# Toddler only wants to nurse, less and less solids



## SabraMamma (Nov 20, 2001)

My 15 month old DS does not want to eat solid foods anymore. He seems to only want to nurse, and nurse all day, and all night, on demand, more and more each day. Not only is this driving me a little nutty, I am concerned about his nutritional intake. I still have plenty of milk, however, I don't think it is as nutritious as a meal. I would love for him to eat meals, as he used to, and have his "nursies" as a snack between meals and a comfort for bedtime and nap time. Also, we just visited a Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner because DS has gotten sick quite a number of times in his life and I wanted to get to a root of the pattern/problem. The TCM Practitioner thinks that a lot of his problem is related to my problems (which I didn't realize I had.) We are both on an elimination diet and on herbs to cleanse our systems. She thinks he has major allergies, even though every time I have suggested this to an MD they rule it out. She also thinks that there is a yeast issue, not sure what this means. But too much yeast in my system. So, in the meantime, I would like to have my son cut back on nursing, for nutritional and also possible allergen/health reasons, and all he wants to do is nurse. He screams and throws full blown tempers if I do not nurse him on demand. I don;'t know wwhere to begin with the cutting back on nursing, how to encourage food which he used to think was great, and how to deal with the temper. He is screaming now, but any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.


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## yoginimama (Jan 13, 2005)

my ds (now 22 months) has gone through similiar nursing only stages throught his second year. it sounds like you are covering how to handle issues of allergies etc. but in terms of the demand for nursing and his intense reaction to not getting it ... that is something my ds did as well. i found that a bit of surrender would help this stage to pass more quickly. usually one day of nursing on demand would get things back to equilibrium. but that may be a lot to ask of you! the other thing that occasionally worked was a smoothie with soft tofu, soy milk, flax seed oil and a bit of maple syrup or honey (this is based on a recipe in dr.sears baby book). this seemed to get some nutrients in him and he enjoyed it.
good luck!


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## CajunMama (Jun 24, 2003)

My 14mo has been doing this for a week or so. It's driving me batty







But I think that it is related to teething. His canines are through, but the gums are red and swollen and he is chewing me to bits. Could it be teething?

Ds has actualy enjoyed refrigerated teething rings again.


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## SabraMamma (Nov 20, 2001)

The nursing on demand all day and night long is not a new or temporary thing- it is the usual. What is new, is that he does not want to eat!! So, I have been dealing with this daily, for almost 16 months and at the beginning it was of course expected and I loved it. But now I am worn out from all of the non-stop tugging on my shirt, hearing the "na-na" whine, seeing the hands flailing in the desperate sign language cries for milk, etc. He does not give me a break, and now isn't eating. It is a struggle to get him to sit down at the table, or to get him to eat anything. Thanks for the smoothie suggestion, but right now we are soy, yeast, sweet free. That in itself is difficult. We are also dairy free, but that is normal for us.


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## cmb123 (Dec 30, 2004)

It's not unusual for a toddler to go through a phase like this, and honestly as another pp said, if you simply go with it for now, you'll stress out about it much less.
Also, if you two are both going through food issues, and working on that stuff there really isn't anything better he could be doing than reverting back to breast. Following a childs lead with food at this age is a wise choice. They often instictually stay away from offensive foods on thier own if given a chance.
For whatever reason, MD's don't tend to recognize how tremedously food affects us. I personally went through 20 years of MD's trying to figure out what was wrong with me, finally a natropath regonized it was food related. Upon elimating those foods, I haven't ever felt better in my life. Don't look to an MD to even acknowledge this connection. They just don't get it.(they can't even see the difference between the value of breastmilk over formula for cying out loud!).
If breatmilk is what your guy needs to rely on right now, he knows best.
Your a wonderfull mama for providing him this optimal food for as long as you have


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## melamama (Oct 8, 2002)

my ds is 23 months and I was just talking this over with our pede (similar behaviors to your ds' but mine seemingly has been latched on for a week now







). He said it's a normal toddler thing--that they're grazers by nature and probably shouldn't be expected to sit for a meal.

The allergy issue sounds interesting--that maybe your ds is focusing on nursing as it is a "cleaner" food for his body.

does sweet free mean no fruits also? I was going to suggest the ice cube tray thing--out all the time with cut up fruits and veggies, maybe some small cubes of mochi, almond butter to dip


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## SabraMamma (Nov 20, 2001)

sweet free is partial-no fruit. no bananas (his favorite) no citrus, nothing tropical. also, nothing raw-no raw veggies or anything else. this is tough!!

about coming back to me for breastmilk and not eating...toddlers know what is best for them issue... well, the TCM practitioner said that she thinks my milk is a MAJOR source of his problem. Ahhhh!!

I just feel like going outside and shouting. not only is the nursing/not eating thing draining on me, but the allergy/my milk is bad thing is awful to hear and deal with.

thanks for all the support and feedback.


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## Dreaming (Feb 8, 2004)

i have no advice about the toddler, but have you considered a second opinion from a different practioner?


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## pageta (Nov 17, 2003)

I don't think your milk is the problem. Toddlers go through stages where they aren't interested as much in food. They nurse for comfort when their world is changing - it's their home base of sorts. If they're nursing more, eating less is natural. Food is one issue they can control, so if you're trying to push it on them and withhold the nursing, you're setting yourself up for a problem - they feel out of control so they want to nurse more for comfort (because of the change you're giving them) and then they need to eat less. Just go with the flow. I know it's hard, because I get very tired of nursing too. But when I fight it, it only gets worse.


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## wasabi (Oct 12, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Artist Mama*
i have no advice about the toddler, but have you considered a second opinion from a different practioner?

Yes I'd be very skeptical of someone who said that your son's problems which you didn't even know he had are caused by your BM. If he really does have all these food allergies as this practioner suggests then nothing is more likely to protect him or give him enough nourishment than your BM. It doesn't make sense to me besides as much as you are eliminating if you take away BM what's left for him to eat? Maybe DS is not eating as much solids because his favorite foods are now forbidden and if he can't have the stuff he likes he'd just rather not bother.







In the meantime I certainly understand how draining it can be to have a velcro toddler. My DD was still nursing day and night at this point too and yes it is draining.


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