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Ep. 182- Breastfeeding Your 9 Month Old

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*We apologize for any typos, misspellings or incorrect grammar. Our transcript is auto-generated by software that’s trying its best, just like all of us.*

Welcome to the Milk Minute Podcast everyone. Today we are going to talk about breastfeeding your psychotic nine month old. It is really amazing how something just changes around them. Oh, yeah, so it’s something. Tons of things are changing.

Everything is changing at nine months and it really sneaks up on you. Yeah, so I wanted to touch specifically on the nine month mark because that’s usually when people are getting Pediatric visits as well, and they have a blanket kind of script that they go over with nine month olds that not all nine month olds fit in.

So I wanted to touch on a couple of those things to just kind of give you some peace of mind and let you know where we’re going from here, because that’s the big question is like, Okay. What now? So that’s kind of what I wanted to focus on today and I know Maureen probably has a lot to say about it too.

Sure. Sure. I do. Before we get to that though, I wanted to thank some patrons and answer a question. Yes. And tell me where they’re from. Okay. Well, I wanted to thank Elizabeth from Pennsylvania and Anna from North Carolina. North Cackalacky! Very nice. Thank you guys so much for joining our Patreon. We deeply appreciate every single contribution there.

Yes, we certainly do, and we hope you are enjoying all of my craziness. I’ve been posting a lot in there as well. the weeks, days, hours wind down of my pregnancy. So, yeah, stay tuned. Eh, we’ve entered the countdown. We are term, my friends, we are term, term, and it’s happening. So it could be happening right now while you’re listening to this.

It could be, yes. Well, when it does, we’ll let you know. Oh, yeah. Patrons will be the first to know. Okay, do we have a question today before we jump in? We do. Yeah, this comes from Rachel from our Facebook group. And she asked a question about water. Ah, water. How much do you drink in a day when breastfeeding?

I’m getting dehydrated very quickly. I now drink 140 to 160 ounces a day, which feels like a ton. And I’ll keep doing what works best for me, but I’m curious what everybody else does. Do you have diabetes insipidus? I’m kidding, kind of. Kind of. Yeah, so if you’re thirsty, usually the answer is to drink.

But if you are truly dehydrated, so when you say that you’re dehydrated, does that just mean you’re thirsty all the time? Or does that mean your body is showing signs of dehydration? where you actually have dry mouth and concentrated urine and, you know, your skin just looks like it’s super dry. So those are two different things because oxytocin, which is released during breastfeeding, does make you thirsty.

However, there is a limit and our body does not like to be drowned with water. So what do you have to say about this? I, I think, so here’s like the average intake. That, like, medical organizations recommend for men and women is somewhere between, like, 100 to 120 ounces a day. Now, that doesn’t count for how active you are and how much you sweat.

Where do you live? Is it Arizona? Your sex, whether you’re breastfeeding, whether you’re pregnant. And so it does make sense to possibly increase that a little bit. But but, you know, my… Recommendation is always drink if you’re thirsty. But if you drink when you’re thirsty and you feel like you’re actually kind of aware of that, you don’t ignore it, but your pee is really dark and, you know, your skin is really dry and stuff like that, maybe also to have a little chit chat with your doctor to make sure it’s not another cause for those things.

Mm hmm. And also, if you’re drinking 200 ounces of water a day and you’re peeing water, like you’re literally just peeing water, but you’re still so thirsty all the time, we may need to get… Some labs and just make sure that we don’t have any insulin situation going on. There are some weird things out there that can, that can make that happen that I won’t get into now, but that’s not normal.

And when we’re not normal, we go see health care providers. Yes. So I usually say drink when you’re thirsty. You know, that. That’s going to be different for everybody. I like to drink until your pee is, like, a light color or clear ish. You know, the toilet bowl should look clear, but your pee itself usually has a little color.

Mm hmm. If your pee is stinky or dark in color, you need to drink some more, probably. Don’t look at me. I’m just staring down Heather across the room. I know I’m dehydrated. I have not had hardly any water all day. I haven’t seen you drink today, either. All right. Anyway, we’re going to take a quick break to go drink some water and thank a sponsor and when we get back, we are going to get into breastfeeding your nine month old.

Imagine a world where you seek lactation care and it’s easy and someone greets you at the door and they’re nice to you and they give you a hot cup of tea and let you sit on the couch and talk about all the issues, not just the breastfeeding issues. What a cozy fantasy. Is there anywhere that’s real? Oh, it’s real, girl.

It’s real, and I’ve been building it for quite a long time. My business is called Breastfeeding for Busy Moms, and me and every member of my team are trained in our three major tenets, which is accessibility, kindness, If you want to book a consult with Heather or anyone else on her team, you should head over to breastfeedingforbusymoms.

com. We do accept some limited insurance and we’d be happy to walk you through it if you want to give us a call. And that number’s on Google. So go sit on the cozy couch with Heather at Breastfeeding for Busy Moms. Love you guys.

Welcome back, folks. Who’s ready? I’m ready! Everyone’s ready, because you’re probably really over all of the behavioral stuff that’s going on around breastfeeding at this time. Okay, so, when I get calls from people who are nine months postpartum, it’s usually like so, I’m not sure what’s going on, but something is definitely wrong, and I’m like, okay, what’s wrong, and I usually hear things like, they’re refusing my breasts.

They’re not interested. When they do nurse, they are hurting me or they’re distracted. They’re so distracted. And I’m also not really sure if they’re getting enough water and they’re not peeing or pooping as much as they were. Is that fine? And so then I see this mounting anxiety around increasing the amount of breastfeeds to kind of compensate for that.

And that is the opposite of what your baby is trying to do. So this is where people are not on the same page with their babies anymore. And of course, I want to look at the kid. You know, I want to actually see what this kid looks like. Are they actually okay? Most of the time, they are, and what’s actually happening here is very normal, but our brains have not caught up to the baby’s development yet.

Absolutely, and I have to add that developmentally, what’s normal for a nine month old is a pretty wide range. You know, we have babies who are like starting to talk and walk, and we have babies who are nonverbal and crawling. All within normal or like just started sitting up unassisted on their own. And yeah.

So, okay, let’s break this down a little bit. At the six month visit, I usually tell people, I give them a warning and I say, listen, by nine months, things are going to look different. And it is sneaky because it’s a slow, gradual progression, but I would love for you to circle nine months on your calendar and I want you to write breastfeeding will look different now and you will get to that part of your calendar and you’ll be like, holy shit, she’s right.

It does because even if your kid is not running, you know, and not like babbling away, it’s still going to look different because it’s a, their reflexes are getting to be a little bit different neurologically. They are changing quite a bit. And so things are definitely going to be different and sleep is really different than to, yeah, their sleep is different.

So So let’s break this down a little bit. Okay. Let’s start with… Break it down. Let’s break this down. Okay, so first of all, I hear two, let’s, two camps. Okay, so camp number one is my breastfeeding really hasn’t changed very much, but I feel like solids aren’t going well. Yep, they’re, I, my baby doesn’t like to eat food.

Huh. That’s one camp. One camp. And then the other camp is my baby is eating tacos and hamburgers and… is refusing the breast, and I’m freaking out and my supply is going down. Okay. Agreed. Who’s shaking their head right now? Yes, I probably like everybody at home with a nine month old is now nodding for one of those.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay, so camp number one. Let’s go back over here. So we have the babies that are still nursing seven or eight times a day, and they’re mostly breast milk diet. Their poop. has not really changed. And they’re doing solids, usually like a puree once a day, usually a fruit or a veggie. Okay. Yeah, this is technically fine.

All right. And honestly, those Feel like the less tricky consults to me because often what I see is when we look into it a little bit more We’re like, oh, maybe you actually just kind of forgot to offer your baby some more food I see that a lot don’t feel bad if that’s you and you’re like wait I was supposed to start offering them more than one meal now.

It’s okay Your baby’s fine or it’s just like Okay, they’re, they’re just like having a little bit of a hard time with the texture of solids and processing that in their mouth, but they’re still making forward progress. Right. So, that consult looks a little bit like this, where we say, okay, you’re fine where you’re at, but you can’t stay here.

Yes. Okay, so, go at your own pace, but kind of hurry up, because, you know, you’re, you’re going to get to the point where you hit that one year of age mark, and your kid is going to get ahead of you at some point. Yeah, well, you know, usually those consults for me, I’m like, Hey, we have a three month goal to get to three meals a day with your baby.

Yeah. What is a meal though? You know what I mean? And so, and I always kind of say it this way, where it’s like, okay, listen, I know that part of starting solids is not about getting the baby used to it. It’s about getting you used to it. Because part of what’s hard to let go of is like, dammit, we just got good at breastfeeding.

It is. So, because that’s the time a lot of people are like, wow, I can do it in the car. I can do it on a plane. I can do it anywhere. I don’t have to cook it. Right. Right. And suddenly you’re like, wait a second. Wait a second. I have to bring snacks for this tiny gremlin now. Yeah. I’ve, I’ve had people like, there’s a lot of women that I know who hate cooking and they don’t even really make food for themselves.

And then they’re like, I’m supposed to make this five star meal for my toddler. I don’t even make food for myself. Yeah. Yeah. I’m like, well. First of all, let’s work on that. Also, you know what? I like to dispel the expectation that we all have to cook. Because throughout history has not been the case. Right.

There were some weird 1950s every woman has to cook thing. We don’t need to do that. You can order out. You can get frozen meals. It doesn’t matter. You can eat it from a can. Eat this carrot. It’s fine. We can eat other ways. We can eat other ways. So, I remind people, like, yes, you’re fine where you’re at. You have not held your baby back developmentally.

No. Do you know any adults that are still just drinking milk from a bottle? Like, I hope not. Do you even know any five year olds who are still only drinking milk from a bottle? Right. You know, it’s like, no. But we do have to help it along sometimes. Right. And so a lot of times parents are afraid of the choking situation by offering solid foods.

But the thing is, we are parenting these kids now. And this is what sneaks up on you. Because what I’ve explained to people before is that breastfeeding early on is parenting. Okay, like you’re not going to rationalize with a four month old about why you do certain things. teaching them skills by explaining things to them.

You are showing them with your body, the ways that they can do things. You’re capitalizing on their reflexes. Breastfeeding encompasses parenting. But then with a nine month old, it’s really once you start weaning, once you introduce solids, all of a sudden. And they get good at, and they get better at salads.

Yeah, it’s just like you suddenly have a human in front of you who has, this is like vastly greater needs all of a sudden. I know. And so at this point breastfeeding alone isn’t parenting, but breastfeeding is a parenting tool. Yes. That you can use to talk about body autonomy, about consent, about patience, about waiting, delayed gratification.

I mean, there’s a whole myriad of things that we can use breastfeeding as a tool, because we have other tools. Absolutely. And we should be developing other tools. Yes. And it is the time we really do start to enforce boundaries and not like You know, what you think of when you think of older kids, but just very small changes.

And this is where it’s not on the kid, it’s on you. And this is where it’s, it’s kind of like the lactation consult turns into more of like a parenting consult. How, you know what, that happens a lot. Yeah, where I’m like, so have you and your husband talked about how you’re going to handle, you know, family dinner time?

Because that’s gonna, do you care about that? Are you going to be running to soccer practice? Or are you really insistent that everyone sits down to dinner? Like these are conversations that we want to have. That way you’re not parenting from the hip all the time. And you can be a little bit more intentional about breastfeeding in public.

You don’t have to breastfeed in public if you don’t want to, and your kid is not going to starve to death in an hour because they eat differently now than they did when they were a month old. So, at this point, people’s eyes kind of just, they, they realize, oh my god. Okay, it’s not just that we have to increase solids, it’s that I have to think about letting go, first of all, grieving how breastfeeding was before, and starting something new again, which is incorporating breastfeeding.

Okay. more complex solid foods, social boundaries around feeding. And I don’t know how I feel about that, and that’s fine. But here is your sign, okay? This is me telling you, your kid is heading there anyway, so you might as well decide how you’re going to guide them and what skills you want them to have.

Yes. And as always, More consistency is going to lead to a more peaceful household. Yes. So if you can really start to think through that stuff now, while it’s really, it’s okay if you kind of switch things around and experiment a little bit. So by the time you have a one year old, you kind of know what you want to do with them.

That’s a really good place to be. It is. And also I have people say, well, I mean, and I had someone super sweet the other day who said, I’m afraid I’m going to overfeed solids. Sure. And, and I said, tell me more. And she was like, well, he’s obsessed with solids. He loves them so much, but he’s also refusing the breast.

So what do I do? And I’m like, well, all the research says. Just lean into what your kid wants and protect your supply until you’re close enough to a year that it doesn’t really matter anymore. But overall, if your kid is driving the train and your kid is like grabbing food and eating five solid meals a day and hefty amounts, and they’re having like a giant adult size poop a day and, and chugging water.

And it’s like, yeah, they’re, yeah. And you know, usually what I do when I. Have this conversation because I certainly see this too. I say like, did you talk to your baby’s doctor about it, right? You know, if not have that conversation with them, too But often, you know, nine, ten, eleven months we’re around there and suddenly we’re like, wow, they’re barely drinking any milk anymore I don’t know what to do You might get the go ahead from them to just say, don’t worry about it.

It’s okay. Your baby’s growing well, they’re nutritionally adequate, you know, and it might not be a breastfeeding problem. It might just be a different trajectory of development than you expected. Right. But it’s a problem for the mom because it happened so suddenly. Absolutely. That it’s like, wait, I wasn’t ready to wean.

I had this goal in mind of a year. And your kid is like, I don’t know what time is. Yeah, they certainly don’t. And we really can’t predict which kids are going to do this versus which are not. And it’s absolutely okay if you’re in that position to just be sad about it. Yeah. I mean, we almost need to, to decide, like, are we going to just be sad about this for a minute, work through it, protect our supply and just let this kid do what they’re going to do?

Or are we going to actively fight it? Yeah. And we’re going to make a plan and try to get this kid back to the breast. And there are some kids that are like, I’m sorry, I had a taste of key lime pie and I ain’t never going back, you know? And you’re like, okay, you know, so how long are you comfortable beating your head against that wall?

And I have told people before where I’m like, all right, we’ve been doing this for six weeks and your kid is 22 pounds and not just eating solids, but eating broccoli, avocado, olive oil, salmon, like We’re getting really good healthy fats in this is not for kids that live in food deserts where the only grocery store is a dollar general and everything is frozen food, right?

Or kids that eat a lot, but it’s all applesauce. Exactly. So if you have a kid that is eating tons of vitamins, minerals and healthy fats, That’s different. Yeah, you know, one of the things I like to do that sort of bridges the gap and helps us both feel more confident in their nutrition and like gradually reduce that supply is talk to those moms if they’re willing to pump.

Just talk about ways to build the milk into the solids. Right? Like, okay, are you doing cereal? Put breast milk in it. Are you doing smoothies? Put breast milk in it. You making a quiche? Put breast milk in it. You know, and just use that milk in baby’s diet then. If you’re really having trouble getting it in in liquid form, that’s okay.

It’s not the only way that it’s valuable. And speaking of that, and I know we’re kind of jumping around. This is going to be more of like a conversation. Everyone’s jumping around at this age, though. This baby inside my belly is jumping around also. And there’s like a giant foot sticking out. It’s pretty cute.

So with the first camp of moms where we have, you know, we’re still breastfeeding eight times a day and we’re not doing a ton of solids. They say, okay, well, how do I, how do I do it? And so you have to start doing solids before a breastfeed. And I know everything on Instagram is always like, make sure you breastfeed first before you give solids.

Some babies will not. Some babies will not. Some, some buddies, some babies will not. So like when you first wake up in the morning, if your routine is to get baby out of bed, change your diaper, sit down in the chair and breastfeed, maybe dad needs to go in. Or your partner. Go in, get the baby, put him in the highchair, give him fruit.

Give him, you know, Cheerios or eggs or whatever. And then breastfeed. And then the baby’s like, oh, that was actually delicious. Because they were hungry. So half the time they’re not eating solids because they’re just not hungry. Because they’re full of breast milk. Alright, let’s take a quick break and then we’re going to talk more about camp number two.

So the babies that are… I’m starting to not be as interested in breastfeeding and how we’re going to manage that.

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Thanks Aeroflow. Thank you so much. Go ahead and check out the link to Aeroflow in our show notes and order your pump through them.

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Thank you so much, Dairy Fairy. Absolutely. Once again, that’s the link in our show notes and use the code MILKMINUTE for free shipping on all domestic orders.

Okay, welcome back everyone. If you’re getting fish hooked by your baby right now in the mouth while you’re trying to breastfeed them, or they’re trying to suck on their toes while they’re sucking on your nipple, Don’t you love that? This part’s for you. I do kind of love that, but not every feed.

But not like actually when it’s happening to you. Just when you recall it, you’re like, oh, that was good. That was cute. That was hilarious. And you’re like, actually their toenails were really sharp on my gums. What? Yeah. It’s really the only time I remember to cut my baby’s nails is when they’re actively like eviscerating me with them.

Oh my gosh. Baby scissor hands. Yeah. Okay. So let’s talk about the distraction because this happens a lot when babies just aren’t that hungry because they have already met their caloric requirement for the day because of all the solids they ate. doesn’t mean they’re not thirsty. So sometimes, babies are actually thirsty, but they’re not hungry.

And, your boobs are full. Because you’re like, this is the time that we normally breastfeed. It’s 10 AM. Like, this is our breastfeeding time. And has been our breastfeeding time for nine months. And suddenly, your baby’s eating more solids, your boobs haven’t got the memo that baby’s full, and so you sit down and do your normal thing that you do, because it’s your routine.

You’re, yeah, we’re on demand, except not really at this point. You’re like, this is our schedule. Those babies definitely develop a schedule by that point. For sure. So you sit down and you’re like, here you go, little Bobby. Have this nice full boob. And little Bobby’s like, I mean, okay, I’ll have a little bit.

I am pretty. Thirsty and they get your milk to let down and then they pop off and then they start messing with you and you’re like, I have a full boob. You’re like, Bobby, I’m going to need you to take this seriously. Like I’m going to need you to drain this boob for me. Lyra thought getting sprayed in the face was like the funniest thing she had ever experienced.

So she started to do that on purpose around that time and then it would get her in the eye and she’d giggle, which was very cute, but also like, and also that’s not a starving baby. Yeah. You know, really not. That’s just not a starving baby. So, but in our minds, there’s this need to complete the cycle where we’re like, no, no, this has been working.

And so we have a really hard time letting go of that old schedule. Yeah. Also, we wonder, how is this going to affect your nap? If you don’t eat, how is it going to affect your nap? What if we have to leave the house, and then you’re hungry once we leave, and then you do this distracted nursing bullshit while we’re out.

It’s fear. It’s anxiety. It’s change. And it’s annoying. Feeling those things and then your behavior changing makes baby’s behavior change more. 100%. So what I typically recommend in this situation is we have to acknowledge that we’re not on the same page with baby anymore, that that’s developmentally appropriate.

And then we spend a weekend trying to let baby take the lead again and see what their schedule actually is. Not a weekend where you’re traveling and there’s football games and tailgates and all these other things. I’m talking like two days of just Only letting baby dictate when you nurse. That doesn’t mean you don’t offer it.

You just whip your boob out and say, you want this? And if they say no, we are not going to take it personally. We’re going to thank them. Okay, thanks for letting me know. Yes, you’re going to be full, but they’re probably going to nurse maybe an hour later. Maybe you realize, oh my goodness, it’s actually a better schedule for me because I’m doing this less times a day and we have more freedom and it’s more just about.

You know, we want a nurse right before or after naps. Maybe I like that better. But we got to get back on the same page. Yeah, that’s a great, that’s a great piece of advice. Okay, so the other thing about distracted nursing is the shallow latch. So we, we tend to develop some animosity around this point because it can be a little bit painful and also because of the rejection.

You know, so we start to get this negative feedback loop about nursing. So your kid is doing everything they can to tell you that they don’t want to nurse at this point. They’re literally… All of the things biting you, you know, they’re pulling off, they’re playing around and you’re just not listening, you know, right, right.

Especially if you are uncomfortable and you do need to remove some milk, right, right. And so we end up feeling negative and the baby ends up having a negative breastfeeding experience and because they have other options and other tools, they’re going to choose. Joy and easy access because we would do the same thing.

So they’re like, well, you know, it’s not stressful for me sitting in my highchair and doing it myself. Especially if you have that independent baby who’s like, I don’t need you. Yeah. So I feel like I see this develop right when babies start to self-feed a lot of the time. Not all the time, right?

Especially if we start with baby led weaning, that’s kind of where we start. But especially for the folks who start with feeding their babies purees around the time that baby switches to feeding themselves. I see this a lot. Okay, so the other question that I get a lot from these people is, Well, how do I know they’re getting enough hydration?

Sure. So if they’re not nursing. But they’re eating, but they’re only drinking, you know, one half an ounce of water in an open cup and it’s half of it spilling on their head and the other half’s on the floor. How do I know they’re getting enough? Okay. So, number one, we need to be skill building around all the things, not just eating, but you’re an adult and you can drink out of anything, can’t you?

You know, you could figure it out. I mean, God, I’ve even done turkey basters out of a gin bucket. We’ll figure out how to get that liquid into us, right? You know, people always ask me, do you do sippy cups, open cups, or straw cups? And I say, all of it. I want them to know how to drink out of everything because those are skills.

So, if we are increasing the amount of ways that they can get liquid, and then we are offering them a water bottle that is available from the morning, All the way through the evening and then at the end of the day, we can see how much is left. That’s a really good way of first of all, having them be more autonomous.

So leaning into that independent streak in your baby. And you put it on the floor, like a non-spillable cup or on a nightstand or something. And you tell them, like, this is your water. sign language. We put a W on our chin and we say water and we let them access it anytime they want. And that takes the pressure off of us to provide breast milk at a specific time to make sure they’re hydrated.

They want to live, you know, they get thirsty just like us and they like achieving goals. So it improves their self-efficacy. To say, I’m thirsty, and be able to crawl over, get their water bottle, drink it, and then, you know, complete that loop, which is really big, actually. Yeah. And anything to take the pressure off of you is great.

Yeah, and I always just remind folks, you can go back to counting diapers, if you have to. Hell yeah. You know, absolutely, and sometimes we do that, and they’re like, oh, it’s the same amount of diapers, even though they’re breastfeeding less, and I don’t really know how, and I’m like, we don’t need to know how.

It’s fine. Well, there is some water in food as well. Absolutely. And so if your baby is not quite there with drinking out of a straw or something like that, how about watermelon or soup or, you know. Yeah, just avoiding dried foods, like don’t do crackers, do bread instead, right? Like that’s a very different water content.

So smart, I never really thought about bread versus crackers, but you are correct. Okay, so managing biting, this is another thing. You know, so we, we have a whole episode on that, that we will link in the show notes. So we’re not going to get too much into that, but we just do want to acknowledge. Yes, that’s a thing.

That’s a thing. Please go listen to that episode if you’re struggling with that. And now if you are, so keeping up supply. So your baby is. Distracted, you are, okay, we’re going to spend a weekend figuring it out and it turns out your kid only wants to nurse four times a day, but you’re 10 months postpartum and you’re not quite to that year mark.

What do you do? So, at this point, I would say if your baby refuses that breast for more than an hour, I’d go ahead and pump. If you want to. If you have no milk in the freezer, and if you have to go back to work over the course of the week and your baby is still doing tons of bottles at daycare. Right.

Okay. That’s the tricky part when they’re like, I’ll take a bottle, just not you. Right. Because it’s easy. It is. It is. And they can take it on the go while they’re playing. Mm hmm. And also, that’s like the one on one time that they get at daycare with an adult, which is rewarding in and of itself. Yes. So anyway, if you, you can choose.

So, does the supply actually matter? Not really. So if your supply goes down while you’re pumping at work, it doesn’t really matter. We just really need you to be minimum, I would say, 16 ounces of breast milk in 24 hours. Because that’s about what they’re going to be doing after a year of age with cow’s milk.

Or whatever other milk you’re using. And so we don’t want to drop below that. As long as baby can eat solids, is drinking water really well, I would probably say take the pressure off yourself. But if you’re making like… Three ounces a day we might want to keep that in play or consider switching to formula if you have to yeah And again, it’s always okay to pull your pediatric care provider in on this and just be like hey Are you know if baby were to spontaneously wean before a year?

Are they meeting milestones? Are they growing appropriately? Like, do all signs point to this being okay? Right. And also, I would like to see you at that point. You know, so like, in general, it’s all okay. But I, this is where I customize the plan for people. Because it depends on your kid, depends on their weight, depends on you, your job, your support system, and how much we really care about meeting that year.

I mean, if you have 500 ounces in the freezer, I’m like, what do you do, what do you want to do? Yeah so anyway, just wanted to remind you that it is normal for your supply to go down a little bit at nine months, and we are not supposed to squeal into their first birthday making 30 ounces a day. Yeah.

Because then what do you do with it? Just turn the tap off and then have engorged boobs then? Or would you like it to be a gradual process? So let us work with you to help you make it more of a gradual process. Don’t panic. Probably normal. And kind of have fun with it and get to know your kid as a person now.

You did it. So congratulations. You kept them alive long enough to have wants, needs, personalities, feelings, and developmental skills. Yeah. Do you have any last words of wisdom? No, I think you really hit on it. I think, you know, you guys might have to listen to this one a couple of times. Pick out the parts that are applicable to you.

Don’t worry about the rest. And we’re just kind of like doing our best to sustain here. And it is okay to be really emotional about it. I know I was talking quickly and out of breath for most of this. And that’s how it is gonna be for a little bit. Yeah. Yeah. So. Till that baby comes. Yeah. So, sorry about that.

But, yeah, it’s okay to feel your feelings. It’s okay to have kids that are completely different. Yes. So, don’t compare siblings at nine months to each other. That’s hard to do. People that have twins, this is really interesting. Harder. I just worked with some nine month old twins the other day. And one is obsessed with solids.

Mm hmm. And the other one’s like, it’s okay. And she’s like, well, what am I supposed to do with my milk supply? And I’m like, that’s a great question. Let’s figure it out together. Right, but so if it is complicated, phone a friend. We’d love to work with you on that. And you’re not alone. No. And Heather, if you feel bad about huffing and puffing right now, just go back to episodes from like February 2021, where I’m like, and, hold on, I have to burp.

Yeah. And you’ll, you’ll just remember that. I remember. Back then we were under my stairs. Yes, and I was like, can you just scooch just a little bit so I can get my knees at like exactly 180 degrees so my belly fits so I can breathe? Oh my gosh. Iris, oh god, now she’s giant. Now Iris too. Yep. Alright everyone, well, I gotta get out of here and so does Maureen.

We’re giving everyone the award today. Everyone who listened to this entire episode who has… Breastfeeding a crazy nine month old, you get the award today. You absolutely do, you deserve one, you have made it really far and we’re super proud of you. Absolutely. And if you would like to leave us an Apple review, that would be wonderful, or if you could follow along with our other podcast, Beyond the Boob, that tracks my pregnancy week by week.

Yes, we’re getting to the very exciting part of birth. So if you want to hear the birth story after it happens, please subscribe on our Patreon or on Apple Podcasts. Yes, it’s Patreon. com slash MilkMinutePodcast. Alright, bye everybody. Bye bye.

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