Your Baby Week 36
By now your infant is probably pretty mobile! He might be able to pull himself up to a standing position from sitting and also get into a sitting position from his stomach. Once he does try standing, it won’t be long before he tries out cruising. Cruising is when your infant pulls himself up by holding on to things like furniture and uses it to help him move towards his desired object. It will probably begin as a very slow shuffle along the couch or table, but with experience will come speed and skill.
Nursing Troubles
As the months roll by, you may notice that your infant is becoming less and less interested in nursing. There are so many things to see and do in a day, and infants often have trouble focusing solely on the task at hand. Though this may be frustrating, you are not alone, many mothers experience this. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that mothers continue breastfeeding until their child’s first birthday. This may seem like an impossible task, so try some of the tips below to ease your nursing troubles...
- Cut out the Distractions! 9-month old infants are distracted by anything and everything! Voices, toys, siblings and televisions are all good reasons to try and get down off your lap and into trouble. Try moving to a quiet area of the house, if possible, and dim the lights.
- Take advantage of times when they are already relaxed! Try nursing when your baby is already sleepy, like first thing in the morning or after a bath or massage at night. If your baby goes down for a nap every day, try nursing just before then.
- Utilize your breast pump if getting your infant to breast feed is just too much of a struggle. Use your breast pump and give your little one breast milk in a bottle or even out of a cup if they are ready.
Cow’s Milk?
As your child gets older, you may be tempted to start supplementing his formula or breast milk with cow’s milk, but your child is still too young! Talk to your pediatrician. Most suggest holding off on cow’s milk until your child’s first birthday and even then only giving them whole milk. If you have added whole milk yogurt or hard cheeses into your child’s diet already, this is fine, just wait a few more months before introducing whole milk!
