7.5 Month Old Showing Less Interest in Breastfeeding.....

I breastfed all 4 of my children till at least 12 months. If you are keen of the idea of him weaning from the breast, then that's fine, but he will still need the formula till he is 12 months. If he won't take the formula either, then I would not recommend letting him wean from the breast yet since "breast is best". I would suggest cutting back to just one solid a day. With 2 of my children, I didn't offer solids until they were already 9 months to discourage food allergies. I wonder if it's possible it's something that you eat or take on a regular basis that makes him dislike the taste of the milk? As long as he is gaining weight and eliminating normally, then, it sounds like he's healthy little guy.

R.

1 mom found this helpful

If he's nursing lots at night you might want to discourage those and encourage him to eat more during the day. I'd also probably reduce the fruit and add some cereal. On the other hand if it seems like he's growing and nursing some, he's probably just fine and you shouldn't worry too much.

1 mom found this helpful

It sounds to me like your son is getting plenty of food to eat, whether it's baby food of you nursing. my son is 11 months and he only nurses 3x a day and eats food 2x a day. in reality a food meal is taking the place of a nursing time. my son when he nurses he is fast getting done is less than 3 minutes(probably 2-3 oz worth) he burps and then goes to the other side. then about a hour later he wants food so i give him a jar or a bunch of crackers. i wouldn't worry about it. all babies usually are distracted, but if he truly is hungry he will nurse. hope this helps. S. D.

Hello,
My name is A. I am 34 years old. I have a 4.5 year old little girl who has leukemia she finished her chemo last feb. I also have a 17 mo. old little boy. I breast fed both of my kids. I stopped breast feeding my son when he was around 7.5 months old. He didn't seem like he liked it either and he would bite my nipple. I got tired of that really fast. I have heard that sometimes your breast milk changes taste with what you eat and also your body makes the flavor change trying to help ween the baby. Don't feel guilty if you don't breast feed for an entire year. If your son is growing like he should you should try giving him formula. You can get formula at Walmart for 11.00 a can and it is the same as enfamil. Costco also has generic formula for about the same price. You should see what your doctor has to say. Don't forget they will eat when they are hungry. I tried giving my son a bottle when he was about six months old and he absolutely did not want any part of it. When i tried a month and a half later he took it immediatly and never went back to the breast, he forgot all about them

both my kids lost interest in nursing at around 8 months. I think they were just too busy and distracted. I wasn't ready to wean them so I just continued to nurse through it and after a few weeks they both eventually started to enjoy it again.
good luck

I had this same issue at this age. My son got more interested in everything else rather than stopping to nurse. I was really worried that he was just going to stop, because I did not want to pump or give formula. In the end it was just a faze that lasted for 1-2 months. He eventually went back to nursing the regular amount and I nursed him for another 2 years. 7 months is the age when everything gets really interesting to an infant. I'm sure it will pass, keep nursing it's so important. :)

My oldest daughter did something very similar, she didn't want her bottle very much during the day , but she would drink 8oz before bed, once during the night, and first thing in the morning. My pediatrician told me that some kids are just ready for more solids earlier than others, and to start giving her a more balanced solid-fod diet. We added whole milk yogurt and cottage cheese (and other soft cheeses when she could chew a little better), gerber entrees with meat, etc. By about 9 months, she wanted nothing to do with the jars of food, and only wanted table foods. Always check with your doctor, but he might just be ready to branch out.

.
.

We also have a 7 1/2 month old boy right now and he is also breastfed and getting 2 solids "meals" a day, although we add the baby oatmeal cereal to his fruits & veggies for a little iron kick. I work full-time, so I pump 2-3 times at work and then he nurses 2-4 more times when I'm home (usually one early AM and then the rest after 4PM). He's also (praise the Gods) sleeping 8-10 hours straight now at nite. SO, we have to kinda cram in the recommended 6 or 7 nursing sessions (or 4 oz. bottles when I'm at work) plus the 2 meals. Sometimes he only nurses 5 times, sometimes 8... I look at us as a team and he's good at knowing what he needs and my body is good at responding accordingly.

One idea if you're trying to sneek in more milk... feed him his solids at lunch and dinner times instead of breakfast and dinner... then he MIGHT be more interested in nursing more in the morning.

The Nursing Mother's Companion book is excellent, they also say that babies at this age do not spontaneously wean themselves... sometimes teething issues can also play a part in what the book calls a nursing strike. Just offer the breast every 2 or 3 hours (when he's awake) and your son will do what he needs to do.

Good luck and way to go! :)

My son was so busy that at about 8 months he was nursing only in the morning (as soon as he woke and was still sleepy) and right before bedtime. At nine months we went on a 2 night camping trip and it was our undoing. the new environment was too much and he wouldnt hold still long enough to nurse. I was ready anyway as he had 8 teeth (yes 8!) and was rubbing me raw and couldnt really avoid it.(he only bit one time though). Sounds like those who stuck it out found their babes more interested later though. Good luck. Jen

At 7 1/2 months it's reasonable for him to be learning to sleep thru the night. I agree to cut down and then cut out the night time feedings. Unless you mean the one feeding before he goes to bed. That one lasts for a long time.

He'll drink as much as he needs. I don't remember the amounts of solid food recommended but if you're giving him those amounts and he's drinking breast milk too as well as being healthy and gaining weight you're both doing fine. Trust yourself and your baby. Your baby's body knows what he needs. All you have to do is offer it.

If you do want to know how much he's drinking you could weigh him before and after. That's what they do for newborns when they're not sure if they're getting enough.

I don't think he's weaning himself. He just needs less milk.