My SIL's 9 month old refuses to drinking anything that doesn't come out of her breast! She has tried water, sugar water, milk, sugar milk, chocolate milk, formula, etc. She tried from a bottle, from a cup from a straw. After the first sip, she closes her mouth and refuses any more. She has been in the hospital once for being dehytrated. She nurses ALL night and my SIL is not getting any sleep. Any ideas?
You didn't say if you pump? Have you tried pumping and putting the breastmilk in cup or bottle? What does her pediatrician say about it?
If she's dehydrated herself once then you really need to be careful. Personally I did not try to offer additional liquid to my 9 month old. I don't introduce additional liquid until after a year when I start cow's milk. Breastmilk is all of the liquid they really need in addition to whatever solid food they may be eating.
My personal opinion is to simply co-sleep and let her nurse all she wants and learn to sleep through the nursing. That's how I dealt with my daughter who liked the all night diner as well. It allowed me to get some sleep and her to nurse to her hearts content.
Another option would be to nurse as much as possible in the evening once you're home from work and hopefully get the baby to tank up more at the point so she'll go a little longer at night.
Hope that helps.
im not a fan of running to the doc for every little thing but this I would do a doc on.
My son would only take a breast at that age too...and it is hard to get decent sleep with such a big hungry baby nursing all night. I actually think that this phase - when the baby is big but still gets most of his sustenance from mom - is one of the hardest moments of the first year for a breastfeeding mom. Try to be supportive and comforting ... This too shall pass. I wouldn't worry about the baby if nursing is still going well. My son eventually took a little diluted apple juice.
A 9 month old will not starve him/herself. It is ok for a child that age to go a day with no liquids. Just keep mom away and have a couple of bottles ready. Eventually baby will drink something. Do NOT use chocolate milk, sugar water, etc. It has nothing to do with WHAT is in the bottle, it's the fact that it is a bottle and not mommy. For a 9 month old, use water, watered down fruit juice or formula. Do not give cow's milk yet.
It is not cruel to let a child go one day with no breast. Mommy maybe can feed baby by breast in the morning and then let mommy leave for several hours. Maybe let her use your house to sleep and relax and you can stay with the crying baby. :) Eventually baby will drink something. Let mommy feed baby before she/he goes to bed at night. This might take an entire weekend, but by the end of it, the baby will be taking a bottle. If, at that time, she doesn't, you can check with a pediatrician.
If she is eating solids, try adding a tablespoon of water to the food. You don't mention how long ago she was hospitalized, but if she's nursing all night, it seems unlikely that she's currently dehydrated. Also, make sure she's loosely covered and not too warm/hot and loosing water from sweat. Hope your niece gets and stays healthy.
she needs to call her pediatrician and get advice from them....first of all...fluids are a major important part of one's body....I know you said milk in a cup/bottle..but has the baby tried breast milk in a bottle?
It may end up that the pedi will reccomend the baby going cold turkey, so to speak and being monitored by medical staff to make sure the baby is hydrated....
good luck...it's hard when the kiddo has the upper hand...but your sil will get through this.
I would suggest that your sister in law call either a speech and langague pathologist or an occupational therapist who specialize in oral motor and feeding issues.
Dehydration is serious, and if she has done it once, she may do it again-and she could starve herself if she has a motor issue or aversion that is strong enough to keep her from trying to move on to any liquid other than the breast.
It sounds to me like your SIL is working way too hard just to keep her at this static developmental spot, and she needs some help and releif.
God Bless,
M.
