14 mo STILL exclusively nursing !!!

[mrstanimal]

My DS (27 lbs-ish) is still almost exclusively breastfeeding. He refuses all solids practically, aside from the random cracker or piece of meat. We started offering him whatever we were eating months ago, and he would pick here and there, but mostly play. I am concerned as all my friends' toddlers are weaned, or at least close to being so, and are eating food like there is no tomorrow. My son, however, isn't interested anything other than breastmilk. Lots of night nursing as he is super active and doesn't really want to nurse, other than before naps. I don't have a problem with this, and am not ready to wean. I will let him continue breastfeeding as long as he wants. I just wonder if I've somehow messed up by skipping rice cereal and jarred food. He won't let me spoonfeed him at all, never has.

I am dreading the 12 month WBV, knowing my ped will really have a problem with him not eating. He is bigger than the other babies his age though, even called "husky", so I know he's getting something. Any advice out there ?

[Adaline'sMama]

I dont really see any problem with it. Im sure the ped will have something to say about it if you tell him/her. I would just say yes, he eats meat and crackers and drinks plenty of milk, and is still nursing.

I have a friend who's kid refused to eat any solid food other than banannas and goldfish crackers until he was 18 months old. So he was exculsivley breastfed and he is totally fine and very healthy.

If you are interested in him eating more solid foods you could try a feeder (one of those mesh things that kind of looks like a paci). My kiddo isnt old enough to eat, so I dont really have any experience with it, but I know people who have used them and their kids seem to like it better than being spoonfed.

Good Job for still nursing!

[D_McG]

I would be concerned about a solids aversion at that age. My son was a bit like that but I figured out he would eat if he was hungry (he just preferred to nurse). A true aversion I'd want evaluated by an OT.

Around that age I choose to discourage frequent nursing.. discourage night nursing and generally move towards a different nutrition model. Doesn't mean I'm right though. Just what works for us. I'd definitely just try to establish if he really 'can't' eat solids or just would rather not. GL!

[~Demeter~]

My daughter had no real interest in solids until she was closer to 2... she just preferred my milk. There is nothing wrong with her, she loves food now and eats quite heartily. She just really wasn't interested before then. I don't think there's anything wrong with him or that you somehow ruined him, you didn't. I would not discourage frequent nursing or night nursing, it's developmentally appropriate for him to still be getting most of his calories from your milk. Follow his cues, mama, he knows what he needs.

[karika]

Humans are designed to eat mostly breastmilk until the age of 2. Most in this country do not though. Follow your child's cues and you can't go wrong. I do not go to a ped, but I am sure if your ped is not well educated on the matter they would freak. dd2 started solids early, at 8 mo... and went through a phase of eating a lot of them, then went back to eating hardly nothing. She breastfed heavily through it all and still does (nearly 20 months). Your breastmilk is nutritionally complete. Some people say iron and vitamin d is missing from breastmilk. You can get vitamin d from sitting in the full sun for at least 10 min a day. It is my opinion that if iron is missing then the child does not need iron at that age. Humans are primates and breastfeeding with only occasional food is historically common. Continue to offer pure foods like avocadoes, broccoli, carrots, zucchini (veggie can be cooked or raw), bananas, apple, pear, grapes, cherries (I always cut these up), melon... I believe in avoiding grains until older if at all (we are gluten, casein and soy free here). If you eat meat, offer bits of salmon, or prechew the organically raised, humanely slaughtered other types... cook some baby lima beans until they are smooshy and offer that... mine both loved raw peas too, right from the garden.... there is nothing wrong with a child eating mostly breastmilk IMO. By the age of 2, they will start eating more because they will need more calories than your body can produce...

[karika]

an article I came across

There may be some relative points for you in this article- http://www.kathydettwyler.org/detwean.html

[alegna]

If he's eating other stuff, he's not exclusively nursed.

Keep offering a variety, he'll choose what he needs.

-Angela

[sdbeachy]

If he's growing, pooping, and peeing, he's getting what he needs. It sounds like you're doing exactly the right thing for him. Don't worry about what your friends' children are doing. Childhood is not a race. Keep making healthy food (including your milk, of course!) available and keep trusting him to choose what he needs. Congratulations for your wonderful "husky" breastfed child!