BF and weaning - dropping feeds when/how?

[anna*]

For a while I thought that Stan (8 mos 1 week) was heading towards dropping his 11am BF, but that doesn't seem to be the case, so he's still having 5 good BFs every day (first thing, mid morning, mid afternoon, bedtime, and 9.45pm (we're working on dropping this one)).

My question is, I'm going back to work in a couple of months time, and I honestly don't think I'm going to be up to expressing twice a day at work, so I think by then he will need to be having formula for his daytime feeds and I will aim to keep BFing for his first and last milks of the day for as long as poss (I expect past 1 year).

Would you expect them to have dropped any daytime milk feeds by 10 months on their own anyway? I don't have a sense of what a 'normal' 12- or 10- or 8- month old milk and solids routine looks like, and how/when it changes.

anna
x

[lilmonkey]

Hi Anna,

How is his solids intake?  Does he likes cheese or yogurt?  Does he take well to a sippy or open cup?  Sorry for all the questions but they may help you decide on how you want to wean.  Some baby went from bfing straight to a cup/sippy without ever touching a bottle or drinking formula. 

I had wanted to go this route but ds had other ideas so here's what we did.  I replaced his mid afternoon feed (8mos) with a bottle of formula and he took it very well.  Then after a few weeks I replaced the mid morning.  I kept the morning and bedtime sessions until he was 11 mos and then by 12 mos, he weaned himself completely from the breast.   During all this time I have introduced cow's milk in his Cheerios and straw cup during meals.  He's not a big milk drinker but loves his cheese and yogurt and solids.  So he is getting his dairy requirements through his solids. 

HTH

[anna*]

Hi Mimi, thanks for the reply

He's eating well on solids. Usually has some kind of cereal with cows milk and fruit for breakfast, finger food for lunch (sometimes lots goes down, sometimes hardly anything) followed by a little yoghurt (which he love love loves) and then something mashed (veggie curry, pasta bolognese, lentils and cheese) for dinner with some fruit or a rusk. He really loves yoghurt and anything with cream cheese in. He loves drinking water from a sippy cup - I don't think he's even that thirsty, but loves to practise holding it for himself (such a big boy now!). He takes a bottle well (with EBM), but I have a vague memory of reading something that milk should be from a cup by 12 months? Can't remember why though?

anna
x

[lilmonkey]

It is suggested that babies should be on a sippy or cup by 12 mos but it isn't a MUST, kwim?  I think that it is due to the fear that some babies suck on a bottle all day long during their 2nd or 3rd year and this can cause tooth decay, speech impairment or bad teeth alignment.  But I wouldn't worry if your lo is not overly attached to a bottle.  DD was still on one bottle of cow's milk at bedtime till she was 18 mos.  I didn't worry as it was the only time she had it and she was very fast at finishing it (5 mins).