MPI - when/how to drop BFing?

[Buntybear]

DS is only 6.5 months but I have started to wonder about how and when I will stop BFing.

Has anyone had any experience or has any advice for me? I am clueless TBH!

[~ Vik ~]

It really depends on when you're planning on / wanting to start the weaning process!

When babies are younger than 1yo, milk (either breastmilk or formula) is their most important source of nutrition.  So if you're dropping breastfeeds, you would need to replace them with a bottle (or sippy, etc.) feed of formula.  Soy is fine if your lo tolerates it ok, otherwise you would need to go to a hypoallergenic formula.

With a baby older than 1yo, solids play the more important role in nutrition while milk is more supportive.  At this age, just as formula or breastmilk is being replaced with cow's milk, you can replace your breastfeeds with whatever 'milk' you decide to feed your lo.  We use soy milk for Dylan's day feeds due to his dairy allergy, but there are many choices - soy, rice, oat, almond, just to name a few.  The trick to remember is that all of these diary alternatives are low fat, so you have to supplement your lo's diet with good fats to ensure that he's getting enough for his development.

In any case, you may find that you have to make the change gradually.  Some babies/toddlers will happily make the transition, but others do reject the new milk.  When we changed to soy milk at 16mo for Dylan's day feeds we had to mix ebm with soy milk in his bottles, and gradually increase the concentration of soy.  It took a few weeks but we got there in the end!

hth?  And happy to give you any more details if you have questions

[Buntybear]

Hello again 

I am planning on/expecting to BF until at least 12 months but just feel that when it is not so nutrionally critical to Olly to BF that I would like to consider giving up so I can get back on the dairy again!

How many milk feeds do they still have at 12 months plus??

[~ Vik ~]

It depends on the babe, actually   Dylan still had four milk feeds per day until about 13mo, then went to three per day.  That was more my decision than his; I had returned to work at this point and it was just too much to pump enough milk for two feeds while I was there, so we dropped to just one in the middle of the day.  At 16mo we gradually transitioned to soy milk because my pumping output dropped dramatically.  We did soy milk during the day for a month or so, then did it in the morning too, so only 1 bf at night.  So,

12mo 4x bf/day (day feeds ebm in bottle)
13mo 3x bf/day (day feed ebm in bottle)
16mo 2x bf/day, soy milk during day (slow transition, mixing with ebm)
17mo 1x bf/day bedtime only, soy milk throughout rest of the day.

But that's just one example!  FWIW, the World Health Organization recommends staying on a minimum of 4 bfs per day until at least 10mo, but with no hurry to drop bfs at that point.  Remember that after 1 year, since milk is no longer the focus of their nutrition, it's also time to make the transition from milk as a *feed* in and of itself to more of a drink.  So if you're planning on weaning around that 1 year mark, you could start by bfing only morning and night and offering other milk through the day.  Once that's established, you could change one of the other feeds to milk, and once that's established you could drop the last one.  Ultimately, MPI or not, the actual process of weaning doesn't change that much, it's just what you're weaning to that changes.

Not sure if you saw this FAQ?  http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=157385.0  Some information there that you might find helpful

[Buntybear]

I hadn't considered going back to work  . I go back just before he is 12 months. I don't express and he doesn't take a bottle. Oh crickey 

[~ Vik ~]

Don't panic!  You've got loads of time yet   We got Dylan to take a bottle at 10mo, so it's possible!  Feel free to pop on over to the breastfeeding board if you need help or support with that, plenty of us have been there