when should my sons mother stop breastfeeding?

Question

He is 7 months old, he only gets it at night before bed and he doesnt want it much even though she insists. I feel as though he is being forced to try every night even though he eats a little bit of it.I feel that he has gotton the nutrition he needs thus far and the fruits and vegitables plus the doctor proscribed infant vitamins are substantial nutrition for his development. Would it also be wise maybe to just pump from the breast instead of from the breast directly to get the milk for him since he is getting too big for her to hold comfortably? Also he does still get a bit of formula each day as well, as per doctors orders. Any advise would be appreciated, Thank you.

Answer 1

First of all, I don't know anyone that breastfeeds a child until they are 2 or 3. That is just gross. After the age of 1 milk contains the same nutrients as breast milk. Don't let these crazy women on here attack you like this. I am happy to see a father so involved with his child and mother. That is what is important. You are right to be concerned as this baby is your responsibility as well. Keep up the good work and Congratulations.

Answer 2

Breastfeeding is a very personal action. It is up to the mother if she wants to breastfeed. In this case, it would appear that she wants to very much. When the baby decides that he is not interested anymore than he will not breastfeed much. Mom will either give it up or continue as long as the baby will let her. It really doesn't matter how it goes. This is not going to hurt the child. It does seem to make you feel uncomfortable.

I breastfed all five of my children. Some fed for a long time (four years) and my oldest son for only five months. My second son nursed because He wanted to. When I was pregnant with my third son, my second son quit until after #3 was born then resumed nursing. It was a challenge, but he grew up and is now a Captain in the Air Force and a flight instructor. My children are all grown and doing well. At one point in nursing, my grandmother came for a visit. She encouraged me to quit nursing and bottle feed. She felt that only lower class people "did that." (breastfeed) I think that I can promise you that all nursing will be stopped before he gets married. (haha) Really, try not to fret about it. She needs support and encouragement.

Answer 3

I highly advise you to get a feeding chart from your pediatrician or look at one online. Until a baby is a year old breastmilk and or formula should constitute most of his diet....baby food comes in second so his nutrition shouldn't be gaged by how many fruits and veggies he consumes. He should be drinking three to five 6-8oz bottles of formula or breastmilk a day. My baby is 8 months old and breast feeds on demand - I use a Boppy pillow to support her on my lap and I also feed her in my bed lying down before she goes to sleep at night. She can even sit up on my lap and breastfeed so the size of the baby shouldn't matter. Only a small percentage of women continue to breastfeed after 6 months so there seems to be a population of people who feel it is inappropriate to breastfeed after the baby reaches a certain age. However, just about every doctor out there will tell you breastfeeding is the best thing for that little guy until he is at least a year old. If mom seems to be forcing the breast on him there can be many reasons why he is going on a nursing strike...its common...he may be teething and his gums are sore, her milk supply may have decreased leaving him frustrated, etc. If her milk supply is getting lower because she is only feeding at night she may want to pump to increase her production. Also. please remember that breastfeeding is a very emotional thing for women. Its a quiet bonding time with baby. I hope you will encourage mom and baby towards the year milestone. Breast of Luck!

see this webpage

http://www.babycenter.com/refcap/baby/babybreastfeed/8490.html

Answer 4

Oh, wow. I have so been there. Sorry, but you will never understand the emotional and physical benefits of breastfeeding. I nursed my daughter for over a year without a hitch, but when it came time to stop, I was so emotional even though I had done it for the whole first year! Hormones are released when you nurse that make you happy and relaxed, so it's very hard to just give that up-also, the connection with your child is so intimate and perfect that it's hard to say goodbye to that too. My son went through "nursing strikes" and now he is 10 months old and only on the bottle. I have to say I am so depressed about it! I wish I had tried harder to nurse longer, I wish I had my husband (he is deployed to Afghanistan) to support me in it also. I feel like I let my baby down, I feel like he still needs me in that way. So, although you can't truly know what your wife is going through-she probably feels very conflicted. She probably knows she doesn't have to nurse anymore, and the baby might be getting done with it, but nursing is still important to her, and she needs your support! Good luck!

Answer 5

Sounds like she may be having a harder time letting go than him. It is a wonderfull experience and I had trouble too. I waited until my daughter was 14 months. You just have to be ready, (both mom and baby) I am pregnant now and I plan to stop at around 7 or 8 months because at 14 months my daughter had a really hard time. She knew she wasn't getting it, and would cry for it. It was a little hard, so I plan to stop before the new baby knows what is going on.

Answer 6

The American Association of Pediatrician reccomends breastfeeding untill AT LEAST 12 months.
Some babies go through a phase when they nurse less. Formula feeding might be interfering in nursing, because the "milk" flows faster from a bottle than breastmilk from a breast, so it might make him frustrated to nurse. Personally, I would cut out the formula.
BTW, as far as him getting too big for her to hold comfortably, she could try different positions. My son is 16.5 months old, 22-23 lbs, and still nursing (he also gets 3 meals a day, and fruits/crackers for snacks)

Answer 7

Its sounds like your daughter in law is in the process of weening him off of the breast at the present point in time anyway, if she is only feeding him once a day from the breast, in a couple of months he will probably stop altogether. It is normal to breast feed and to stop is a decision that only the parents - and in particular, the mother can make. However it is common practise to breast feed for between 6 months upto 18 months.

Answer 8

I Fed mine until 9 months, 12 months and 18 months, It is very normal to breastfeed for the first year of life, And it has antibodies, that formula and other food do not provide, Please do not discourage this as it is only helping your child.... There are no Bad side effects from this at all!, It can only make your baby healthier, Smarter and better able to fight diseases!If your wife want to she can pump, but it is hard for momies to stop this bonding process! as it is a wonderful experience for us too! Give her time she will quit when she is ready!

Answer 9

I don't see any problem, but you seem to think she should stop breastfeeding. Some kids breastfeed until 2 years or older. Mine lost interest at about 1 year and I didn't push it. If it's not comfortable to hold him, how about lying down to breastfeed, since it is only at night anyway? Of course if he gets formula, he'll be less hungry for breastmilk. Whatever you do is probably fine.

Answer 10

Mothers are able to breast feed their babies up to a year. I have never heard of giving babies vitamins -- goodness. If the baby is being fussy about taking the mother's milk, I would wonder what is in the mother's diet. What is she eating? She maybe eating something that is making her milk not so tasty. I know from a girlfriend of mine that it is helpful for the child's immune system if the baby receives breast milk up to a year. The thing is it is your daughter's baby now and her choice. Keep your nose out of it.