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

[hokie97]

Thanks for your response. I wanted to stop nursing by a year old.  Since I'm already 3 days into it, I am going to stick it out but it's been very emotional and hard on me. I think it's been hard on my son too (for obvious reasons!) although I loved the bonding time with nursing, it was hard to not be able to go anywhere since my son refused a bottle with breast milk in it.  As a result, we've been attached at the hip for the last 11 mos. I've loved it for the most part but there were times that a bottle would have been nice so I could go somewhere with my husband w/o worrying if I'm home in time to feed him before bed, etc. 

I've been pumping for the same time he would nurse (10 minutes 3x a day) since I stopped. However I have only been getting 2oz total!  My son never seemed hungry when I was nursing so now I'm wondering how much he was even getting from me. Granted, I didn't clock watch when he was nursing but I am clock watching with pumping so as not to increase my supply.  I'm not really engorged anymore though so I can probably wind down pumping by the end of this week.

What I was thinking of doing is giving him the breastmilk I'm pumping until I'm no longer producing. Then give him the bit I have in the freezer. My dr. (who I like but also am skeptical of at times) said I could give him whole milk in 2 wks when he's 11.5 mos old. He's eaten baby yogurt, cottage cheese and regular cheese w/o problems. Thoughts?

[Erin (redstarfalling)]

Usually around a year old it's considered safe to give cow's milk, provided your child has a well balanced diet.  Plus or minus a couple of weeks won't make much difference!  Your plan sounds great.  Has he started drinking from something other than you now?

[MomofCharlie]

Hi! New to this thread and just read back a few pages... My LO is 10 months old, and has been exclusively BF'ed. He eats solids 3X a day, and nurses morning, after both naps, and before bed. I'd like to cut out one of the BFs, with a final goal of weaning him around 12 to 14 months. He hasn't had a bottle nor formula since his first week of life when we were struggling with getting BF started. He uses a sippy cup for little sips of water occasionally, and would like to use the sippy cup for the feeding that will replace the BF I want to drop (I'm assuming here that the BF I'll drop should be replaced with a formula feeding??).
I guess I'm asking whether this is the right way to go about it.... I've always BF'ed in the same place on the sofa in the living room. Should I formula feed him elsewhere? How do I get him to want to drink more than just a few sips from the sippy cup? Also, any other advise you wise ladies can send my way...

And one other question about previous posts... what does SA stand for?

Thanks in advance!

Allison

[Aly Mac]

Hi Allison, you know you don't have to replace a bf at this age with a formula, you could add a snack.  3 feeds a day is quite normal at this age.  we did drop the mid morning feed at around 12months so we started with some cow's milk, but that was more of a routine thing, so she was still getting a drink.  you don't have to do it this way.

jump in anyone if I am talking out of my ear wont' you 

[MomofCharlie]

Hi, Aly Mac,
I actually didn't know that... I'm so nervous about making a change... he's pretty stuck on his routine, so maybe I will keep the feed with formula. If he rejects the formula, maybe I'll pump and then mix it with more and more formula every day. Why am I so nervous about this?? I feel like he's going to freak out. It's not that I'm sad to be ceasing BF, as I'll still be doing it 3X a day... Hmmm...

[Aly Mac]

it's normal to be nervous about it. now dont' take that I'm opposed to formula, but i really dont think you need to go there, if you don't want to.  3 bf a day is quite ok, and enough. alot of ff bubs are on 3 a day by that age. what I did was started to wean the feeds at 12months. that way i could supplement with cows milk in the transition as I didnt' see the point in going to formula as she didn't need it.  so I dropped the mid morning at 12months, then at 13 months the mid afternoon.  so by 14 months she was only on morning and night, and still is...

just a thought - maybe start a new thread in bf about how many bf a day, to see what responses you get.  I'm sure there will be other thoughts out there that may suit you better.

[MomofCharlie]

Thanks, Aleesa,
Well, I gave him a sippy cup with half breastmilk, half formula yesterday. It had 3 oz in it; he drank 2 without much hesitation. It worked so well, I think I'll keep that up for a week or so and then maybe gradually reduce the amount I'm offering to get rid of that feeding. I think, though, that I'll wait til he's a year to make the rest of the transition, as you did, with cow's milk. Thanks so much!!

Allison

[Jacob's Mommy]

Hi - I plan to wean DS soon, in fact if i can, i would like to start now and for some reason am soo anxious about it (i think even though i'm trying to mentally prepare for it,  my heart is not willing to let go yet) !! 

Anyway DS is grumpy baby who is about 11 mths.  I am wondering a few things:
1.  Can i start weaning him on cow's milk and skip the formula - maybe starting from one feed
2.  Currently i try to give him 4 feeds a days (7am, 11am, 3pm,7pm) but most of the time he'll only take the 7am and 7pm feed and we're struggling with the 11am and 3pm.  Maybe he's trying to tell me to cut down, so would that mean that i drop 1 feed?

Thank so much for your help!

[Aly Mac]

sherry in my experience that is exactly what I did, and it was very much the same routine (except 6am and 6pm). personally I think some cow's milk at 11months is ok, esp if he has been having it in other things.  though, i would recomend you ask your dr/ped as I am not one of those!!

[Lizer3]

My DS is hurting me !! I need to wean him and I don't want him to be angry with me. He is only BF at 6:30 and at about 7pm.  Should I just get up with him at 6:30 when he wakes up and try to feed him breakfast or should I not give him his good night BF?  I don't want to just take it away from him. He doesn't really like cow's milk so far but he hasn't had too much of it still.

Thank you very much for your time,
Elizabeth

[Aly Mac]

Oh Hugs Elizabeth!

how old is your lo?  and what's he doing to hurt you?

[Lizer3]

He bites down on my left nipple and pulls off whenever he decides he is done with that side.   I try to take him off before he does that but he just clamps down anyway. Samuel just turned 1 year old three days ago.     I didn't give him is morning feeding and he has been the little turd all day lol.  I hope everything will be ok and he won't hate me forever.   

[Aly Mac]

he won't hate you forever hun    ARe you giving some milk in a sippy as a substitute?  lots of cuddles too will help (both of you  )

I have been thru a few bouts of Lilly biting me and it's normally because it wasn't coming in quick enough.  I can give you some tips if you still wish to continue, that may help.  If not, that's ok.  You've done a great job at a year!!  And so has Samuel. Don't be hard on yourself, he loves you..xxx

[Samuel's mum]

He really won't hate you forever! You are mummy and he loves you above everything. He might be a bit confused for a while but it will pass. In the longer term if you do want to continue we can give some tips. But if this is the right time he'll adjust surprisingly quickly. Lots of extra cuddles and reassurance.

[MomofCharlie]

Hi, ladies,
We're now down to 3 BF a day, but his sleep has gone out the window (night sleep, that is). I'm wondering whether I should give him that 4th feeding? Maybe he's waking (we slept only 2 hours last night) because he's hungry. Someone on the night wakings board suggested it. What do you think?

Allison