This is a two part request, but anything info is appreciated...I have nursed my baby for almost a year. She will be 1 on the 27th. I had to stop today because she has bit my nipples so much I am too sore and injured. Unfortunately, I have nursed her to sleep this whole time. I tried to put her down for a nap without nursing, but she wouldn't sleep. I have before several times tried the cry it out method, but she thrashed around the crib so much, she would hit her head.
I also haven't given her too much baby food because it was always easy to nurse and she would spit out everything, even after several days of trying baby food.
I tried giving her some milk and she drinks very little. She never took a bottle and she just started getting the hang of the sippy cup.
So, how do I get her to fall asleep if nursing was the only way to get her to before and what foods can I give her now that can fill her little tummy?
She only has 4 teeth (2 top and 2 bottom front teeth). Thank you.
I guess I have omitted too much information...my daughter is 22 pounds at almost a year. I have given her earth's best baby foods, once or twice a day as well as cherrios. She is always at 75 percentile for weight at her check ups. As far as the bitting...I have tried pulling her off the breast when she would bite as well as pushing her into the breast to see if she let go. I didn't want to give too much detail, but since you can imagine that I have tried this for a FEW WEEKS, therefore my nipples are cracked and bleeding everytime she would bite. Therefore, I needed to stop!
Hopefully that clears things up...
The adjustment for my daughter was not too bad. When I stopped, she cried for about an hour before bed that day I stopped and then that was it. She woke up once that night and she fell right back asleep. Thank you for all your advice.
If you haven't tried them, use latex nipples instead of silicon. This is what worked for my son who never took a bottle (refused them!) until he was 11 months. That is when I finally as a last ditch effort tried the latex nipples.
If she's not nursing, nor "eating" baby food... how is she getting fed???? How is she getting nourished?
Just stopping cold turkey from nursing... is a BIG deal to a baby, or child, no matter what age. They will have trouble adjusting....
Make SURE she does not get dehydrated.
She may not be sleeping, because she is hungry.
Please see a Doctor and her Pediatrician for tips.
See a Doctor as well, to see how you can "heal" your nipples. For me, I used Lanolin creams, which really helped. Also, applying breastmilk on it will heal it.
Lots of babies "bite" the nipple. Have you tried to teach her to stop? There was a posting here a few days ago about this very subject.
At her age, if she isn't really "eating" baby food either or drinking from a sippy-cup or bottle... you really need to ask the Pediatrician for suggestions.
I would worry that your child is not getting enough intake (liquids or food), and this can affect her development/weight gain/growth/sleep etc.
Since you have mostly nursed her for almost 1 year, exclusively... how is she doing at her well baby check-ups? Are you taking her for these? What has your Pediatrician suggested and/or recommended? As the other poster said, she can lack iron... and if so, they can get anemia.
ALso, perhaps she is teething in addition to all of these other things, and it is affecting her????? Make sure.
Are you giving her anything else to drink?
Please ask her Pediatrician...
There are many postings here about sleep issues... check them out.
All the best,
Susan
I always nursed my son to sleep for naps too. When I weaned him from his nap-time nursing, it was really hard. (I did a very gradual weaning process). He was very upset about the nap-time weaning. What I did was lay down with him in my bed and just hold him, and comfort him the best I could. Sometimes I held him and rocked him (sometimes I still do). He cried a lot, but at least he was not alone. After 2 days, he was okay with not nursing at nap-time anymore. It's a process and there's no golden answer that will work with every baby. Night-time sleep was different because he goes to sleep in his crib and he sort of weaned himself from the bedtime nursing, so it was not a big ordeal like the nap-time was. He was just recently weaned at 19 months because I am pregnant and it got too painful, and I did not want to tandem nurse. I don't know if that helps you, but just soothe her to sleep in other ways. It can be a long process, but she will eventually go to sleep and it will get better!
Try the Take and Toss sippy cups from the First Years. They were the only cups my son would drink from when he started drinking from sippy cups. He never took a bottle either. And it may take her a little while to start liking cow's milk or other milk since she is a breastfed baby. The more my son weaned, the more he loved cow's milk.
Hi Colette,
Does she have a stuffed animal or a blankie that she likes? Or a pacifier? If so, you can reinforce giving this to her at night instead of you nursing her. She needs a soothing replacement if nursing was how she got herself to sleep. You can also try soft music for a few minutes. Whatever you do might take some time considering this is how she has put herself to sleep for a year.
What does your pediatrician advise?
I wouldn't feel guilty about stopping nursing (but I think you probably need to gradually decrease the number of feedings until you are down to one before you stop cold) after a year, she's received the all of the antibodies, IQ points, and nutrition plus some. I don't know many women that would put up with cracked and bleeding nipples and biting (!) after a year! You deserve a medal.
Good luck!
:-) D.
Hi Colette. I'm SO sorry that you are so sore and injured!!!!! I know how incredibly painful that can be. It sounds like you have had a very successful nursing relationship for a year now, and I'd hate to see you quit so suddenly. To be honest, it would be very painful for both you (engorgement) and your baby (hunger & emotional pain) to quit so suddenly. Can you pump? When I have been in your position with incredible pain, I would pump on the gentlest setting, and then give my baby a bottle (or a sippy cup).
Not to dismiss your pain, but you really MUST keep nursing. From what you've said, your baby doesn't get much hydration from a bottle or sippy, and gets very limited nutrients from food. It can be very dangerous for a baby to be dehydrated, and if your little girl is hungry, she will be very fussy and difficult, which will only increase her desire to nurse.
The most painful part is latching her on. When I was sore and bleeding from thrush, I DREADED latching my baby on. However, once she is latched on, the pain lessens and is only uncomfortable. You can nurse her on one side per feeding, hopefully giving the other side time to heal a bit. Lanolin ointment will really help. Also, watch your baby like a hawk while nursing, and if you see her slowing down or finishing up, take her off the breast by putting your finger in her mouth and breaking the latch. That way, she won't bite again or hurt your nipple as she lets go.
You haven't given your baby the skills to get nourishment any other way. You need to continue nursing, and make a plan to introduce more baby food, cow's milk, and/or formula. I'm a little concerned that your baby isn't getting enough iron. That is the primary reason to introduce solid foods, since 6-12 month olds have huge need for iron, and breast milk doesn't provide sufficient iron. I recommend you try introducing baby food again, and add iron fortified cereal to it.
You have set up the habit of nursing her to sleep, and haven't given her the skills to self-soothe. (I sure understand the nightmare that can be, since I made that mistake with my first baby). I'd be happy to tell you what I had to do to rectify that situation, but it's a long story, so I won't write it now unless you ask me to. You've got to help her go to sleep, and make it a priority to help her learn to self-soothe once this crisis is over.
I'm so glad you asked for help, and I hope you guys make it through this painful time. Good luck to you!
Have Daddy put her to sleep. It might take a little bit, but it helps establish a bond for them.
What about pumping?
Use a breast pump for a bottle or sippy cup. She is old enough, regardless of teeth, she can have anything healthy you want to give her. Bite size chunks of cheese, tofu, cooked squash, yams, carrots... round cucumbers to knaw on, any type of no salt bean great protein and iron, peas, green beans, whole wheat bread french toast with no butter or syrup , plain yogurt with no added sugars add your own fruit or apple sauce even canned pumpkin...........
How about using a binky? She may just need to suck on something...
Good luck!
My son bit through my nipples at 13-14 months and it was horrible (although he'd had many teeth for a long time...I think he was probably teething some molars). My herbalist friend suggested using a myrrh/goldenseal salve (I'd never heard of a salve before that) and now I swear by it. It helped me heal in a couple of days, whereas before nothing seemed to help heal the wound. Plus, I started nursing him in different positions so the teeth wouldn't settle in the wounds the same way. If none of this works for you and you end up weaning, do it properly so as to avoid unnecessary pain and suffering for you both!
Keep using the sippy cup or even a regular cup with pumped breastmilk or other milk (goat, rice, cow, etc), and offer her plenty of bite-size nutritious foods. You've already received good recommendations.
Oh, and try other activities for sleep time - reading books, singing songs, rocking and holding her (in different positions than you would nurse her), or have someone else put her to sleep until you've transitioned to no more breastfeeding.
But I just wanted to stress that if you have the desire, you can still breastfeed her. It's just a matter of healing then teaching her not to bite. It may be tough, but it's something you could research to find the best way for you. Good luck!
~N.
