need to wean down a bit...few questions

[Xavier and Erica's mommy]

I read the info on http://www.kellymom.com  but really wanted to talk to you guys to get the real info LOL

I was just offered a  full time job to start Nov 7th.  Kind of out of the blue that this happened, but I believe this is the best thing for our family.  Right now Erica(almost 10 mos) is BF between 4 and 6 times a day (she just got over a cold and was eating all day long)  We are going to do a little dairy and soy challenge next week to see if it upsets her tummy at all.  She does not like soy formula, but has taken it once from a straw cup from dh with no reaction. 
My thought is this...I will be working 8-5 for Nov/Dec...then 7-3:30 after that. 
Can I do a feed at like 6am, just scoop her out of bed, feed in the dark, put her back down and then go to work, then feed when I get home and at bedtime?  Then on weekends do I need to follow the same schedule or can I feed at 11am also (don't want to confuse her)  We are looking at having the kids in outside daycare on Mondays and Wednesdays and home the other 3 days with dh/sitter. 
When do I need to start this process?  I've got 6 weeks here.  She just started going 10 hours at night and I hate to mess with that if I don't have to. 
I also really feel the need to do some diet and exercising for myself.  I'm a bit in a funk and I know this is what my body needs, so how may that factor in. 
My supply is finally back up, I'm off most supplements (blessed thistle helped, but gave me migraines and wieght gain)  so I'm just so confused and a bit stressed over all of this (but very excited also!) 
Thanks if you made it through this...I think I may be here alot in the next few weeks!
Hugs!

[momtomiya]

I was also worried about my daughter and getting her weaned as I am going back to work in December.  She would not take a sippy or a bottle. But I followed Tracy's advise in her book about feeding only bottle (also her solids) for two days and not offering breastfeeding.  It worked for us. She now takes a bottle at 3ish ( after her afternoon nap) of formula.  I am also going to introduce another bottle after her morning nap.  So I breastfeed her in the morning after her breakfast and at night before going to sleep. She is 9 months, by the way.  I was also pumping milk around 2 to give to dd, but I think I  might cut down on that pumping.  I hope this does not cut down on my milk supply. 
On weekends I continue the same routines I have during the week.
Hope this helps

[Erin (redstarfalling)]

If she won't take a bottle at all (although you might find a sippy will work for someone else eventually), and you can have a fairly flexible work schedule, I'd just nurse when you can fit it in.  Can you pump at work?  She'll be almost a year in December, right?  So she won't need so many feeds.

I personally didn't do too much prep ahead of time before starting work.  She'll be older then anyway, and things change so much.  By the time she's a year, she'll be eating more solids, she can have more dairy...the whole milk thing won't be as problematic.

I also have a different schedule on weekends and it doesn't seem to be confusing her at all.  Kids are smart.  As long as you maintain some sort of routine and maybe try to approximate the daycare days a bit, they can adapt!

[GraceKellysmom]

Hi! So glad to hear your supply is up! Woohoo!

6 weeks is a great amount of time to prepare both you and her. First question, do you plan to do any pumping at work to keep up your supply? How long do you hope to continue breastfeeding?

Around 11 months I started changing Grace's schedule because I knew I was losing my milk, being pg with Max. I started giving her breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner. She took two naps, between the snack and lunch, and between the snack and dinner. The snack was mostly carbs and fruit, she was milk intolerant too. At 11 months I introduced her to soy milk straight from a straw sippy cup (she had been drinking water from it previous) and she has been drinking soy milk since.

She dropped her nursings like this, first the before bed, then the first am, and then the two day time ones. I think you could easily do it the other way around - drop those day time ones instead. Just give her a snack and cup of milk instead of nursing. Changing the schedule slightly can help you with this if she resists.

Congrats on your new job!

[Xavier and Erica's mommy]

Since pumping has not been productive at all for me in the past 9 mos I most likely will not pump...but not sure yet. 
I Hope to keep BF through 1yr to 14 mos or so.  At her 1 year well child we will have RAST testing done for my peace of mind, the will have a better idea of what to do.  I think that I am ready to do more for me now and am ok if she completly weans on her own with this change.  I think the harder change for her is to be away from me everyday, so I am thinking nursing her 2-3 times a day will help her to feel secure and safe. (could be my guilt talking...but whatever works LOL)
I think she is doing OK with soy at this point...dairy will be hard to tell.  I had some sour cream last night (maybe a tablespoon at most) and spent the rest of the night on the toilet...so who knows if she will react to my reaction or the dairy itself. 
Thanks so much for the help so far, I will be here alot through this. 
Stacy...did she take to the soy milk right away or was it a few days of pushing it on her?

[rachelle]

Kalli turned a year this last week, and over the last week I have dropped her from 4 to 2 feeds.  We dropped the day time feeds, and she still nurses in the a.m. and before bed.  Although she's quite "attached" to my boobs, she was losing interest, I think because my supply had gone down due to pregnancy.  She started biting me often for fun (same thing kiandra did when I was pregnant with kalli), and we hadn't had biting issues at all, even with 6 teeth.  If I hadn't been pregnant, I had planned to nurse her for a few more months, but not forever.  But with the pregnancy, I just knew it was time to cut down, plus with my new job, etc.

With all that said  :oops: it's been hard for her...she is more clingy to me in the day, especially in the late afternoon.  She starts pulling at my shirt, etc.  Thankfully, she's not allergic to dairy, and has started drinking milk.  She wasn't a huge fan at first, but will drink some now.  She's been taking a sippy cup for a while now, so that helps. 

Anyways, I guess all that to say, take it slowly, you never know how she'll respond.  It's great that you are thinking ahead and have this 6 weeks to get her and you there.  I think that with all that time, you'll have it down by the time you start working!

[GraceKellysmom]

Jennifer - I really can't remember on the soy milk. I do remember flavoring it for her sometimes. She loves that strawberry syrup.  :oops:

When looking ahead to things like this, I always tell myself it is a trial basis. If it works, fantastic, if you change your mind, more power to ya!  :wink: 

Can't wait to hear about the RAST testing.

PS I have 'issues' with dairy and soy too, myself, sometimes more reaction than him now. Isn't that strange?  :roll: