9 mo. old barely nursing during the day

[mom2lucy]

DD2 will be 9 mo. old this week and she is SO distractible that she will only get a good feed before a nap or during the night (ie., when she's tired).  I've tried going into a quiet room to feed her but my 3 yr old usually comes with us and the baby just won't sit still to even get a let down.

She won't drink water from a cup yet and I'm noticing that she probably only has 3-4 really wet diapers a day.

I feel like my supply is definitely diminishing even though I've been trying to increase it through herbs, etc.  I'm just not sure what to do with her.

To be quite honest (and I feel horrible to even say this because I nursed DD1 for 21 mo.), but I'm really getting burned out on nursing, especially since it's so difficult during the day.  I love our cuddles before naps and bedtime, and even throughout the night (we co-sleep).  If she's nursing a lot through the night and 2-3 good feeds during the day, in addition to solids, how much milk does she need?  Can I supplement with hemp or coconut milk during the day?  I really hate to do formula but I just want to make sure she's getting enough.

I know this post seems to be all over the place, but any help is greatly appreciated.

Thank you!!!

[annettemarie]

Moving out to the main forum

[3girls1boy]

I don't really know what the diaper output for a 9 month old should be.  Are the one's she has really good and wet?  How does she seem otherwise (alert, playful, good skin tone, bright eyes?)  Is she eating table food yet?  Don't forget that some of a person's liquid intake comes from food as well.  You might try mixing just a little juice into water, if you really want to try and have her take more.  Does she seem on the verge of some developmental milestone or do you think she is cutting teeth?  These kind of things can disrupt eating and sleeping patterns.  Though I don't think it's typical, some babies are ready to wean from mother's milk at around the one year mark.  

My mom, back in the 60's, never used formula, nursed 'til about 9 months and then weaned us all (me and my 3 brothers) to cow's milk and table food.

(Also, I recommend finding a copy of "Mothering Your Nursing Toddler". Though you are not quite there yet with your little one, it has some great insights into the whole relationship of nursing and older baby/child and talks about mother's feelings, good and bad, as well.)

[Kuba'sMama]

hmm.. to tell you the truth, she seems to be wetting a LOT less than my almost 9 month old. We use cloth diapers and I change them once an hour, 2 at most (and we EC as well). 3 or 4 a day? Are they thoroughly soaked? My daughter doesn't nurse a whole lot during the day either (about what you describe), I do offer her water with her meals-she loves solids, and lots of fruit too. I would really try to get more fluid into her, whatever the source.

Eta; I just noticed she nurses a lot at night, I would think she should get enough milk that way- are her nighttime diapers very wet? If so, I would just try to get her to drink a bit more during the day, or provide juicy fruits- melons, oranges, etc.