my baby is breastfed she is 8 months old and she nurses 4-7 x a day?

Question

she also eats solids im just wondering when do i start weaning her and how.

Answer 1

Any time you feel ready you can start to introduce small meals, best when you eat and eliminate a breast feeding as you do so. The healthiest way to introduce solids is one item at a time and slowly!! Rice cereals are often great as they are less likely to have allergy type reactions. Pureed vegetables are great even blend your own...try blending cwell cooked carrots for 3-10 days, then mabey introduce peas blended in a blender. You don't want to add to many options too fast!!! Wheat, corn, dairy, are possible allergy type foods so by introducing one thing at a time you can see how your child reponds and reacts to them. Carrots are sweet but peas are sweeter, if you start with mashed bananas, you child may repulse to carrots *** they will taste more bitter but they are more nutritious. Possibbly try rice with apple sauce for am, carrots lunch, etc. As your child eats more solids you can skip out on the between time nursings pretty well. Introduce water from a sip cup to make sure your baby gets plenty of liquid. Most of my kids preferred early am nursing after lunch and before bed as the last mursings to go, Lunch time was the next and then that leaves just two nursings. Nursing till well over a year is just fine and some nurse longer, it is all up to you and your childs needs. My kids as they grew more interested in solids mursed less and less and virtually weaned themselves, however I never started solids till after 8 months unless they seemed really interested. Best rule: take it slow and watch your child and give them the best solids possible to give them good nutrition as you wean them from the wonderful food source of mother's milk. Buy yourself a good baby food mill and you can grind up good home cooked veggies, pastas and even meats in time, making the food chopped fine enough for them to get good nutrition out of. Stay away from Peanut butter and honey till well after 2 years!!! Good luck. There are plenty of great nursing type books in librarys take a look you might find one that helps you. Do you have any relatives that have nursed or friends that could give you further pointers?

Answer 2

I disagree with the "cry it out" idea. I also don't think she is spoiled. This was my experience with my first baby also. I had to learn to live with a child nursing. I had to go to the bathroom, cook dinner, clean house, laundry, everything while nursing. When he wasn't nursing, he would cry. Right around 11 months, everything changed. You are almost at that point, so I will elaborate and give you a bit of hope. My son didn't crawl or do much until around 10 1/2 -- 11 months. It was because I held him ALL THE TIME. Granted, he would cry if I didn't, but I didn't have the temperment to listen to him crying, and still don't. At around 11 months, he learned to crawl (yes, 11 months, and "no" to all of those who are going to remark at that, the pediatrician said this was well within the normal range). I was able to start putting him in a johnny-jump-up (you could use an exersaucer) with me in the room and still get things done. I could put him in the back of the kitchen away from the stove and clean the kitchen/cook dinner. I could put him in the doorway of the bathroom and get a shower. It took a week or so, but he gradually started to be able to amuse himself in short bursts. This would allow me to get stuff done without hefting his 25lbs around. I would nurse him first, then put him in the jump-up. Eventually, after a few weeks, I could just put him in the jump-up if it had been a short time since his last nursing. She is NOT spoiled. This is her personality. My son is now 14 and is absolutely the most polite, well-behaved young man in his class. He's the youngest in the class, and on the honor roll. His personality is STILL intense. Of course, he weaned once his sister was born (he was 21 months), so he wasn't nursing forever. And he is HEALTHY and strong. He is 5'8" and lean at 140lbs. I felt then, like you do now. By the time I was so exasperated that I started to complain, he had started crawling. Before long, he was walking and I didn't have to carry him around any more. You are almost there! Just be brave and give her floor time after every nursing session (as long as she's not asleep). If she fusses but doesn't cry, let her work it out. Pick her up once she starts to cry, give her a cuddle, then try again. Lay on the floor in front of her and stare into her eyes and play games. Show her how mobile she is, and play with her on the floor. Play peek-a-boo a lot. These are the things that help her develop object permanence, the ability to believe that things are still there, namely YOU, even if she can't see them. You have done such a great job. You deserve a hug, and perhaps a night out with the girls once she's able to. KUDOS super-mama!!!

Answer 3

You can start to wean her whenever YOU feel comfortable. I know it's a special bonding time with your child so as long as it's not hurting you or the child why stop? If you do choose to wean her, just start cutting it down to 3-4 times a day for maybe a week, then 2-3 times a week, then maybe only at night time untill she doesn't want it anymore.

Answer 4

You don't have to wean her. Breast milk is extremely healthy for a child, it's the perfect nutrition and it contains antibodies so she wouldn't get sick so easily. Also it's a wonderful bond between mother and child. I breastfed both my children until they were two years - obviously in addition to solid food. But if you're about to go out working again then you have to start weaning her now.

Answer 5

I have a son who is now twelve. I nursed him for nine months. Sounds like you are on the right track. You start weaning her by substituting one nursing for a bottle of formula. After a week then substitute twice, following week substitute three meals...ect... Baby can start drinking milk once a year old. Make it a gradual process. Baby loves the emotional nurturing (not only nutritional nuturing) that mom gives when nursing.

Answer 6

What worked best for me was just slowly reducing the number of feedings until the only one left was right before bed. Then I nursed her right before bed only for another 3 months and then said "All gone." (It helps if the child has the vocabulary to understand. You may want to start working on that one now with games that show things that were but no longer are and say "All gone." You can use that when she drinks all of the liquid out of her cup or eats all of her lunch, etc. Also, I made sure that I never let her see me dressing or showering again for another 5 or 6 months after I stopped nursing her until she was completely over it.

Good Luck.

Answer 7

That is completely okay and normal to breastfeed that often, even with some solids. My boy's (now 17 mo) appetite didn't slow down until he started walking. Up until then he was a voracious eater! Also, you will get a lot of people to cast doubt as to why your baby nurses so much, but remember that a lot of people are basing that on their formula-fed babies, which is very different. Breastfeeding is a completely different ballgame. Take advice from other breastfeeders.