# Almost one year old and nursing on demand



## Miracle And Wonder (Feb 13, 2009)

My older child will turn a year old on the 27th of this month. She knows the sign for "milk" and when she makes it I nurse her.

My mum, who raised three extremely healthy (if a bit mad) children and nursed us no fewer than two years each, says that this is fine. If she wants to nurse, for whatever reason, and you're at that moment physically capable (ie, not on the toilet or doing something that occupies you temporarily), you should nurse her.

Other people are saying that by the time she's a year old she should have set mealtimes and be introduced to cow's milk in replacement of the upwards of 15-20 times she nurses. (In other words, I should nurse her thrice daily like a "normal person" and give her cow's milk whenever she signs for milk other than those set 3 mealtimes)

She does get some solids (she eats whatever we eat at teatime but nurses for nutrition the rest of the time as per her own choice), but mostly she nurses.

Is my mum right, or everyone else?


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## Chloe'sMama (Oct 14, 2008)

I am sure you will get tons of great, well educated answers, but I wanted to pop on and give my opinion. One seems rather young to start taking away nursing on demand. Especially if she is getting most of her nutrition from BF. I think your mom is right and mainstream people are a bit crazy.... Sounds like you are doing a good thing mom!


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## BaBaBa (Jun 30, 2007)

I agree with your mum.

DD recently turned 2 and I am just starting to place some limits now.

They grow so fast in the first couple of years, I think it's detrimental to place any limits on healthy meals and snacks. Who knows better than them if they're hungry?

Also remember the nursing relationship is about more the nourishment. It's about love and nurturing and comfort and there's no setting limits to that.

What a cool mum you have!







:


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## kiara7 (Feb 14, 2008)

And there is absolutely no reason to give anyone cow's milk, *especially* when human is available.


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## KristyDi (Jun 5, 2007)

My DD turns 1 on the 11th of next month. What you described sounds just like how we're doing it here. I think what everyone else is suggesting, with all the set meal times etc., sounds like a lot of unnecessary trouble.

I say listen to your mom on this one.


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## Jezzy (Sep 20, 2006)

I agree with your mom. I also nurse my 1 year old on demand. She also makes it known when she wants to nurse.


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## Draupadi (Jul 19, 2007)

Your mum has the right idea.
A little cow's milk here and there is ok (my DS wasn't interested in it at all until about 14 months old) but there's nothing wrong with nursing on demand. My almost 2 year old DS still nurses on demand.


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## Bluegoat (Nov 30, 2008)

I always nursed on demand. When we ate meals, I would give food to the girls in their highchair.

DD1 nursed constantly, no set times at all. Dd2 has got a routine, and during the day actually nurses around mealtimes.

The only time I gave them milk is if they were being babysat. But at that age I did start leaving them a bit more, usually with their dad, to get a break, and I would make them wait if I was in the middle of something, instead of dropping things like for a young baby.


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## clicksab (Oct 15, 2006)

Be thankful for having such a smart mom! I'm definitely on her side for this.

When DD turned 1 she still nursed on demand. And she was a "late bloomer" as far as food was concerned...we definitely didn't have her on 3 meals a day! I think she ate a banana every other day by then. By 18 months I started making her wait more to nurse as she was eating meals, and was no longer nursing on-demand, but that can be different for every person. She just in the past month or two got down to 3 nursings a day, and she is 2! And if she's sick, that still goes out the window and I will nurse her all day long in that case.

Listen to your baby, she's letting you know what she needs. And give your mom a hug for me!


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## FernG (Feb 14, 2008)

You might feel a little better if you researched some of the differences between cow's milk and human milk.

Mommy's milk has...
-antibodies which are customized for both the baby's age and whatever the baby has been recently exposed to.
-living stem cells
-living white blood cells
-living enzymes
-living probiotics (healthy bacteria essential for the immune system)
-perfectly absorbable sugar, cholesterol, protein, fat, and vitamins/minerals

Pasteurized, homogenized cow's milk...
-is a dead food without any healthy enzymes, bacteria, or antibodies
-has some cholesterol
-has artificial vitamin d
-has cholesterol
-has calcium
-has artificially altered fat, protein, and sugar, which in their natural, unpasteurized, unhomogenized form, would have been perfect for a baby calf

I think our society has unnatural expectations for babies. I know that I eat 3 meals plus snacks and sips of water. That is supposed to be the healthiest way for me to maintain stable blood sugar. Why should I expect my baby to wait longer between meals than I do? I know that it's hard to go against what everyone else is doing - especially with a big, squirmy baby. Good for you for doing what's best for your baby!


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## Biscuits & Gravy (Jul 17, 2008)

You are lucky to have such a wise and supportive mother!

At around 1 DS was definitely still nursing on demand. In fact, he was still nursing as much as he always had as an infant and ate very little solid food. Soon after his birthday it was like something in his body flipped a switch and things reversed. He started gobbling up food. He still nursed a lot as well, but it slowly started decreasing.


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## kalamos23 (Apr 11, 2008)

I think the cow's milk reccomendation is if you are using formula - if you are BFing, then you ARE the cow ;-)


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## PatioGardener (Aug 11, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Biscuits & Gravy* 
You are lucky to have such a wise and supportive mother!









:

It sounds like you and your baby are doing great


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