NIP

In the midst of the chaos after Lyn's volleyball game I saw a mom walking around nursing her little one.  Way to go mom!

Tator tots!?!

Ben doesn't want anything to do with baby food but that boy likes potatoes in any form. Well, who doesn't? Mashed potatoes, fries, tator tots,  and baked potatoes all have made it into his tummy. He definitely prefers table food over baby food. I still want breast milk to be his main source of nutrition (and it is) but a little variety doesn't hurt. He doesn't seem hungry or anything but I offer food when I am eating dinner. He is no where near to wanting to eat an actual "meal". We'll get there.

Oh the tears...

I cried on Monday. Ben is hurting my feelings but I know it is not his fault. I went to the store and bought one can of formula. I know I can pump and get a back up supply again. I know all the arguments about using formula. I preach them all the time myself. But today I gave Ben a little formula. Or rather I made a bottle handed it to Dad, ran a bath, and cried alone in the bathtub till the 4 and almost 3 year old came and got in with me. Ben seems so hungry and I really think he wants some food. But then he won't eat off of a spoon. So I gave him some food but it was yucky formula. He seems so satisfied after he takes a bottle even when it is just breastmilk in the bottle. He doesn't seem to like nursing. I did get him to sleep with me a little last night. It was so sweet. He just likes his space. Normally I have to put him right back in his bed at night after I feed him.

No baby food for Ben

Ben just does not like baby food. I keep trying to offer him food on a spoon and he humors me but he won't really get into it. He will eat some soft table food though. What really hurts my heart though is that he doesn't seem to enjoy nursing. He does it to get fed and then he pushes me away. He never comfort nurses. Sometimes it is like he doesn't want to nurse but is so hungry he tolerates it. What to do what to do??? 

Eat Ben eat!!

Come on now!  I guess Ben just does not have a huge appetite. For a few weeks now he just doesn't want to nurse very much at all. I would not be concerned except that he is not really eating much. he has tried some foods but he doesn't actually "eat" food everyday. He takes his bottles of expressed breastmilk during the day from Dad just fine. But a lot of times before and after work and in the middle of the night he refuses the breast. I really think he would only nurse twice a day if I left it up to him. I actually try to coax him to eat a lot of times throughout the evenings and at night without much luck. Dad thinks he prefers bottles and that he isn't getting much from me. I just don't think that is the case. He is biting me  a lot with his gums. I sort of am ready to stop pumping at work but since we are almost out of frozen milk that would mean adding formula during my work day. That I am not ready to do. Maybe I should start pumping more and let Dad give a bottle at night. I just don't know. Out of all 7 children I have nursed I have never really had one that was "in love" with the process.  I was hoping Ben would be the exception. They all seem like they could take or leave it. Oh well. I'll just keep things going they way they are and see what happens.

Trying food again

I offered Ben some jar baby food (bananas) yesterday. He didn't seem to know what to do with it. I guess he just isn't ready for it. He doesn't seem to be nursing very often. I offer him the breast all the time. Sometimes he just would rather suck his thumb. He is still gaining weight OK so I am not really worried. Oh well.

At the beach

Packing for the beach for Ben was easy. No bottles or formula to worry about. He did great. He pretty much stayed on his regular nursing routine. My favorite time was when we were up before everyone else and nursed on the balcony as the sun came up. We didn't slow down and nursed at the pool side. We got a strange look from an employee but that was the most negativity we came across. When we went to dinner I went to the van to feed Ben not because I did not want to nurse in public but because he is so distractable lately. I knew the busy restaurant would be too much for him. On our way home we stopped at a great McDonald's with a really nice indoor play place. I watched Eliot play and fed Ben. No one gave me a second look. Another mother with an itty bitty baby sat near us. The baby started to fuss. She started to give her a bottle but she was still fussing. The mom moved to another table and when we walked past on ourway out she was breastfeeding her little one. That warmed my heart.

One a second note, I gave Ben a taste of plain baked potatoes and plain sweet potatoes during the past few days. He seems more interested in what we are eating. We'll see what happens next.