draining me like she was previously. Hmmm. So, I wonder if it's like it is for us - ever notice when you eat a lot at night, you're more hungry in the morning? I have to wait first for her constipation issues to clear up, as that might be the issue right now. I've also added some yogury these past two weeks.....I thought that was supposed to help w/ digestion, so I don't know. Her belly is making her quite uncomfortable lately, so hopefully, once that clears up, I can see if her 7PM intake of solids is making her cranky in the AM or if it's really her bubbly belly that's bothering her.
Thanks for your input ladies:)
3 comments:
Hi Jill! We're going through this transition as well, so I can't give you results, but I can give you a window into our plan as well as what Kathryn's pediatrician told us at 9 months.
Basically, her doc said that our goal should be to move her from 4 to 3 nursing sessions by her first birthday, and then to wean down after that. I'm still nursing at 7:45 (upon waking), 11:30 (after nap #1), 4 (after naptime), and 7:45 (before 8:00 bedtime). So kind of a 4-hour schedule, give or take. And she eats solids 3 times a day, at the same time as me...breakfast (8:30), lunch (noon), and dinner (6). She also gets a snack in the late afternoon, between the after naptime feeding and dinnertime (usually around 5). My plan is to not nurse her after that first nap, and instead nurse her before nap #2, and then give her the afternoon solids snack a little earlier (like right after the afternoon nap). So the new schedule would be nursing at 7:45, 1:45, and 7:45, solids meals at 8:30, noon, and 6, and a snack around 4.
You did mention that Rachel is fussy during that last feed...Kathryn sometimes is too, but I've noticed that she's gotten a lot better ever since we weaned her from her pacifier...she's just more interested in any sucking she can get now. Definitely wait until you're ready for that though...it's not fun!
As for the constipation, Kathryn used to only go once or twice a week and struggle...and now she goes at least once (sometimes twice!) a day, without a struggle! I think the difference has been flax seed...I introduced it a few weeks ago and her constipation woes have since ended. You can find it at Trader Joes or in the natural food section of Shoppers...I add one baby-sized spoonful of ground flax seed to her Oatmeal every other morning. She has 4 ounces of yogurt a day and has for some time...I didn't notice it helping her constipation or making it worse. I would definitely recommend trying the flax seed for a few days and see if it works! It's also super healthy...it's rich in fiber and omega-3 fatty acids, it has a good nutty flavor, and you can use it to replace butter when you're baking! I made some really yummy whole wheat bread with flax seed this past weekend, and my husband, who runs from healthy food at the first sight, loved it!
I know I've written a book here, but I feel like anything food, poop, and gas related has happened to Kathryn before so I want to help. =) If Rachel's struggle is due to gas, you might try Gripe Water. You can find that at any natural food store and it helps with all kinds of tummy troubles. I like the Baby's Bliss brand...Kathryn likes it too and guzzles it down. =) I give it to her when I suspect gas and if it is gas, she's usually fine within 5-10 minutes of taking it.
Hang in there!
Thanks Lisa! That does help a lot. I think I will try the flaxseed too. She did pretty well today after eating a prunes/pears mix for her 1100 solids:)But, I'd like to give her some cereal a little more often, so it would be good to have that. Contrary to her size, she's not a big eater, which is sometimes what leads me to concerns on my supplies, whether she's getting enough milk or if she's taking in too much solids, thereby decreasing her need for breastmilk....don't want that to happen so I've cut back on solids so she nurses a little stronger at each session.
The # of nursing sessions is helpful too.....I wasn't sure if I should be switching to 3 by 9 mo or closer to a year. Looks like I'll probably wait until closer to a year. The only downside is that Ben and I are going to Hawaii end of September for a weekend - he has to go for work, and I'm tagging along for the weekend. So, I was kinda hoping to reduce to 3/day so it's less milk I have to store up while my parents watch her. Oh well, it's the same quantity just readjusted schedule, so I guess it'll be the same.
For constipation, apricots have done wonders for NJ!! I buy dried apricots and boil them in apple juice for about 15 minutes and puree. I mix it in with his cereal or anything potentiall consipating. Also, there are apricots mixed with other fruits available jarred. NJ poops at least once a day, sometimes twice.
Post a Comment