WEANING thread...Come and share your experiences and offer support.

[sunkissed]

Hi everyone…just had a few questions about weaning my 11 month old. 

Right now he nurses 4x a day.  I’m going back to work soon so he will be starting daycare so I will have to change the 2 days feedings.  I’m just not sure what I’m suppose to replace these feedings with…cows milk or breast milk?  is it better to start with breast milk and just give it to him in a sippy cup?  (He drinks water from a sippy cup now)  And if I give him breast milk from a sippy do I warm it up?  Sorry if that’s a stupid question I just have no idea how I’m suppose to do this 

Thanks for the help

[Erin (redstarfalling)]

It really depends what he and you are most comfortable with. Are you planning to continue nursing in the morning and at night?  Most areas recommend waiting until about a year old to start cow's milk - so as he's close, you could decide to go that way or provide breastmilk by pumping.  If he takes water from a sippy, he might be fine with the milk that way too.  I personally have moved away from warming it up....you don't tend to once they get older anyway.  You can see if he likes it or not!  Let me know if you have more questions. 

[Harpersmom]

So my ds is 18 mo old and teething up a storm right now.  We have been nursing at bedtime and in the early am around 3am give or take.  We have had some off times with the 3am feed but it always seems to settle back.  My problem right now is that he is waking early in the night due to teeth around midnight and just won't settle.  He only wants to nurse.  But nursing just isn't right.  He isn't nursing out of hunger so he is latching weird.  Moving his hands around which interferes with latching and most of all the lazy nursing just feels weird.  I can't stand the feeling and it makes me cringe.  I don't like these feelings with nursing.  Last night I had to make him stop which led to hysterics but he eventually settled.  But he doesn't wake back up at 3am for a hunger feed he just wakes at 5am for good.  Ugh.

I wouldn't mind continuing the nf if it seemed necessary or if he was really into it but this weird latching I can't take.  So how long will it take to get him off nf and what am I in for?  I really want to keep the bedtime nurse for now if my milk and ds will keep it up. 

I know teething is a contributer but I don't know how much and I don't know how it will affect weaning.  When it seems like he wants it more right now for comfort.

Any tips or suggestions would really help.  Thanks.

[Erin (redstarfalling)]

Do you give him any meds for teething?  I know that infant motrin works great for my lo.  You might do best to try and cut that nf altogether....you could still do a bed time nurse, but work with pu/pd or walkin/walkout to try and get him to resettle without nursing....

[Harpersmom]

Thanks,  I give him teething tabs and drops but I really don't want to do the motrin.  I will work on dropping the nf.  I hope I manage but I guess if we are going to be up with teeth anyway it is as good a time as any to work on dropping the feed.  This way it is all lost sleep at once for me.  I hope this doesn't add to emotional stress though.  The pain cry is so different from the sobbing cry when I won't let him nurse.    The sobbing cry just stings.

[Erin (redstarfalling)]

This way it is all lost sleep at once for me. 

Great way of looking at it! 

You can also look at gradually decreasing the amount of time you nurse him at night.  Or you could offer a sippy cup of milk or water (my lo loves to chew a bit on it when her teeth are bugging her).

[Harpersmom]

Thanks.  Update...  Last night he woke around 12:45am and I gave him teething drops.  He asked to have his diaper changed but didn't ask to nurse after.  I just held him and swayed till he was calm and then laid him in his crib and kept my hand on him for a bit.  I was back in bed by 1:05am.  Yeah for easy night although he did wake at 5:30am.  I have decided not to move that nf to wake up to keep from confusing things so we are on just bedtime nurse.  I hope we have good nights from here out and never go back. 

[Erin (redstarfalling)]

Here's hoping!! 

[marblelicious]

I need some advice. My 10.5 month old is not making the weaning from the breast easy. I have been getting my nanny to offer him the 4:30pm feed in a sippy cup (which he loves drinking water from) w/ formula for the past few weeks, but he still hates it and usually makes a big fuss and cries. On a good day he would finish 2/3 of the sippy cup, sometimes he takes just 1/3 of the full cup.

I am going away in December with the hubby for 2 weeks, without him, so I need to wean him completely in 2 months time, and I am worried that I can't get him off the breast in time. I am concerned about him not getting enough milk b/c apparently his pediatrician said that he didn't gain weight from month 8 to month 10 (he grew 3 cm in height and always has good soiled diapers however) so this weaning process is even more difficult for me emotionally b/c of this. I am even thinking of cancelling our trip (first vacation in 2 years!) to go away b/c I can't stand the thought of him not taking milk for 2 weeks just b/c I am going to be away.

The question is should I be weaning him off another feed in the late morning before this 4:30pm feed becomes established with the sippy cup or should I wait until the afternoon feed is more established first before I introduce another feed in the cup w/ formula? Will babies not drink any alternate source of milk if breast milk is not available from mommie??? Thanks so much in advance...

[lisi's mum]

I could never persuade dd to drink very much from a sippy and have ended up resorting to a normal cup for everything and a bottle for milk. For us it was the only way. At 10.5 months you could cut back to 3 feeds a day, but milk still should be his main source of calories for the next 6 weeks or so, not that something magic happens in 6 weeks, but it's better to err on the side of caution!

As far as the weight gain goes, I wouldn't worry too much - he probably got a whole lot more active, it's ok as long as he doesn't actually loose any. Keep an eye more on the diapers.

I think your first step is to experiment a bit with the milk source, another brand of sippy, cup... and be assured that in my experience babies behave almost always WAY better when mummy isn't around than when she is, don't cancell your vacation just yet!

[marblelicious]

Thanks so much Lisi's mum for your advice. The thing is he loves the sippy cup for his water (he likes water from anything really) so I thought I'd offer the milk in it too, but he doesn't always take it from the sippy. We have started to try feeding him milk with the playtax straw cup which his big brother uses, and he seemed to like his juice and milk in it today. so we will try again tomorrow and see if maybe he decided to like the straw cup.

I also find lately he's not that into drinking milk from me either, he would fuss about it first and want to play with something in his room first before he would drink from me. I think he's just crazy about playing right now and is way too distracted. B/c he refuses to drink me from me or the cup during the day I find I am also having to deal with him waking up at night to drink from me...after the doctor's visit I felt terrible about him not putting on weight so I have been giving in to him and letting him drink in the middle of the night. he gets up 2-3 times a night to do this, but I don't know how else to make him drink more during the day!

Thanks for your reassurance, other moms too said if he's having dirty diapers around the clock and even though he's not gaining weight, he should be doing ok. you know how pediatricians can scare you sometimes.

And no I am not cancelling my vacation!! I am determined that something will happen by the end of Dec!!

[lisi's mum]

Distraction is very frustrating, during your bfs have you tried wearing a necklace or something for him to play with at the same time? It may help a bit. Or you could try feeding (breast or bottle) when he's sleepy, he may be a bit more willing to sit still for the cuddle.

I think peds are put on the earth to scare us  sometimes you have to take what they say with a pinch of salt and go with your instincts!

[marblelicious]

hi Katie, I am going to try both the necklace while doing the bfs and giving him the bottle when he's sleepy. I know he's better at bf when he's sleepy that's for sure. thanks again!

[marblelicious]

hi there again, I have had no success...he just doesn't take anything else except for the boobs...

The pediatrician told me just to go cold turkey when he turns a year. what is your advice on that???

[Erin (redstarfalling)]

The pediatrician told me just to go cold turkey when he turns a year. what is your advice on that???

That certainly wouldn't be MY advice!  You'd have to pump anyway, to avoid getting too engorged and run the risk of plugged ducts and mastitis! I'd just keep trying and keep offering alternatives...