9 Months

From a friend: "I wondered how many times per day you were nursing Smooch at the end of 9 months.  Also would love to know the same thing nap-wise"

My response:


At the end of 9 months, we were at 3-4 nursings a day, depending on our schedule. Our 'general' schedule going into 10 months was:



* between 6 and 7am -- wake up, nurse, usually go back to sleep for another hour or 2 (if I was lucky!!)
* around 8 or so when she got up-- breakfast (scrambled eggs are our favourite!), play time until mid-morning
* around 10am -- nurse or snack, depending on the day/ schedule, nap (for about an hour), play for a little while
* 12pm -- lunch, then play time (independent play-- mommy gets housework done, like cleaning the kitchen/ doing laundry)
* around 3pm, nurse, then nap for about 1 1/2 hours (sometimes less, not often more), then sometimes a light snack (yogurt or fruit),
* then our hardest part of the day -- 5-6pm-- I would be starting to get dinner ready, and she was needy and clingy, and fussy, especially if her afternoon nap was short. Thankfully, that's usually about the time Daddy is getting home, so she gets 'Daddy play time' while I get dinner ready. We do our best to all have dinner together as a family as often as possible, then usually she might have a little more play time, occasionally we would take a walk after dinner (it was summer, so the days were longer),
* then one more nursing before bed, and I strive to have her in bed between 7 and 8, no later than 8:30pm.

Of course, not every day was this 'clean' as we are often out and about during our usual naptime, so sometimes naps are in the carseat, and snacks get missed. I really can see a difference in her the next day, though, so I try to be pretty diligent about getting her naps and snacks.

Just an FYI, by the middle of 10 months, we were essentially down to 3 nursings a day-- early morning, afternoon (3pm before nap), and before bed. We dropped the afternoon nursing just after 11 months.  It sort of happened accidentally. I found my supply was running low/ nonexistent at night, and one afternoon I forgot to nurse her and found I was better 'stocked' for the night feed, so voila! Feed dropped.  I find I'm struggling with the emotional side of weaning her, as it seems my body is ready to wean before I'm emotionally ready to let go! (but of course, my mom is quick to point out that it will be easier for me to get pregnant again if I'm not nursing... good old Grandma!) ;-)

Anyway, that's where we are... can't say I've been a perfect "Babywiser", but have certainly tried to stay very close.

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