Author Topic: WEANING thread...Come and share your experiences and offer support.  (Read 60034 times)

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Offline deenz

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Re: WEANING thread...Come and share your experiences and offer support.
« Reply #75 on: August 09, 2006, 10:06:24 am »
jennyb133 - What I did was to move the 10.30am feed to after lunch, and replace with a snack.  So you could end up with:

7am bf
7.30am breakfast
10.30am snack (eg. crackers and sippy of water)
12pm lunch
12.30pm bf
3pm snack (eg. banana and sippy of water)
4.30pm dinner
6.30pm bf

That is pretty much where we are still at (10.5mo).  I think at 1yr I will drop the lunch time bf.  Good to start introducing dairy, so that even if your lo is not so good initially at taking whole milk, he will still be getting calcium etc.

Offline elsa and jethro's mum

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Re: WEANING thread...Come and share your experiences and offer support.
« Reply #76 on: August 20, 2006, 13:06:49 pm »
Hi everyone,
I've tried looking through the board for answers to my questions (I'm sure I saw them before!) but couldn't find them so I'm asking again!
I have a nearly 1 year old who I'm BF twice a day (she lost interest in the daytime ones over the last month). I'm 19 weeks pregnant so my milk isn't all it used to be but we're doing ok! She has dairy in her diet and loves it, and happily drinks water from a sippy but really isn't keen on milk, which no matter what I try she lets dribble down her chin. she does the same with EBM interestingly. I've warmed it, mixed with water, yogurt, EBM... not sure what else to try! she's never had a bottle and I'd rather do it without if I can.
So my questions are:
1. how do I get her taking milk from a sippy?
2. what should I be aiming for? should she be having a snuggly sippy milk feed from me sitting on a chair together etc to replace the BF as we drop them, or should I just get milk into her during the day (eg at meals) and then get rid of those cuddly times so as to be less confusing?  :'( Should I be expecting her to sit and take a whole drink of milk at once? she's never done that other than BF. Or should I just let her sup on and off? I'm kind of less than comfortable with letting milk sit in a cup while she takes a whole day on and off to drink 4 oz!
3. How do I find out how much of her requirement she's getting from her diet in cereal cheese yogurt etc? I reckon it's quite a lot but surely she needs to drink milk as well??

I guess my problem is that having got this far with no bottles and just BF I'm not sure where I'm trying to get her to: either to being off the zoned out milky feeds altogether once we drop the BF or replacing them with something else... but maybe I need to just realise that as I stop BF her (which may not be for a while but I'd like it to be before I'm 30-34 weeks if my milk lasts) that'll be the end of those snuggly times. can't think about it!

any tips everyone?
thanks
L





Offline mrs_kat

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Re: WEANING thread...Come and share your experiences and offer support.
« Reply #77 on: August 21, 2006, 02:24:54 am »
Hey elsasmum, some of the ladies on the Aug/Sept 05 thread mentioned putting a little chocolate syrup or ovaltine (has vitamins) in the milk to get them used to drinking a good amount, then you could wean off the chocolate. 

I'm on my last week of breastfeeding my 12 month old and I know I will miss it too.  Normally she won't drink a whole lot of milk at once so I offer it at every meal and snack and sometimes in between (like when she first gets up from nap).  She hadn't had a bottle in months so she didn't care for trying to sit in my arms and drink, too confusing. 

As far as dairy intake, if your lo likes cheese and yogurt you should be in good shape.  My ped said they need a good amount of liquid and a good amount of dairy, but those don't necessarily have to be the same thing, KWIM?  As long as they're taking in lots of fluids and dairy in whatever form, they're doing well.

Good luck!
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Offline swiper

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Re: WEANING thread...Come and share your experiences and offer support.
« Reply #78 on: September 08, 2006, 20:02:03 pm »
hello ive posted on the soild board but ive just came across this board.
Ive got a 6 month dd who is eating 3 meals and drinking about 6/6.5 oz 4 times aday but my question is im not sure how much food she should be having as i think im over feedin her.

What I'm doing is giving her a jar of food which ive made myself.

Is this too much or not?

Offline lucmom

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Re: WEANING thread...Come and share your experiences and offer support.
« Reply #79 on: September 11, 2006, 02:36:34 am »
elsasmum -- we had the same issue with our LO, and we found that with some experimentation with different cups over the course of a week or two, our LO took to soy milk quite happily (it's sweeter than cow's milk)  I've heard that some moms try starting with vanilla soy milk or rice milk, as both are even sweeter.

I too, tried for the snuggly time with a cup, but LO decided that milk from a cup is more of a meal or moving around drink.  He drinks most of a 6 oz cup each morning, but it varies the rest of the day.  He doesn't even want a cup at night before bedtime. 

We started the switch to milk at 12 months and my final weaning was at 14...we'd gotten the cup-soy combo in place by about 13 months so it made the final weaning a bit easier.  He's 15 months old now and asks for milk and water directly, so we know what he wants.  He also eats lots of cheese and yogurt and dr has given us the ok for his dairy intake. 

I was really sad for the first couple months about the change in snuggly times, but in the last month, there have been big developmental changes and now he seeks me out to cuddle during the day or to read books or sometimes even to drink his milk, so although I still miss the BF closeness, it is replaced with something new that is also lovely.

Swiper, doesn't sound like too much if dd seems happy and healthy -- that's about how much mine was taking at 6 months -- check with dr if you're worried that it's too much for dd's system.

Offline owelley

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Re: WEANING thread...Come and share your experiences and offer support.
« Reply #80 on: September 11, 2006, 18:02:27 pm »
HI,  It's been a week now and dd has completely weaned herself from me.  I was completely devastated the first few days and my emotions nearly out of control.  Sigh...

Well now my boobs are hurting and I've been wearing sports bras because I like the support and my boobs are small anyway.
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Offline jennyb133

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Re: WEANING thread...Come and share your experiences and offer support.
« Reply #81 on: September 11, 2006, 20:07:11 pm »
Hi! Thanks for the advice on the dropping from 4 to 3 BF.  I'm still working on it, but just had my DS 9 mos. check-up last week & Dr. confirmed it's okay to drop to 3 BF, so that makes me feel better about it.  Now I'm having issues with a 4am wake, so I just posted on the sleep board  ::)  Anyways, I'll probably check in with all of you in a few months when it's time to transition down to 2 BF  :'(
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Offline Sherri123

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Re: WEANING thread...Come and share your experiences and offer support.
« Reply #82 on: September 13, 2006, 12:37:55 pm »
Hi my DS is just tuning 8 months old and I'm wondering how to wean him off my breast and instead take some formula ( personally i think it tastes gross)but i would like a little more freedom during the day and may half to go back to work yuckkk!! lol  I would like to feed only in the morning and at night . where do i start ?? i tried  some yesterday in his sippy cup around 1130 am and he was like whats this stuff ,he drank about one once and gave up...i ended giving him my breast again ..does this usually take some time?? what kind of Formula do you recommend ? he is not allergic to anything.I'm trying Good Start by Nestle...Please help  thanks Sherri
« Last Edit: September 13, 2006, 13:03:16 pm by Sherri123 »
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Offline elsa and jethro's mum

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Re: WEANING thread...Come and share your experiences and offer support.
« Reply #83 on: September 15, 2006, 08:58:02 am »
Thanks for your help.

Elsa's drinking 5-6oz happily straight down from a straw cup after her afternoon nap: I go in and give it to her in her cot. The straw cup was the key!
I'm not sure about weaning off the last 2 feeds... I feed from one side at a time, and the morning side is SO sore she doesn't seem to be able to latch on without using her teeth. so i'm trying to stop that but then keeping evening feed going until she gets fed up or until I'm 35ish weeks preg which ever comes sooner (currently 22W). She's only 12.5 months which is very early weaning in our extended family so it feels kind of weird... if I wasn't PG I'd definitely keep going till 15/16 months at least, but by then I'l have another LO to think about!
yesterday am she took milk from a cup in the morning perfectly happily and seemed like she wouldn't look back. today it was a different story she woke up earlier than usual, tired and cranky, and then got really distressed and asked for BF when I offered her milk: in the end I caved in (I know you're not supposed to!) so I hope she's not too confused. Its so hard when she's asking like that, and I guess I'm not exactly keen to wean her.
Is this normal: do others have this sometimes ok, sometimes not experience with weaning their LOs? how long does it take them to be "ok" about it? and how long then for them to be able to sit on your lap at that time of day but not remember what used to happen?





Offline lucmom

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Re: WEANING thread...Come and share your experiences and offer support.
« Reply #84 on: September 15, 2006, 18:43:33 pm »
elsasmum,

It took mine a few days for each of the last weanings.  He would gesture to where we'd sit or pull at my shirt, and I would tell him, "no, not now (or all gone), but you can have some milk" and divert him quickly, and within a couple days, we could sit in same chair at same time and he was fine.  I don't know if age or gender of child makes a big difference; I've heard that it can as well as their individual personalities.

Offline MGardner

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Re: WEANING thread...Come and share your experiences and offer support.
« Reply #85 on: September 18, 2006, 14:01:31 pm »
I am very confused about weaning, specifically just how to do it? I am a working mom and have been pumping but am finding it more and more difficult. At the same time my DS is not getting used to the bottle since he only has it 3 days a week at daycare (I'm home with him the other 2 working days). So I'd like to start weaning slowly, I have reached my goal of breastfeeding to 6months. I'm wondering if I could wean slowly for like another 2 months until fully done. Or will my milk supply suffer if I wean that slowly making that impossible? I'd like to first wean the daytime feeds and start giving formula. I was thinking like a bottle of half formula and half expressed milk and start to only pump during my work day instead of twice and give these bottle during the day even when I am home with him. I will still BF the first morning feed and before bed feed. But i'm worried my milk supply will suffer since i'll only pump once during the day? So I'm nervous to start this. MY plan was to do this for a couple weeks and then drop pumping all together and give bottles of formula only during the day, still BFing in the morning and night. IS this realistic? Then I could slowely move to bottles for the morning and night. Am I on the right track with how to do this or am I totally not doing this right? I guess I"m just afraid to get started because I"m afriad of my milk supply...

Offline Samuel's mum

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Re: WEANING thread...Come and share your experiences and offer support.
« Reply #86 on: September 19, 2006, 12:51:20 pm »
You don't sound confused to me!
You sound like you have thought about it carefully.

Yup, pump less and give mixed feeds initially. Then move to no pumping and just bf at morning and night. Then slowly move to bottles.

I would have thought a 2 month time frame is generous and certainly achieveable. You will find your supply changes but that is in fact the point! ;)

You want it to be reducing so that by the end you aren't fit to explode. Slowly is always good. You should find your body is able to adjust to only feeding twice a day (many feed twice a day for months). If you feel very anxious about having enough for your morning and night feeds a few weeks in you could always have a bottle available to top him up after if you really feel he isn't satisfied but I bet you'll be fine.
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Offline MGardner

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Re: WEANING thread...Come and share your experiences and offer support.
« Reply #87 on: September 19, 2006, 13:48:00 pm »
Great! Thanks for the confidence, I feel a lot better about my weaning schedule. I just feel sometimes I am making things up as I go along with my mothering. But I am learning that there is no black and white clear instructions when it comes to raising your child. It's a wierd feeling that now it is the point to have my milk supply lessen since for 6 months now all I think about is bulking up my milk supply. I'll respond to this forum as I go along to tell people about my weaning experience! Thanks again

Offline Anna & Baby Caleb's Mommy

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Re: WEANING thread...Come and share your experiences and offer support.
« Reply #88 on: September 19, 2006, 22:21:58 pm »
hi,
maybe someone can help me with a few questions.  first some background info.  i worked very hard to bf successfully and ran into many challenges that would have sent others running to the bottle...for that i am personally proud.  i never thought we'd make it this far (even though lo is still quite little, almost 4 months) and everyday i bf has been a personal triumph :P  that said...i did introduce bottles of ebm in the 4th week per Tracy's advise (she's brilliant of course :-*) and dh gave evening bottle, 1 per day, until blocked tear duct which led to syringe feeding, too many bottles and then a refusal of both pacifier/bottle, all this around 2 months.  i think it coincided with a growth spurt/decline in milk production due to illness and i ended up nursing round the clock for many days, he was making up for lost calories, i was human pacifier, we weren't yet on Easy, growth spurt, decline in milk, etc.  well, it was too much for me and i was beginning to feel negatively and had been pumping in between feeds well i was exhausted and decided to stop pumping and just do daily bottle (when he eventually took one again) with formula.  i wanted to wean at this point but the daily ff gave me a break and then we did two and then three (i was weaning and it was working) but i decided that i enjoyed the balance and had nothing but positive feelings and gratitude for our bf at that point.  well, fast forward two months and one formula switch (last one he did not like, took on avg. a two ounce bottle at three months :o) and now he loves his new formula.  here's my question (sorry so much info, hee hee):  now he nurses for barely 5 minutes and drains his bottles.  i have upped his bottles to 4 oz and he drinks them well, but still bobbing on and off boob.  i should tell you i am lopsided and producing very little on one side, i have known this for two months and tried to remedy to no avail.  the other boob seems plentiful, but he doesn't seem to stay on long.  the other night for the first time ever, he refused the breast and then drained a 4 oz bottle...after only 1 hour 45 minutes since his last bf.  he never goes too much longer than 2.5 hrs between feeds but he seemed real hungry at 1 hr 45 min.  do you think my ds likes his new milk so much that he's showing preference for bottle?  do you think 5 min. on one boob and 2-3 on the less plentiful boob is too little for a full feed? is he self-weaning?  i was planning to wean slowly but completely when i introduced solids @ 5-6 months.  it's ok if he is self-weaning...not sure i have enough milk because of lopsided boob and he's bigger now and i NEVER  wanted to do mother-led weaning :'( but of course it's emotional either way.  if anybody has food for thought i would greatly appreciate it!  :-*


Offline mrs_kat

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Re: WEANING thread...Come and share your experiences and offer support.
« Reply #89 on: September 20, 2006, 02:35:50 am »
Just to clarify, could you post approximate times and feeds?  I don't think I have a good understanding of which feeds are bf and which are ff. 

Between four and five months, we transitioned to feeding at 8:30a, 12:30p, 4:30p, 8:30p, and about 5:00a.  Although I primarily bf'd and only gave bottles if we were out and about, I remember her taking 6 ounces from a bottle.  She's on the small side too, so I don't think that was an outrageous amount.  I guess I'm just wondering if maybe Caleb is hungry enough to take a bigger bottle, which may help him last longer before the next feed. 

Another thing with us was that dd would bf for about 4-5 minutes per side and seemed to get enough to hold her over until the next feed.  So an 8-10 minute total bf was the equivalent of about 6 ounces of formula.  So I don't think the length of the bf is an issue as much as whether or not he seems to get enough to tide him over.
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