That means she has been eating solid food for just over one WHOLE year.
And a few weeks ago (right before the horrendous week 75 development leap) I distinctly remember having a conversation with my own mother about how Bean seemed to have finally cut down on her breastmilk feeds. We'd even had a few days where she'd gone 7 or 8 hours with me physically in the room with her during that time!
When oh when will I learn to NEVER say things like this in Bean's hearing?!
When she was a newborn it happened if we praised how few night wakings we'd had recently - she immediately subjected us to a 7-feeds-a-night marathon. Then if we mentioned that the last few dirty nappies had somehow not escaped out of the nappy, the next one would be right-up-to-the-neck-and-requiring-a-bath jobbie. To this day, if I tell Bean she's eating really well, it's like she suddenly notices and decides she's all full up!
So I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that, after commenting on how little milk Bean had had recently, she's suddenly gone into Boobie-Overdrive and is asking (no, strike that, DEMANDING) for "MAAAAAAA" every time I enter the room/sit on the couch/try to do something else. We're easily back up to 8+ times a day and she's no longer sleeping through either, but waking once, sometimes twice, for milk then too. (FYI, she only slept through for a couple of weeks around turning 15months).
To begin with it impacted on her food intake. She always wanted milk right before a mealtime - just the way it panned out I think - so wasn't that hungry. And then would finish eating early in order to fit in another milk feed afterwards too. We had maybe a week of Milk Days and boy did it show in her nappies! ;-)
It's really disconcerting though. You imagine your baby will just progress forwards, gradually eating more and more until the milk part of her diet dwindles away to nothing. So when your 16month old eats well, but your 17month old eats nothing, you get (well, I get) a bit worried. Should I refuse to breastfeed? Should I give more snacks? WTF is going on?????
Fortunately for Bean, I spend so long wondering what to do I never actually get round to "doing" anything! :-) She has therefore had her milk whenever she's wanted it and had her food whenever she's felt like that too. And now, at 18months, she's eating two pretty good sized meals and one that's little more than a snack, plus her 8+ breastfeeds!
Oh, I've written this once she's in bed though. I don't *think* she can read yet but I'm not taking any chances on her finding out what I'm telling people now......
I can hear you Mummy.............
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