In desperate need of help!!

My son is 8 mths and has been exclusively breastfeeding with the exception of solid food being introduced at 6 mths. He has never taken a bottle and won't.He will drink from a cup occassionally, however only if it is water. He has been going through a sort of nursing strike (which I hear is normal) and has been nursing less and less during the day. I have been struggling the whole 8 mths to maintain my supply through pumping, fenugreek tabs and tea. I am so frustrated right now I do not know what I need to do. He is eating solid food pretty good, however I know he needs the milk first and foremost. I do not know what to do anymore. He WON"T take a bottle and he really isn't nursing but once or twice during the day. He is still waking at night and getting a good amount of milk, however I know he isn't getting the right amount of milk needed for proper nutrition. Any suggestions? I have a call in to my lc as well, but any suggestions would be welcome... I am willing to wean if thats what he wants, however he still needs to drink milk somehow...

[Super_sally888]

Hi,

to increase his milk consumption, you can use breast milk in cereal, to mix veges etc.

Every kid is different.  Guess the best thing you can do is offer him your breast before every feed, and only give him food after he's had at least a small drink.  Good that he's drinking well at night.

I have a bit of a similar problem..... I pump and bottle feed and breast feed directly.  No probelm there.  But  the problem is that I can't pump (hardly any letdown) unless she sucking to get everything started (and sometimes she's not interested.)

Keep at it.  

Best wishes

[agomez333]

thanks for the suggestions and support Sally... Anyone else have any advice??

[trustthishippie]

have you tried pumping while baby is on the boob? it helps the let down bf on one side and pump on the other -as for getting him interested in the boob don't bottle feed (or bottle feed only) its easier for him to suckle from the bottle than from the booby and its confusing for him to get both and he will probably lean towards the bottle it easier if he won't take milk from the bottle don't give it to him -mixing milk w/food is good and like sally says breast b-4-food- i try to keep my daughter from eating much solid food -only let her taste it and then i give her baby dishes to play with during meal time-so she gets the interaction of eating solid but dosen't actualy eat much then when dinner is over and she is still hungry she gets booby and is happy that she got to eat with us-its really the social thing they want not so much the food they just want to do what u do so give him his own plate with a little taste and then when your done w/the meal he'll be hungry and want boob

[trustthishippie]

another idea is you diet stay away from brocoli green peppers onions canalope honey dew pasturized dairy products &cabage-all these foods will give baby gas and might discourage baby from boob-eat lots of avacado and make sure to get omega 3-6-9's into your diet too they are important fatty acids crucial to development you might even try taking some digestive enzymes with your prenatles to ensure you are geting as much nutrient absorbsion as possible-hope this helps:)