Hardcore breastfeeders might want to avert their eyes now.

So Valerie has been nursing in a more and more annoying fashion ever since she got mobile.  She’s increasingly reluctant to nurse during the day, when she’s just too busy to be bothered, and up more often at night, apparently starving. 

Because I am a sleep-deprived idiot, it took me a while to figure out that she’s probably so freaking hungry all night because she’s rejecting the boobie during the day.  Because I am a thoroughly boobie-brainwashed idiot, it took me even longer to get the bright idea of trying to shift her calorie intake back to the daytime.  We’d been offering her food more frequently, but there’s only so much eating a 7 month old can do, you know?  So the solution had to involve milk.  And since she absolutely will not nurse except before naps--and we’re talking biting here, people--that means formula (I’m sure as hell not going to start pumping at this point!).

I started giving her a couple of ounces in a sippy cup with each meal and snack.  When she took it eagerly, I moved on to giving her a couple of ounces in a bottle before we nursed at naps and bedtime.  Yesterday she took about 12 ounces altogether and, incidentally, also nursed better than she has in ages.  And she slept!  For eight hours! And then another four hours!  Which is more than she’s slept in months.

I don’t think this is a coincidence.

So fingers crossed for me that this continues to work, if you would.

1. We call that “mommy Brain” around here...LOL.  YAY for sleep!

   Posted by Sharon  on  10/17  at  01:29 PM  from  Middleboro, MA
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