> I had that baby!  by six weeks of age I could no longer nurse her 'the
> normal way' (cradle hold)   She simply wouldn't do it. She became a
> reverse cycle nurser.  She'd rather starve during the day than nurse
> while *anywhere* if we were out.


I too had that baby.  ;-)  Most of the time she wouldn't nurse unless
lying down.  Sometimes not even then...at that point I tried going above
her with breasts hanging down...and once she was latched on, before the
MER, I'd turn both of us onto our sides lying down still.  That worked
once in a while...not often.  Like Katherine's daughter, mine nursed
mainly while asleep from about 4-10 mos.  Near the end it was gradual
getting her nursing back in regular positions, and while awake.  It
worked better at home without any distractions (not even Dad) but out
and about there were too many things to explore to want to spend much
time nursing.  We never did well in the sling, but I didn't have a very
good sling until she was well over 1 and not into nursing in the sling
(or nursing in public in general, because of other distractions) at all.
 I had to "con" her into nursing...I had a backpack, and I'd hear her
sucking away on her fingers behind my head, and I'd eventually feel her
head touch the back of mine, and after about 5 min. of that position I
knew she was asleep enough that she wouldn't immediately wake if I got
the backpack down and her out of it, but not so deeply asleep that she
wouldn't nurse at all.  I would get her down and out, nurse her...and
usually she would wake when I unlatched her and put her back in the
pack.  By then, she'd not have napped long, but sometimes it was a
toss-up between a tired or a hungry baby...and I knew if she was tired
ENOUGH she'd eventually drop off again.  We loved the backpack, both of
us.  Now, once in a while she asks to nurse in public, and isn't half as
distracted at 2.5 as before, but I prefer avoiding it right now if I can
because it makes me wince in pain when she latches on because of
pregnancy.  :-(  Not a nice sight for other people!  ;-)

At one point I felt rather at the end of my tether...around 6 mos I
think, when she was sucking on her fingers SO much, but she would do so
while urgently "humming" or "grunting" as if to say "hey,where's the
food???".  I knew about nipple confusion, and thought maybe she was
finger-confused.  ;-)  I spent a week going topless, nursing whenever
she needed to suck if she would take it, but with a mitten on her hand.
 She screamed some of the time and sometimes would then fall asleep
exhausted in my arms, and I felt badly for taking away that comfort, but
I felt I was close to having her give up completely, even though she was
chubby and had reserves to go on...I didn't want to find her wasting
away either.  :-(  After a week she was doing *better* at nursing
sometimes even when awake (not a LOT better, but enough that I thought
she was out of "imminent danger") and I took the mitten away.  She still
sucks on her fingers.

> She also didn't like to cuddle, but did want to be held and walked
> *constantly*.

Mine liked/likes being held in the crook of my arm if I'm on the
computer or watching TV, but no longer cuddles me tummy to tummy unless
asleep.  She was more cuddly to begin with though.

> couldn't sit down.  The carseat was pure evil to her until 12 mos, then
> still mostly awful till well over two.

Luckily mine tolerated the carseat amazingly well, and still does...and
is still rear-facing.  :-)

>   I carried her in a mayawrap
> sling on my front or hip.

I used a Jolly Jumper sling, which are cheap, and not great...but it
worked to begin with.  I did that, but sometimes alternated between that
and one of those cheap baby seats bolted onto shopping carts to give my
shoulder a rest (the JJ sling is really not very comfortable...having
used a Maya since, I can say it's miles better!).  To begin with she
hated not being in my arms, but slowly got more used to it.  When I
bought the backpack (much more comfortable for a 20 lbs baby than the JJ
sling) she still wouldn't tolerate more than *maximum* 1/2 an hour in a
stroller.  Maximum...usually it was more like 10-15 min.  But the
backpack kept her close to mom, cuddled up on my back, and she loved
that, and the vantage point it gave her.  I stopped using it alltogether
when I was about 2-3 mos pregnant and the waist strap was bothering me.
 Luckily by then, a bit over 2 yrs old, she tolerated/tolerates it very
well (as long as she has her blankie with her!).

> I remember one day when she was about 12 mos old:  she crawled into my
> lap to nurse in the cradle hold.   I about cried.  It was so nice.

I have had similar occasions...very sweet.  :-)

> Even while nursing in the sling, she was very distracted if we were out
> and about.  From probably four to ten months, she only nursed 1x during
> the day, but nursed alllll  night long.

If I got 2 naps in, it was 2 times nursing usually during daylight
hours...usually 5-6 times at least at night...if not, it was 1, or
sometimes none (her *first* ever day she never napped at all was when
she was 5 mos old, though generally she still has one nap most days at 2.5).

:-)

Just another similar type of baby...

Fio.
ressource person with Allaitement Québec
Nursing Mama to Sandrine, 30 mos, and #2, 11/2002

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