We've been doing baby-led weaning since Burkley was six months old.
Turns out, this kid LOVES. TO. EAT.
He will eat anything and everything and however much of it I give him, he will just keep eating and eating and eating.
So, what's the problem?
Well...he was not nursing!
And THAT was a problem.
He was going five, six, sometimes more hours without nursing because he would just eat until his heart was content.
I started to think that maybe a nine month old should be nursing more than just a few times a day.
I did some research and found this awesomely helpful chart.
Wow! Under 12 months old, babies should be only getting 25% of their calories from food.
I also know that Burkley was working on a top tooth last week when all of this was going down, so that could have also been why he wasn't nursing much (and biting lots when he did nurse), but still.
So, we have toned down the food. I'm giving him at least one meal a day, sometimes two if he happens to be awake while I'm eating one of the other meals. This is down from three meals a day and some snacks. Yikes! This week at his 9-month appointment, we talked to our doctor about it. She agreed with my decision and agreed that he needs to be nursing more than he was. I also shared what was going on at my local La Leche League meeting this week and the leader affirmed that maybe slowing down the solids would be good. Most of all, I found this quote from Kellymom slightly concerning: "Babies who start solids early, and babies who eat a lot of solids tend to wean earlier." Eeek! I do not want him to wean too early, so I have taken action!
It could also be that he just thinks food is for play and enjoys shoving it down his pie-hole so much that he doesn't even realize he's getting full. Either way, we are going to sort of stick with BLW- in that we will keep giving him real food, not "baby food," but I guess he needs to learn a little bit more self-control before I fully give him the reins.
In short, this week of slowed down food has proven successful- his top tooth is in (and adorable) and he's nursing again every 3-4 hours as is normal for him.
Turns out, this kid LOVES. TO. EAT.
He will eat anything and everything and however much of it I give him, he will just keep eating and eating and eating.
So, what's the problem?
Well...he was not nursing!
And THAT was a problem.
He was going five, six, sometimes more hours without nursing because he would just eat until his heart was content.
I started to think that maybe a nine month old should be nursing more than just a few times a day.
I did some research and found this awesomely helpful chart.
Wow! Under 12 months old, babies should be only getting 25% of their calories from food.
I also know that Burkley was working on a top tooth last week when all of this was going down, so that could have also been why he wasn't nursing much (and biting lots when he did nurse), but still.
So, we have toned down the food. I'm giving him at least one meal a day, sometimes two if he happens to be awake while I'm eating one of the other meals. This is down from three meals a day and some snacks. Yikes! This week at his 9-month appointment, we talked to our doctor about it. She agreed with my decision and agreed that he needs to be nursing more than he was. I also shared what was going on at my local La Leche League meeting this week and the leader affirmed that maybe slowing down the solids would be good. Most of all, I found this quote from Kellymom slightly concerning: "Babies who start solids early, and babies who eat a lot of solids tend to wean earlier." Eeek! I do not want him to wean too early, so I have taken action!
It could also be that he just thinks food is for play and enjoys shoving it down his pie-hole so much that he doesn't even realize he's getting full. Either way, we are going to sort of stick with BLW- in that we will keep giving him real food, not "baby food," but I guess he needs to learn a little bit more self-control before I fully give him the reins.
In short, this week of slowed down food has proven successful- his top tooth is in (and adorable) and he's nursing again every 3-4 hours as is normal for him.
I'm curious what you give him to eat that he loves so much!?
ReplyDelete@Leah- he loves everything he's ever tried except baked beans and applesauce. Other than that, we're good to go with: strawberries, cantaloupe, cucumbers, sweet potatoes, baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, avocado, bananas, plums, nectarines, peaches, mangoes, watermelon, tomatoes, corn, black beans, crackers, hummus, pitas, rice cakes, zucchini, pears, pasta sauce, cheese, yogurt, ice cream (okay, only a teeny taste of that!), spaghetti, the list goes on and on...whatever we eat, we give him, and he loves it all!
ReplyDeleteGood for you, Adrienne! I really admire how you are able to trust your instincts and do what you know is best for your baby.
ReplyDeleteOh I see...I give Walter all sorts of things too, but I'm terribly paranoid that he's going to choke on something if it's remotely firm, So I give him like tiny little pieces and it seems pointless. I wish he would just get some extra teeth so I could get over my fear haha... ha...? ha.
ReplyDeleteYou're such a great mom!
ReplyDeletePS, maybe he went on a nursing strike because you gave him olives! Poor baby! ;)
Wow Adrienne, he sounds like a great eater! Audrey still only eats solids 2 or 3 times a day. She still nurses as much as ever with no signs of slowing down. Everytime I hear about a baby her age who barely nurses or is mostly on solids, I wonder if I'm doing it right but I always think breast milk is so good, there can't be anything bad about her getting so much. Thanks for another reminder of that!
ReplyDelete