Author Topic: Need help with a weaning plan for 15 month old  (Read 1181 times)

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Offline momma.bear

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Need help with a weaning plan for 15 month old
« on: December 12, 2013, 11:35:48 am »
My son will be 15 months tomorrow. He currently gets a bf before bed and wakes up once at night for one, between 3 and 5am. He used to have a lot more NFings but we're now down to just one. I'm going away next week for two days, and have decided that I'm going to stop nursing. My mom will be looking after him. I am just looking for suggestions in terms of how to transition. The bed time feeding likely won't be hard to cut out, but the feeding between 3 and 5am is probably going to be a struggle. I do have extra breast milk in the freezer, but even if my mom gives this to him in a sippy (he won't take a bottle), I doubt he'll want it. He just likes nursing.
So I guess what I'm looking for is a plan. The night before I go away, should I cut out the bed time feed? Or two nights before? And then increase his cow's milk that day? (He's currently drinking between 6-9 oz a day). It can be a chore to get him to drink cow's milk...
He is a big boy, and he eats like all day long. I'm a tiny bit worried of how he's going to make up for all the lost calories from his two nursing sessions. But I do want to stop nursing, and think the best time is when I'm gone and won't be tempted to feed him. Then just allow my milk to dry up. Suggestions welcome!!!


Offline *Ali*

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Re: Need help with a weaning plan for 15 month old
« Reply #1 on: December 13, 2013, 23:48:08 pm »
I would probably just wait until you go. When you wean he will likely need more comfort and hugs from you so going away the next day or a couple days later will probably be harder on him. If you aren't there he will likely just not ask as he knows he can only ask you and so your mum can resettle him with a hug or back rub for example. Then when you come home you can say the milk is gone and you will be there to comfort him in a different way through the upset.

 I went away for 2 nights when my DS2 was 13mo and he was still having a NF around 5am and then back to sleep for an hour or two. My husband just resettled him fine without me there even though I tended to do all the NWs before that even if I wasn't feeding. I weaned him off the NFs a couple months later but continued with the day feeds.

Your LO will make up for the lost milk in the day eventually. It might take a week or more but it will happen.

I know I posted this on the extended feeding thread yesterday as well. Have you made any decisions yet?
Cadan Dec 2009 and Colby Aug 2011


Offline momma.bear

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Re: Need help with a weaning plan for 15 month old
« Reply #2 on: December 14, 2013, 00:24:46 am »
I was hoping to get a bit more advice before I made a decision. My gut feeling was telling me just go with our regular feeding schedule and he'll learn that when I'm gone, so is my milk!


Offline *Ali*

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Re: Need help with a weaning plan for 15 month old
« Reply #3 on: December 14, 2013, 00:26:45 am »
Sounds good to me. Maybe others who have been through the same thing will pop on with their experiences too.
Cadan Dec 2009 and Colby Aug 2011


Offline Fiver

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Re: Need help with a weaning plan for 15 month old
« Reply #4 on: December 14, 2013, 21:31:18 pm »
FWIW I'd do the same. The nights I wad away from DD she didn't take a bottle and slept all night
*** Amanda ***




Offline momma.bear

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Re: Need help with a weaning plan for 15 month old
« Reply #5 on: December 15, 2013, 21:37:56 pm »
Okay, I'm torn. DS is cutting his eye teeth right now, and bfing is so soothing to him. He's been waking up often after 45 minutes during his nap, and the only thing that calms him is nursing, and then he goes back to sleep. TBH, I am not ready to quit. I still like nursing him, it's easy, and good for him. But I don't want him be nursing forever either. I'd like to quit around 18 months, but think it'd be so much easier to do it earlier and when he's away from me. Just looking for thoughts. Also, he has only been drink 2-3 ounces of cow's milk a day the past few days, that's down from 8 oz that he normally has. I'm worried too that he won't drink enough milk if I quit nursing, and when I nurse him it's just not something I have to worry about.


Offline Fiver

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Re: Need help with a weaning plan for 15 month old
« Reply #6 on: December 15, 2013, 21:46:34 pm »
FWIW, DD doesn't like plain cow milk, but she does eat her fair share of yoghurt and cheese.  It all counts.
*** Amanda ***




Offline momma.bear

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Re: Need help with a weaning plan for 15 month old
« Reply #7 on: December 15, 2013, 21:57:18 pm »
I know, it's just that milk has protein, good fats and all kinds of vitamins etc. and I'm a little anal :) With nursing, I know he's getting all he needs