b/f addict - 12m+

[Shanaynay]

Hi all,
Just after a bit of support/advice/a point in the right direction.

My 12 month old is and always has been a bit of a boobie addict. Obviously never posed any problem, well not for us as I wasn't really into giving her solids early or anything, just started getting her into a variety of finger food at 9m+

Now at 12 months, she doesn't really have an interest in food much, she loves nibbling on finger foods but I don't think she actually swallows a whole lot of it! She won't eat of a spoon, she just grabs it.

During meals, after about5 mins of finger food, she starts grabbing at me and trying to rip my top off, very keen for some milk. I don't really mind but sometimes she seems really quite hungry, and seems to prefer milk to food...... I am worried she should be eating more?
She is not underweight, but she is quite small and petite and I don't want to starve her!

She seems quite satisfied after a feed but she has always been a snacker so she sometimes wants more not too long after...

....aaarghgh not sure what I'm asking, I guess I'm just worried she isn't getting what she really needs at this age. Help? :o

[♥Heaven Sent♥]

Sasha is nearly 12 months and used to be a good solid eater.

For the last 1-2 weeks he has refused to eat off a spoon and will only eat of his tray.He then does what your dd does and grabs at my boobs for a drink.

I think its the age,he never used to be like this.

I dont know what you could do sorry,i dont have any advice.

Im sure someone else would know what to do.

[floggadog]

Hi Phineas, I'm pretty sure at 12 mths they should be having actual meals rather than boobie feeds as a priority.
Robin Barker (my guru in a book) has a basic toddler (9 mths on) of b/f 4.30-6am , breakie, morning tea, lunch followed by b/f, afternoon tea, dinner followed by b/f.
She suggests a few other things, best to lok for her book Baby & Toddler meals or the other popular book 'breast bottle bowl'(I haven't used this one but it is popular.)
In your case , if you're not already , offer her solids before each b/f.

[niamh75]

hi my son is just 15 months and loves his bobbies to he is quite petite as well must be a breast feed thing. i feed my son about 4 times a day but never with a spoon feed before or after he loves to grap the spoon too so i give him one and i have another and we make a game out of it . i also give him a beaker of juice to help quench his thirst. try experimenting with different foods to see what she likes or go right back to basics and start with a bf then breakfast of baby rice i love the milupa orange flavour one don't know if you can get that then offer her juice in a beaker maybe a little finger food then for lunch spoon feed maybe tried fruit pureed or potato and veg mixed together i would normally have given my son a bf before his nap and that would be his afternoon feed.dinner time then bf then to bed it might be teething i think sometimes they use us as food and teething rings and sleep aids :D:D i wouldn't worry to much it could be a phase she is going though was she always like this if you keep trying and making it interesting she will be eating you out of house and home soon enough
niamh

[moonblossom]

My son is breastfed too but hes a boofer LOL. Eats heaps. But I'll tell you a secret, don't know if it just worked for my son, or for others too, but here goes.

He wasn't eating well at all, then he was watching me eat so i fed him some veggies off my fork, he SCOFFED it down. Kept going and he loved it.

He just loves eating anything he thinks I'm eating. I only ever feed him from a fork now and a plate that he thinks looks like mine LOL

Thats my boy LOL

[KaM]

We had this trouble for a long time with Matilda. I didnt know what to do. After our stay at Karitane its a lot better. We've cut down on the breastfeeds andhave a better food routine. Meaning she has more tummy space for food and a good hunger too. Well most of the time.

She gets booby when she wakes up. Breakfast. Morning Tea. Lunch. Milk. Nap. Milk (I added that one in hehe). Afternoon tea. DInner. Bath. Milk. Bed. (then milk overnight too which is me giving in).

It was hard at first. She kept wanting it. Had to use a LOT of distraction in the first week. But these days she doesnt ask anywhere near as much. And as long as it isnt right before her big meals. I give it to her.

[Seekrit]

I've found Cobey is also more willing to eat if hit came from MY fork rather than his own. Breakfast isn't eaten much in my house - however grandma and daycare he scoffs it down!!

[gremily]

Hey Phin - M is 22 mths and still prefers breastfeeds over food. She still has about 4 bf feeds now, sometimes more.

If you're a bit worried I'd just see a paediatrician, explain how you really want to do extended bfing but would like to work on her actually eating food. Our paed is great, but we see dr's all the time so I never really worry :)

Try to offer food before bf, offer snacks throughout the day, etc. If she's putting on weight and growing healthily don't worry too much :)

[Mum&bubs]

Hiya :wave:

Sounds just like Summer! At 12 months she preferred breastmilk over food and still does to this day. She is also very petite. Doesn't mean we are starving them though. If she's not underweight and seems satisfied I don't think you have to worry about anything. She will eat when she's hungry :D She just likes a bit of nunu's to wash it all down with :D

[~Emmylou~]

My little guy is a bit younger than yours but I've had pretty much the same problem with him. He wouldn't eat any solids just wanted boob all the time.

Basically I just started offering him solids first and then boob about an hour later. And I also stopped letting him snack on me so much (as he was having about 10-12 feeds a day I reckon so he basically had no appetite for anything else).

Immediately I started doing this his appetite for food picked up ALOT. It literally all changed in a matter of a few days and now he's eating alot of solids but still quite happily breastfeeding as well....just not 10 times a day. Trust me with these boobie addicts it takes more than offering a bit of solid food for them to want to give it up because it's about so much more than the food for them. So don't worry she's going to reject the boob if you offer her more food, that definitely hasn't been our experience.

Good luck :)