How to wean

[TRR]

I have a 8.5m DD who is BF and taking 2 EBM feeds a day when I am at work. I am just wanting to get prepared for weaning around 12 months or so. I have no clue on what would be the best way to start, what way to introduce new milk by cup or bottle, do you need to warm it. How do I know if whole cows milk or should I do soy and so forth. I know I sound a bit odd but first baby and I have no clue.
 
DD is currently 4 hour feeds 6:00BF, 10:30EBM, 2:30EBM, 7:00BF, 10:00BF. Currently trying to eliminate DF at 10:00. I have not done thecomplete jump yet worried about NW. DD is not taking much for the 1030 & 230 feeds max 4oz mostly 2oz could also be b/c teething. We have been trying to introduct a sippy cup but she doesn't seem to like the idea, throws it away. She will take water from a regular small cup if we tip it up for her. Have not tryed letting her do it herself. She has solids 700am, 1200pm, & 530pm. Hungry in the mid afternoon somedays has a snack of Cheerios, cracker, or fruit. The 7:00pm BF is just before bed, has been feeding lots somedays and almost none others. She will sometimes fall a sleep if really tired but most of the time wants her paci after feed and than we read and go to bed. The 1030am and 230pm feed are after she wakes from naps so she doesn't need to feed to go to sleep, just wants her paci for that but that is a whole other can of worms.

I am not in a hurry to stop Bf but I know I am going to have to so any advice suggestions to help me get prepared would be greatly appreciated.

[Erin (redstarfalling)]

Hey there - nothing like preparing ahead of time!   You've got lots of time before 12 months, so it can be a nice gradual process.  Much of the answers to your questions can be personal choice, so I'll just give my input.  Have you checked out the weaning threads on this board too?  Might get some ideas there.

First, milk of some type (BM, EBM or formula) remains extremely important for the first year (or 9 months depending on where you live, but for me it's at least 1 year). So, if you're dropping a BF, you want to replace it with EBM or formula for the first year.  If you check out the solids boards, I think they talk about how much milk and how many feeds once you start solids, and so does the bottle feeding board.

As for dropping the nursing sessions, if it's done gradually (no faster than 1 feed a week or thereabouts), things like engorgement aren't as much of a problem.  If you do get extra full and feed uncomfortable, you can express off a little bit (not a full amount or it just tells your breasts to keep making that much!).

If she's taking a bottle now, you can either stick with that, or move to a sippy cup or a straight cup (some babies close to a year do fine with either).  We never bothered warming the EBM for my kids, and went straight to a mix of cow's milk after a year and didn't warm that either.  Some moms prefer not to give cow or sow milk at all - once they stop BFing, they just make sure dairy, vit D etc are provided in other ways (I found cow's milk just easier!).

You can really decide to start weaning a month or so before you want to be finished altogether - or more - or less! Many moms continue to BF only once or twice a day for just ages.  I did twice a day for about 8 months, I think (it was after a year) and then just 1 nursing session for several months, and we just weaned a few weeks ago (at 2).

So you have lots of options and there's really no one right way, I guess I'm saying!  HTH!