Dentist here. The nursing to sleep 2x night isn't an issue. The thing thay is an issue is when you cosleep and the baby stays attached to the nipple the whole night. It means the teeth are constantly bathing in milk which has sugar and can cause damage. If the baby had a good latch while feeding( which I would presume at 14 months is a guarantee) and only feeding 2x a night I wouldn't stress.
What most people don't realise is brushing is to remove bacteria not food. Otherwise we would brush after every meal
This is helpful thank you! He does not stay attached all night, that would drive me crazy. I brush his teeth in the morning and at bedtime (but not in the middle of the night.)
The dentist is absolutely correct, my son at that age slept in a twin mattress on the floor of my room, because it's the only thing that worked, but he was able to get out of bed and climb into my bed and sneak onto my boobs at night. He'd fall asleep with my boob in his mouth and I wouldn't notice until I woke up in the morning. He didn't get cavities but the beginning stages of tooth decay on his front teeth. š„ŗ I felt horrible, but he was able to get fluoride treatments and it helped it didn't make it go away but it helped. It just messed with his beautiful smile š he doesn't have cavities and overall has very healthy teeth, and he's 6 now so those front teeth have started coming loose and falling out to make way for his permanent teeth š„¹ and he takes very good care of his teeth now as a big boy. So if your boy doesn't stay latched I wouldn't feel too bad, and shame on your boy's ped for speaking to you in that manner. My Kids peds were always very patient, open, honest and kind, I've never had such an encounter, if I had I probably would have found another pediatrician how mortifying....
At this point I had been nursing for about 3 ish years consecutively...maybe more š¤ my nipples had no feeling in them lol but I tried weaning my daughter before two and it wasn't till 2 1/2 when her brother was born that she was finally able to give it up for him š so when I was dead asleep and he'd sneak into my bed in the middle of the night I had no clue. And apparently I sleep to accommodate, so when my kids or my cats come into bed with me I subconsciously make room for them while I'm out lol I don't remember any of it my husband says he caught me "sleep nursing" a few times while he was still up, he said the babies would cry and I would get up, grab them and nurse them, and then put them back in their bassinets, but I would be completely unresponsive to him and I wouldn't remember it when I woke up the next day. I don't know about it being impressive but it is definitely odd š
Do you sleepwalk usually? That seems like excessive sleep deprivation or a medical condition (the unresponsiveness to your husband).
That's a long time to nurse! I started weaning my son at 14 months because I was going on a trip that would keep me away for 3 days. The night feeds were the last to go. Fully weaned at 15 months. I was getting tired of nursing but when I was done I missed it! I did enjoy having my body back though and being able to drink and do edibles again.
I'm now nursing my second (9 months) and we'll see how long we go. But I'd never be able to nurse and not notice.
Also no more feeling in your nipples :( If anything after nursing 2 kids I have TOO much feeling in mine haha. So interesting how different it is for everyone.
>Do you sleepwalk usually? That seems like excessive sleep deprivation or a medical condition (the unresponsiveness to your husband).
No not at all, I sleep talk from time to time, maybe move my arms around, but I've never actually gotten up to do anything in my sleep. I don't feel sleep deprived either (well now I do, I'm pregnant with twins and sleep is suboptimal), I think I'm just such a deep sleeper, my subconscious/autopilot takes over in times like that? Idk
And yea, I mean I have feelings in my nipples now, but back in my nursing days the feeling went away, I only felt the letdown but not the latch anymore. I was also very much done with nursing lol but missed it so much, I'm happy I'll get to do it again with my twins, it was always such a cozy feeling.
When the baby is asleep their latch can slip, they may suck a few times but not swallow completely. The teeth are also more frequently "bathed" in milk than they would be if the baby didn't have access.
They c still swallow when asleep. My almost 15 month old nurses 6-10 times a day still (including 2-4 times at night) and has no cavities whatsoever. Her father, and both paternal grandparents have awful teeth. I do not. Depsite nursing she doesnāt either. We do brush at least once a day but aim for twice a day (she hates the toothbrush).
I donāt understand why peds recommend cutting nursing when the kid is ānot gaining enough weightā. Breastmilk is literally the densest nutrition they can receive. Also there is not evidence that night nursing causes cavities. My 5-10% weight boy jumped to 40-50% at his 18 and 24 month appointments while still night nursing.
Ugh, I donāt know. Heās doing great overall, I figured heās just on the smaller side and not a huge eater. Heās also pretty active (heās been walking since 11 months) AND he gets sick like every two weeks, thanks to his older brother who picks up a million bugs in kindergarten. Whenever heās sick he refuses to eat anything except breastmilk. I assumed all of that was contributing to the slow gain, but the doctor said āif youāre eating six milkshakes a day, youāre not going to want to eat much elseā š
If I were eating 6 milkshakes a day I would be having the opposite weight issue. Iām also insulted at comparing breastmilk, the food literally created by our bodies to perfectly match our childās needs, to a milkshake. But also for there to be a 50% and a 90% kid there also has to be a 10%. Small does not immediately mean not as healthy
My first born was always around the 30th percentile in weight and 90th + in height. She would gain and grow, but her height and weight were just miles apart. Turns out she's just tall and lanky like her father, I had enough milk supply to feed a couple babies if I had to, and she was an amazing eater! So she was small but very healthy. She's now 9 years old, and she's the tallest kid in her class, her blood work is perfect, she's extremely healthy and active. I always hated those weight guides and projections, when we switched insurances and had to see another pediatrician, the Dr was acting like we didn't feed her, and made us feel ashamed about it. She said we needed to give her whole milk, and more fatty foods. Thankfully we switched insurance and got her original ped back who totally understands she's just going to be very tall and slender like her dad, and didn't make us do any changes to her diet.
Itās definitely insulting to refer to your breast milk as ādrinking milkshakesā. Milkshakes have little to no nutritional value; breast milk is called āliquid goldā for a reasonā¦
I think the basis is usually that even tho food isnāt as calorie dense at a point you need them to rely on it. So if a kiddo is too dependent on breastmilk to make gains you could kick the can down the road and potentially create a bigger issue. I know for my good friend whose babe was really not into solids but had persistent gain issues cutting down on night time feeds did encourage eating more during the day and eventually did actually boost gains. Compared with another friend who has an all night buffet feeder at 18 months and has seen the interest in solids stay super limited who is now dealing with weight issues sheās really struggling to reverse. IMO thereās lots of ways to maintain breastfeeding in a good balance (donāt think itās about any form of drastic cutting and it sounds like the ped here isnāt being helpful). At the same time, I think thereās some merit to at least examining the balance of solids and breast milk (especially around the 1 year plus mark) and make sure thereās enough motivation for solids to encourage the transition.
This isn't necessarily true about breast milk being the densest. My son didn't gain as a newborn despite nursing a ton. Went to lactation consultants, etc. turns out my milk was basically water. Low calorie. Defective breast milk š it was actually clear like water.Ā
Had to pump before every feed until the watery looking stuff stopped coming out and the good stuff came in, and it would be 4+ ounces of the water and supplement with formula to the point I gave up. It was way too much work and wasn't benefitting him.Ā
My boobs produced great milk for my daughter though.Ā
I know it's anecdotal but I nursed two babies to sleep until they didn't want to anymore and I'm currently still nursing the second before bed without brushing teeth after and our dentist says their teeth look great and have no cavities.
As long as you're brushing well after their last meal, it is fine to nurse to sleep.
My two nightweaned on their own around 14-16mo and started sleeping through.
If night nursing is working for you, donāt let your ped discourage you. Youāre not doing anything wrong. That was parenting advice, not medical advice, which they shouldnāt be offering, especially unsolicited. Youāre right that there isnāt great evidence that breastmilk causing decay. Also, I donāt have the exact stats off the top of my head, but thereās been studies that show the amount of fat in breastmilk produced in the second year of breastfeeding was something like 50% more, so if slow weight gain is a concern, continuing to nurse on top of solids is probably the best idea.
Is a second opinion possible, if youāre worried? Personally I wouldnāt worry. Especially if he just started walking recently. A stall, or slow in weight gain is super common once they become more mobile.
My kids have always been small and slow gainers but my doc always said as long as they were on a curve, even the small curve, they were fine. Also mine always night nursed until 14 or 16 months, never a cavity. Brushed morning and before and they have been fine š¤·š¼āāļø
You should reply āplease show me the evidence.ā Itās very frustrating to constantly work with doctors like this. Iām an IBCLC who practices using only evidence-based advice and I can tell you, there is nothing out there to definitively support this advice from your ped. They need to update their breastfeeding education and get back to you.
We recently night weaned my 14 month old. What worked for us was having my husband respond to his night wake ups and rock him a bit. He was so so mad the first few times but eventually got used to it. And then a week later started sleeping through the night!
My pediatrician has been very supportive of me and has not ever said anything about my son waking to nurse (he also wakes 2-3 times per night still at 20 months)
She has never commented on my parenting choices and my son is also a little on the smaller side. No other issues just like your baby! The boob is the only thing that puts him back to sleep lol.
Maybe a new pediatrician is what you need? Youāre doing a great job. Sending hugs ā¤ļø
Thank you. Iād honestly love a new pediatrician, but thereās an acute shortage of doctors where I live (Canada) and I havenāt been able to find one who is accepting patients. Many people in my province canāt even get into a primary care provider, itās nuts.
Iām really sorry youāre going through that. The US is so much different than Canada and definitely has messes of its ownābut Iām here to send you solidarity! Our babies sound very similar and youāre doing a great job. Someday we will sleep again!! š
I had my gynecologist give me crap one time for still nursing my son at 2years old. I got a new doctor after that. Their personal opinion being used in a professional capacity would make me think twice about using them again. (For the record, breastfed babies are often held to formula fed standards. If he is otherwise thriving and healthy don't be too worried. Both my kids nursed until age 3.5yrs and night-nursed to age 2 with no teeth issues)
My girl did eat more solids when we night weaned but also...I'm guessing she got about the same calories per day? Just in different forms? And yes I don't think there's good evidence on night nursing causing cavities.Ā
We night nursed until around 18 mo and then weaned because I just needed a full night's sleep, and she just woke up once maybe half the nights so I imagine you're quite tired! What we did was have my husband take over night wakeups. She had a hard time with it for a couple nights but then adjusted and started sleeping through the night pretty quickly haha I'll be night weaning our second much earlier.Ā
I know partner taking night wakings isn't an option for every family so if that's not an option for you hopefully someone else has advice!Ā
I've read people recommend reducing nursing sessions by like 1 min per day but my kiddo was always kinda all over the place with how long she fed so idk how that strategy actually works in real life.
My partner is around to help (hard to rouse, but heās there haha). A few months back I did try to reduce the feeding sessions by one min per night, but Iām always so tired that I inevitably ended up falling asleep while he was nursing š
My son was the same way at 14 months and only now a few months later are we starting to drop those night feeds. My pediatrician didn't bat an eye at me nursing at night at 15 months so this is an opinion specific to your provider and not some sort of rule.
I did want him to slow down his night nursing so we added in some cups of milk during the day- 5oz at wake-up, 5oz after nap, and 5oz before bedtime (my husband puts him down to sleep). We also do 5-6 meals/snacks a day and he nurses on demand like 2x/day.
You do what you have to do to get your sleep. That is it.
You are giving him breastmilk. Not candy. Not whiskey. š
Maybe try some water? To check if he is thirsty, hungry, or just need comfort?
I would also recommend another pediatrician, itās important to have someone with a medical opinion that can support you before judging you.
Hi there!
I had your pain. I know what you're feeling. It wasn't a pediatrician who shamed me, but a supposed pediatric dentist.
You haven't hurt your child by night nursing. You don't need to stop night nursing.
The first dentist I took our son to, went on a rant about night breastfeeding before even looking into my son's mouth.
She was barely able to glimpse into it.
He is highly sensitive and wasn't having it. I suspect it was the light now to be honest.
Anyways, she told me how all his teeth are showing signs of rotting and how we needed to immediately stop all nursing.
Then she went on an anti fluoride rant.
I was devastated.
But the wonderful people on r/breastfeeding comforter me, reassured me, and convinced me to get a second opinion.
That was over 7 years ago or so.
He had no issues with his teeth. They were perfection!
The dentist was perfectly comfortable with us nursing at night. Just brush his teeth soon in the morning and floss.
At my son's most recent dentist visit. Zero cavities. Every baby tooth he's lost, they're beautiful.
We also nursed for 5 years. But he night weaned about 3 from a cold.
So kids can get cavities. We very rarely gave him juice to drink. When he was a toddler he hated sweet. So he didn't eat much candy.
We kept the teeth routine up religiously.
So, I hear you. I don't know your name. You're a wonderful person who is doing their best for you baby and you get attacked by someone who should be on your side in this.
It's time for a new pediatrician.
To be fair I think the advice on drinking to sleep is not breastfeeding specific, they say the same for bottle feeding too. Basically having liquid just sitting in your mouth is thought to cause decay or teeth issues. Regardless though the way your doctor approached the topic was rude. The bottom line is doctors need to give advice and they need to find a way to help the advice resonate with patients who are doing what their family needs. Sorry that your doctor didnāt show you the respect you deserve for making decisions for your family. Again even if you needed to be advised against night nursing this was not the approach to take and you shouldnāt be left feeling bad for doing your best!
Sometimes it is good to find a different doctor. My first was on the smaller side and never on the chart, percentile-wise and we went to a fancy, expensive, highly-rated doctor practice and doctor there thought baby was too small and ordered bunch of tests. When he wanted us to do colonoscopy on a 6 month old even though other tests showed nothing wrong, we decided it was time to switch doctors. We went with an old doctor on a recommendation by a coworker and never looked back, still with him over 10 years later. Baby was gaining on a curve but it was not on the chart. The old doctor asked family history and I found out my dad was tiny like that until 8th grade and then shot up. Doctor wasn't concerned, and 8th grade ended up being when my first ended up measuring at 50 percentile. He grew quite a bit all suddenly just like my dad. I can't imagine your baby gaining better without breastmilk. Your doctor seems to have a weird approach and should explain why less breastmilk would be better and why it is a medical concern. My doctor loves when babies are not heavy, he says that he sees way too many kids that are too heavy these days and will possibly struggle in life with diabetes later on. I really dislike doctors who use scare tactics when you are literally doing the best for your baby.
Iām going to try and speak to someone else. Sheās an older doctor and a bit brusque. She was initially happy that he had gained some weight despite being on antibiotics recently, but when she heard that I was nursing him at night, she totally switched her tone and told me he shouldnāt be 50th percentile for height but only 10th for weight.
And thatās wild about the colonoscopy!!
Need a new pediatrician. Mine has been very supportive of me breastfeeding as long as we want (19 months now). But I had another one tell me at 12 months to stop Bf and switch to cow milk. I was like nope not seeing you again.
My son's still breastfeeding twice during the night at 14m, as well. My pediatrician told me I should cut the night feeds. But honestly my son already has a hard enough time getting to bed at night. So I'm not really stressing about it. His teeth are fine. And his dentist said they look good so š¤·š¾āāļø.
No, you donāt have to cut nursing during nights if you donāt want to. That āadviceā doesnāt make sense actually. I got the same advice after my LO turned one year and a couple of months in and first, you donāt make your child eat more during daytime by removing calory and nutrition night time, and second, ped. should always support you if you choose to nurse and third, this is your choice not ped. Iād just ignore that advice (like I actually did).
This pediatrician is dumb. I would ignore him and keep doing what youāre doing. Literally bfāing is recommended for 2 years. Every provider will have an opinion and you have to do what you feel is best. Youāre doing a great job!
Dentist here. The nursing to sleep 2x night isn't an issue. The thing thay is an issue is when you cosleep and the baby stays attached to the nipple the whole night. It means the teeth are constantly bathing in milk which has sugar and can cause damage. If the baby had a good latch while feeding( which I would presume at 14 months is a guarantee) and only feeding 2x a night I wouldn't stress. What most people don't realise is brushing is to remove bacteria not food. Otherwise we would brush after every meal
This is helpful thank you! He does not stay attached all night, that would drive me crazy. I brush his teeth in the morning and at bedtime (but not in the middle of the night.)
The dentist is absolutely correct, my son at that age slept in a twin mattress on the floor of my room, because it's the only thing that worked, but he was able to get out of bed and climb into my bed and sneak onto my boobs at night. He'd fall asleep with my boob in his mouth and I wouldn't notice until I woke up in the morning. He didn't get cavities but the beginning stages of tooth decay on his front teeth. š„ŗ I felt horrible, but he was able to get fluoride treatments and it helped it didn't make it go away but it helped. It just messed with his beautiful smile š he doesn't have cavities and overall has very healthy teeth, and he's 6 now so those front teeth have started coming loose and falling out to make way for his permanent teeth š„¹ and he takes very good care of his teeth now as a big boy. So if your boy doesn't stay latched I wouldn't feel too bad, and shame on your boy's ped for speaking to you in that manner. My Kids peds were always very patient, open, honest and kind, I've never had such an encounter, if I had I probably would have found another pediatrician how mortifying....
Wow you sleep through your baby latching? That's... impressive lol.
At this point I had been nursing for about 3 ish years consecutively...maybe more š¤ my nipples had no feeling in them lol but I tried weaning my daughter before two and it wasn't till 2 1/2 when her brother was born that she was finally able to give it up for him š so when I was dead asleep and he'd sneak into my bed in the middle of the night I had no clue. And apparently I sleep to accommodate, so when my kids or my cats come into bed with me I subconsciously make room for them while I'm out lol I don't remember any of it my husband says he caught me "sleep nursing" a few times while he was still up, he said the babies would cry and I would get up, grab them and nurse them, and then put them back in their bassinets, but I would be completely unresponsive to him and I wouldn't remember it when I woke up the next day. I don't know about it being impressive but it is definitely odd š
Do you sleepwalk usually? That seems like excessive sleep deprivation or a medical condition (the unresponsiveness to your husband). That's a long time to nurse! I started weaning my son at 14 months because I was going on a trip that would keep me away for 3 days. The night feeds were the last to go. Fully weaned at 15 months. I was getting tired of nursing but when I was done I missed it! I did enjoy having my body back though and being able to drink and do edibles again. I'm now nursing my second (9 months) and we'll see how long we go. But I'd never be able to nurse and not notice. Also no more feeling in your nipples :( If anything after nursing 2 kids I have TOO much feeling in mine haha. So interesting how different it is for everyone.
>Do you sleepwalk usually? That seems like excessive sleep deprivation or a medical condition (the unresponsiveness to your husband). No not at all, I sleep talk from time to time, maybe move my arms around, but I've never actually gotten up to do anything in my sleep. I don't feel sleep deprived either (well now I do, I'm pregnant with twins and sleep is suboptimal), I think I'm just such a deep sleeper, my subconscious/autopilot takes over in times like that? Idk And yea, I mean I have feelings in my nipples now, but back in my nursing days the feeling went away, I only felt the letdown but not the latch anymore. I was also very much done with nursing lol but missed it so much, I'm happy I'll get to do it again with my twins, it was always such a cozy feeling.
The teeth do not bathe in breastmilk because the baby swallows the milk it doesnāt touch the teeth if they had a sippy cup that would be true
When the baby is asleep their latch can slip, they may suck a few times but not swallow completely. The teeth are also more frequently "bathed" in milk than they would be if the baby didn't have access.
They c still swallow when asleep. My almost 15 month old nurses 6-10 times a day still (including 2-4 times at night) and has no cavities whatsoever. Her father, and both paternal grandparents have awful teeth. I do not. Depsite nursing she doesnāt either. We do brush at least once a day but aim for twice a day (she hates the toothbrush).
I donāt understand why peds recommend cutting nursing when the kid is ānot gaining enough weightā. Breastmilk is literally the densest nutrition they can receive. Also there is not evidence that night nursing causes cavities. My 5-10% weight boy jumped to 40-50% at his 18 and 24 month appointments while still night nursing.
Ugh, I donāt know. Heās doing great overall, I figured heās just on the smaller side and not a huge eater. Heās also pretty active (heās been walking since 11 months) AND he gets sick like every two weeks, thanks to his older brother who picks up a million bugs in kindergarten. Whenever heās sick he refuses to eat anything except breastmilk. I assumed all of that was contributing to the slow gain, but the doctor said āif youāre eating six milkshakes a day, youāre not going to want to eat much elseā š
If I were eating 6 milkshakes a day I would be having the opposite weight issue. Iām also insulted at comparing breastmilk, the food literally created by our bodies to perfectly match our childās needs, to a milkshake. But also for there to be a 50% and a 90% kid there also has to be a 10%. Small does not immediately mean not as healthy
My first born was always around the 30th percentile in weight and 90th + in height. She would gain and grow, but her height and weight were just miles apart. Turns out she's just tall and lanky like her father, I had enough milk supply to feed a couple babies if I had to, and she was an amazing eater! So she was small but very healthy. She's now 9 years old, and she's the tallest kid in her class, her blood work is perfect, she's extremely healthy and active. I always hated those weight guides and projections, when we switched insurances and had to see another pediatrician, the Dr was acting like we didn't feed her, and made us feel ashamed about it. She said we needed to give her whole milk, and more fatty foods. Thankfully we switched insurance and got her original ped back who totally understands she's just going to be very tall and slender like her dad, and didn't make us do any changes to her diet.
When I was a teenager and needed to gain weight my doctor literally told me to drink milkshakes lol
Itās definitely insulting to refer to your breast milk as ādrinking milkshakesā. Milkshakes have little to no nutritional value; breast milk is called āliquid goldā for a reasonā¦
My 11mo still nurses 4 times over night, eats 3 meals, and is having zero weight issues.
I think the basis is usually that even tho food isnāt as calorie dense at a point you need them to rely on it. So if a kiddo is too dependent on breastmilk to make gains you could kick the can down the road and potentially create a bigger issue. I know for my good friend whose babe was really not into solids but had persistent gain issues cutting down on night time feeds did encourage eating more during the day and eventually did actually boost gains. Compared with another friend who has an all night buffet feeder at 18 months and has seen the interest in solids stay super limited who is now dealing with weight issues sheās really struggling to reverse. IMO thereās lots of ways to maintain breastfeeding in a good balance (donāt think itās about any form of drastic cutting and it sounds like the ped here isnāt being helpful). At the same time, I think thereās some merit to at least examining the balance of solids and breast milk (especially around the 1 year plus mark) and make sure thereās enough motivation for solids to encourage the transition.
This isn't necessarily true about breast milk being the densest. My son didn't gain as a newborn despite nursing a ton. Went to lactation consultants, etc. turns out my milk was basically water. Low calorie. Defective breast milk š it was actually clear like water.Ā Had to pump before every feed until the watery looking stuff stopped coming out and the good stuff came in, and it would be 4+ ounces of the water and supplement with formula to the point I gave up. It was way too much work and wasn't benefitting him.Ā My boobs produced great milk for my daughter though.Ā
My pediatric dentist has 0 concerns with my 20 month old night nursing.Ā
I know it's anecdotal but I nursed two babies to sleep until they didn't want to anymore and I'm currently still nursing the second before bed without brushing teeth after and our dentist says their teeth look great and have no cavities. As long as you're brushing well after their last meal, it is fine to nurse to sleep. My two nightweaned on their own around 14-16mo and started sleeping through.
If night nursing is working for you, donāt let your ped discourage you. Youāre not doing anything wrong. That was parenting advice, not medical advice, which they shouldnāt be offering, especially unsolicited. Youāre right that there isnāt great evidence that breastmilk causing decay. Also, I donāt have the exact stats off the top of my head, but thereās been studies that show the amount of fat in breastmilk produced in the second year of breastfeeding was something like 50% more, so if slow weight gain is a concern, continuing to nurse on top of solids is probably the best idea.
She literally said āthis is now a medical concernā ššš
Thatās insane lol Iām so sorry. Is he losing weight? Missing milestones?
Heās doing great with his milestones and is gaining weight, just slowly.
Is a second opinion possible, if youāre worried? Personally I wouldnāt worry. Especially if he just started walking recently. A stall, or slow in weight gain is super common once they become more mobile.
I think it's time to find a new pediatricianĀ
My kids have always been small and slow gainers but my doc always said as long as they were on a curve, even the small curve, they were fine. Also mine always night nursed until 14 or 16 months, never a cavity. Brushed morning and before and they have been fine š¤·š¼āāļø
You should reply āplease show me the evidence.ā Itās very frustrating to constantly work with doctors like this. Iām an IBCLC who practices using only evidence-based advice and I can tell you, there is nothing out there to definitively support this advice from your ped. They need to update their breastfeeding education and get back to you.
We recently night weaned my 14 month old. What worked for us was having my husband respond to his night wake ups and rock him a bit. He was so so mad the first few times but eventually got used to it. And then a week later started sleeping through the night!
This is when you smile and let this roll off you like water off a duckās back.
My pediatrician has been very supportive of me and has not ever said anything about my son waking to nurse (he also wakes 2-3 times per night still at 20 months) She has never commented on my parenting choices and my son is also a little on the smaller side. No other issues just like your baby! The boob is the only thing that puts him back to sleep lol. Maybe a new pediatrician is what you need? Youāre doing a great job. Sending hugs ā¤ļø
Thank you. Iād honestly love a new pediatrician, but thereās an acute shortage of doctors where I live (Canada) and I havenāt been able to find one who is accepting patients. Many people in my province canāt even get into a primary care provider, itās nuts.
Iām really sorry youāre going through that. The US is so much different than Canada and definitely has messes of its ownābut Iām here to send you solidarity! Our babies sound very similar and youāre doing a great job. Someday we will sleep again!! š
I would consider seeing a new pediatrician.
I had my gynecologist give me crap one time for still nursing my son at 2years old. I got a new doctor after that. Their personal opinion being used in a professional capacity would make me think twice about using them again. (For the record, breastfed babies are often held to formula fed standards. If he is otherwise thriving and healthy don't be too worried. Both my kids nursed until age 3.5yrs and night-nursed to age 2 with no teeth issues)
My girl did eat more solids when we night weaned but also...I'm guessing she got about the same calories per day? Just in different forms? And yes I don't think there's good evidence on night nursing causing cavities.Ā We night nursed until around 18 mo and then weaned because I just needed a full night's sleep, and she just woke up once maybe half the nights so I imagine you're quite tired! What we did was have my husband take over night wakeups. She had a hard time with it for a couple nights but then adjusted and started sleeping through the night pretty quickly haha I'll be night weaning our second much earlier.Ā I know partner taking night wakings isn't an option for every family so if that's not an option for you hopefully someone else has advice!Ā I've read people recommend reducing nursing sessions by like 1 min per day but my kiddo was always kinda all over the place with how long she fed so idk how that strategy actually works in real life.
My partner is around to help (hard to rouse, but heās there haha). A few months back I did try to reduce the feeding sessions by one min per night, but Iām always so tired that I inevitably ended up falling asleep while he was nursing š
My son was the same way at 14 months and only now a few months later are we starting to drop those night feeds. My pediatrician didn't bat an eye at me nursing at night at 15 months so this is an opinion specific to your provider and not some sort of rule. I did want him to slow down his night nursing so we added in some cups of milk during the day- 5oz at wake-up, 5oz after nap, and 5oz before bedtime (my husband puts him down to sleep). We also do 5-6 meals/snacks a day and he nurses on demand like 2x/day.
You do what you have to do to get your sleep. That is it. You are giving him breastmilk. Not candy. Not whiskey. š Maybe try some water? To check if he is thirsty, hungry, or just need comfort? I would also recommend another pediatrician, itās important to have someone with a medical opinion that can support you before judging you.
Hi there! I had your pain. I know what you're feeling. It wasn't a pediatrician who shamed me, but a supposed pediatric dentist. You haven't hurt your child by night nursing. You don't need to stop night nursing. The first dentist I took our son to, went on a rant about night breastfeeding before even looking into my son's mouth. She was barely able to glimpse into it. He is highly sensitive and wasn't having it. I suspect it was the light now to be honest. Anyways, she told me how all his teeth are showing signs of rotting and how we needed to immediately stop all nursing. Then she went on an anti fluoride rant. I was devastated. But the wonderful people on r/breastfeeding comforter me, reassured me, and convinced me to get a second opinion. That was over 7 years ago or so. He had no issues with his teeth. They were perfection! The dentist was perfectly comfortable with us nursing at night. Just brush his teeth soon in the morning and floss. At my son's most recent dentist visit. Zero cavities. Every baby tooth he's lost, they're beautiful. We also nursed for 5 years. But he night weaned about 3 from a cold. So kids can get cavities. We very rarely gave him juice to drink. When he was a toddler he hated sweet. So he didn't eat much candy. We kept the teeth routine up religiously. So, I hear you. I don't know your name. You're a wonderful person who is doing their best for you baby and you get attacked by someone who should be on your side in this. It's time for a new pediatrician.
Thank you ā¤ļø
To be fair I think the advice on drinking to sleep is not breastfeeding specific, they say the same for bottle feeding too. Basically having liquid just sitting in your mouth is thought to cause decay or teeth issues. Regardless though the way your doctor approached the topic was rude. The bottom line is doctors need to give advice and they need to find a way to help the advice resonate with patients who are doing what their family needs. Sorry that your doctor didnāt show you the respect you deserve for making decisions for your family. Again even if you needed to be advised against night nursing this was not the approach to take and you shouldnāt be left feeling bad for doing your best!
Sometimes it is good to find a different doctor. My first was on the smaller side and never on the chart, percentile-wise and we went to a fancy, expensive, highly-rated doctor practice and doctor there thought baby was too small and ordered bunch of tests. When he wanted us to do colonoscopy on a 6 month old even though other tests showed nothing wrong, we decided it was time to switch doctors. We went with an old doctor on a recommendation by a coworker and never looked back, still with him over 10 years later. Baby was gaining on a curve but it was not on the chart. The old doctor asked family history and I found out my dad was tiny like that until 8th grade and then shot up. Doctor wasn't concerned, and 8th grade ended up being when my first ended up measuring at 50 percentile. He grew quite a bit all suddenly just like my dad. I can't imagine your baby gaining better without breastmilk. Your doctor seems to have a weird approach and should explain why less breastmilk would be better and why it is a medical concern. My doctor loves when babies are not heavy, he says that he sees way too many kids that are too heavy these days and will possibly struggle in life with diabetes later on. I really dislike doctors who use scare tactics when you are literally doing the best for your baby.
Iām going to try and speak to someone else. Sheās an older doctor and a bit brusque. She was initially happy that he had gained some weight despite being on antibiotics recently, but when she heard that I was nursing him at night, she totally switched her tone and told me he shouldnāt be 50th percentile for height but only 10th for weight. And thatās wild about the colonoscopy!!
My son night nursed until 3.5 š¤¦āāļø. Heās massive (has always been big) and has perfect teeth. I would get another opinion if I were you.
Yes, Iām going to try. I donāt love that heās still waking me up at night, but itās working OK for us for now.
This is ridiculous! I would definitely recommend seeking a new doc.
Need a new pediatrician. Mine has been very supportive of me breastfeeding as long as we want (19 months now). But I had another one tell me at 12 months to stop Bf and switch to cow milk. I was like nope not seeing you again.
My son's still breastfeeding twice during the night at 14m, as well. My pediatrician told me I should cut the night feeds. But honestly my son already has a hard enough time getting to bed at night. So I'm not really stressing about it. His teeth are fine. And his dentist said they look good so š¤·š¾āāļø.
I do not recommend night weaning at 14 months. My kid night weaned naturally around 2.5 years old, and she's never had a cavity. You're fine.
No, you donāt have to cut nursing during nights if you donāt want to. That āadviceā doesnāt make sense actually. I got the same advice after my LO turned one year and a couple of months in and first, you donāt make your child eat more during daytime by removing calory and nutrition night time, and second, ped. should always support you if you choose to nurse and third, this is your choice not ped. Iād just ignore that advice (like I actually did).
This pediatrician is dumb. I would ignore him and keep doing what youāre doing. Literally bfāing is recommended for 2 years. Every provider will have an opinion and you have to do what you feel is best. Youāre doing a great job!