21 month old prefers nursing to food.

[MrsA0901]

Hey everyone, back story, my LO was born at 35 weeks and IUGR of 33 weeks, so he was just over 4 lbs at birth. So at the hospital they said nurse on demand, no pacis and kangaroo care as often as possible to get him back up in weight. I actually had to give him a paci to pass the preemie carseat test, but he never fully took to it, so fast forward six months when we started solids, he didn't like them, didn't want them just wanted to nurse. Finally at 9 months he got interested in solids jars and table foods, but still mostly nursing. At 15 months I tried him with cows milk and he was not interested, finally at around 18 months, he started drinking it as well nursing. Here's the issue, he still prefers nursing to any foods or milk or juice. I am all about him weaning when he wants to, but we're talking every 3 hours on the hour and sometimes 2 hrs at night. I've tried stage 3 vanilla flavored formula to see if he'd go for that, but he hates it. Hubby jokes that until he catches up he's nursing, but I really want to get him more interested in food rather than me! He's a grazer, bite of food here and there, but rarely substantial meals. Sorry this is so long, just don't know what else to try and weaning completely isn't the solution.

Forgot to add, he's at 21-22 lbs now and probably 32 inches long now.

[hannah_louise10]

*Sister In law! Lol!!*

[hannah_louise10]

My sister on law had the same problem she nursed untill after her 2nd birthday and she wouldnt eat much at all and would prefer to nurse. Eventually she had to stop nursing during the day and just did it in the evening before bed and first thing in the morning. She would have 2or 3 meals in the day time and snacks and she used any milk she had expressed in a beaker with meals!

[cecilia_morgan]

Your welcome lol sry I really can't be much help only on baby  two and I didn't nurse that long bc my baby wasn't satisfied with just milk at 4 months already lol. I had to start giving oatmeal and then a little bit of veg already which I really didn't want to bc not supposed to quit that early lol but doctor said it was ok and he didn't ever have constipation issues or anything :-)

[MrsA0901]

His pediatrician is pretty happy with his growth and she loves that I still nurse him. That's the only thing that's kept him out of the hospital after two really bad stomach viruses. Over the weekend his food intake really picked up, I think he may have been going through a growth spurt. Before I posted, he'd just gotten over hand foot and mouth disease, so maybe he wasn't eating well from that. I just worry. Funny because he's my 3rd and I worried less about the older two lol. His nursing has slowed down a little over the weekend as well. He goes about 4 hrs before waking up to eat at night. I'm just going to keep giving him food options and a milk cup to steer him more in that direction. Thanks for your response

[cecilia_morgan]

Idk that just doesnt seem normal to me preemie or not. Hasn't his doctor said anything about it?