She hasn't nursed since 7 am

[Beauchamp]

I am getting SO MAD. My DD (almost 11 months) is still waking so frequently at night, every 1-2 hrs, and every 15 mins when she has a rough patch. Her last nurse (in bed) was at 7am. She woke up at 8am. She has refused to nurse all morning. I have tried THREE TIMES and I am at my wits end. Is she weaning herself? She thinks night is for nurse and day is NOT. When I try to nurse her and she rejects it, it makes me SO upset!!! I don't want to night wean her, but WHAT can I do to get her to nurse during the day?

I've tried taking her into a quiet/dim room, but nothing works. I feel like my only option is to attempt to stop some of the nighttime feedings.

Will my body actually stop making milk during the day, if this keeps up?

[mamaw/two]

What kind of solids is she eating and how often?
Your body will continue making milk during the day if you are nursing at night. It's very unlikely that she is weaning herself at such a young age. Try nursing her when she is almost asleep today and see if that works. Maybe a big meal of solids (oatmeal worked well for us), will help her sleep sounder at night.

[Beauchamp]

Thanks. I've always heard that the solids at night thing was a myth, but I am certainly willing to try! We will do oatmeal for dinner tonight!

She eats some solids. I let her self-feed, so she doesn't get too much. Previously DH and I would pop things into her mouth so she'd get more. She does open her mouth for it, though, so we're not forcing her. (DH still does this a lot.) We spoon feed YoBaby yogurt, which she loves. She'll maybe eat half of a YoBaby with some black beans (like a TB or two) and a small palmful or rice puffs.

This morning she ate a few rice puffs and a small amount of banana (self feeding) Most of the banana ended up on the floor or in her hair.

[Beauchamp]

Okay. It's now 3:30pm. She nursed from 11:55 to 12:05 to fall asleep for a nap (which was only 35 MINS anyway. Normally shell go for 1-2 hours.) And she didn't even nurse that whole 10 mins anyway because she fell asleep.

I am getting really upset. 5-10 minutes of nursing from 7am to 3:30pm or later?!? What am I doing wrong? I feel like such an incompetent mom. WHY won't she nurse? Or nap? I know she's tired. I guess she knows she will be awake all night for milk.

I haven't given her any solids since breakfast. I don't want to give her solid food until she nurses. Is that bad? I am so upset by this. I don't mind her nursing less if solids increase, but I just don't get why she basically does not nurse during the day anymore except for nursing to sleep for a nap. She only takes ONE nap. So ONE five minute nurse session during the day and 8-10 nurses overnight??!?!

[phrogger]

Babies do this. They go back and forth. If she is eating a lot at night still, I wouldn't even worry about it. Think of it this way, if she were sleeping through th night, no one would think twice about going that long without nursing right? (5 hours) but because it is daytime, people start to worry. Its ok.

My son does this too. He will nurse all night long and then in the day doesn't do much, then he goes back to his regular schedule. It is usually right before he does something new. Like crawling, pulling himself up more, talking more etc.

[Beauchamp]

Thanks for the reassurance. I'm just worried, I guess. It's so much easier to worry now that I have a baby! I am not getting enough sleep as it is, so it kind of freaks me out that she's doing all of her eating at night. I do hope it's a phase! She has been talking more lately, and is starting to take some steps on her own.

[phrogger]

Originally Posted by Beauchamp

Thanks for the reassurance. I'm just worried, I guess. It's so much easier to worry now that I have a baby! I am not getting enough sleep as it is, so it kind of freaks me out that she's doing all of her eating at night. I do hope it's a phase! She has been talking more lately, and is starting to take some steps on her own.

I fell ya. I am SOOO tired, and with my son, he goes through those phases all the time, but still consistantly nurses all night long. i don't get how they seem so rested and full of energy and I just drag.

Everytime I try to increase his nursing during the day to hopefully lessen it at night, it backfires. I just gave up. I just want someone to come watch him in the day for a couple hours so I can sleep. He obviously doesn't need or want to nurse so someone else can take care of him