weaning at 8 months (?)

[artemis68]

I've been breastfeeding steady for 8 months, and introduced solids at 6-7 months, and my baby is really thriving.  I unfortunately, am not.  My doctor has advised me to wean him because I am blood and spleen deficient, anemic and I'm having severe dizzy spells for 2 months.  I started mentruating when he was only 6 weeks old, and have had very heavy periolds, one lasting 2 weeks.  Does anyone have any experience with this, or advice.  I know he still loves to breastfeed, especially in the morning and at night, but also loved eating solids.  Could I begin to replace the breatmilk with formula, what about Baby's Only or Horizons?  Can someone help me understand how to wean him in a way that is comfortable for him, is very gradual better?  He is so happy right now, I hate to do this, but I'm 37 and need to recuperate my body to have a second eventually.
alyssa

[daisymelan]

Alyssa,

{{{{{{hugs}}}}}} to you and congrats on 8 great months.

Gradual is best and more for you than for your little one.  You will want to slowly wean so your supply can adjust and you are not engorged.  You should try offering one bottle a day to start.  Does your lo take a bottle?  If so, you can start by mixing breat milk and formula at about a ratio of 1 breastmilk to 3 or 4 formula.  This will get your little one used to the flavour.  I had the best luck with Similac Advance, but now it doesn't matter as his palate has expanded. 

My son didn't remember how to breastfeed today and I weaned him maybe 6 days ago.  I was just testing to see if he would and all he did was grab at me.  I think it's harder on the mother at this age than it is on the little one.

Here is a link for weaning support as well.

https://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=58342.0

Hope all goes well for you.  Expect some strange emotions, weaning is quite hormonal.

[CaedensMama]

Alyssa -
Couple thoughts, first if you really don't want to wean and want to try some other alternatives, maybe check LaLeche League for a group in your area that may be able to help or check out the LaLecheLeaguecom and Kellymom.com websites for help. I don't know of anything specfically, but maybe there are some supplements or such that you could try.
If you feel ready to wean, maybe it is best and 8 months is wonderful for your LO! I would advise a gradual weaning for sure, it will be much less painful for you!
The above website would have some good weaning tips as well.
Does your LO take a bottle now with breast milk? If so, maybe offer the bottle with half and half, breast and formula to get him used to the new milk. Keep in mind your LO will need milk, formula or breast milk till at least a year in addition to continuing the solids.
Maybe you could partially wean and just keep a feed or two, maybe before bed and first thing in the morning and supplement the rest of the feeds.
Can you add some iron supplements and see if that helps at all?

[artemis68]

thankyou for the tips,
I have been taking a really good form of iron supplement for a while, Floradix.  But I will call La Leche also and get some advice.  I was wondering if I try the breastmilk/formula mix once a day, do you recommend trying that in the middle of the day, and if so is it ok for me to give it to him, or someone else.  I am home alone during the day.  I don't know if that would upset him or not to not nurse him.  Also if I just do the night and morning feedings, will I still have a milk supply sufficient enough for those feedings? 
Do you recommend mixing breastmilk into the solid foods, because when I don't he gets constipated, and has to work really hard for a small little rock.  I've been experimenting with mixing it a bit with water instead of juice because its too sugary.
alyssa

[daisymelan]

Sorry, I don't have any advice on the constipation.  You could try the weaning board and see if someone can help you better there.

[CaedensMama]

The water will help the constipation I would think, maybe you could even mix a small amount of prune juice if you dr thinks that would be okay.
I have heard that babies need about a tablespoon of water (not just milk) a day once they start solids to help with digestion, so maybe work on the water end and see what happens.

You can mix formula and breast as much as you like - or you could give all formula and all breast at differing times.
Your body should adjust within a week or so to doing just one or two feeds a day, I have known ladies that just do these 2 for awhile before weaning completly.
As for him being upset with you giving the bottle and not nursing, play with it and see how he does. He may be upset at first, but try offering when he just wakes and is still sleepy, they sometimes take better then. Or if he is refusing all together, maybe get him used to someone else giving it - DH,DP, friend or mom? Then maybe switch once he gets the hang of it and you can try again. They will often take much better when the boobies aren't right there! 
Hope that helps!

[artemis68]

Thanks,
I'll try your suggestions.  I would like to try again with the BW methods.  First time flopped cause I didn't have it together.  He is doing so well lately with his sleep and nap schedule, I hate to mess up a good thing, but waiting too long will just make it harder, and he's been pacifying on me to get to sleep at night.  Tonight it took 2 hours, and I get really exhausted.  The question is, do I wean first and then try teaching him to go to sleep on his own, or vice versa, because I dare not do both at the same time.  He loves to be nursed and soothed and sung too at night, will trying this method of Tracy's be emotionally traumatic for him in any way.  Last time I tried he was hysterical for several days, and I had a nervous breakdown.  Any advice.
just curious, what does DH DP and DS stand for?
alyssa

[daisymelan]

DH:  dear husband
DP:  dear partner
DS:  dear son

I don't think any methods are traumatic, but your son is older than most when they start sleep training, but that's ok.

It depends on what you want to do more I think.  I don't think there is a right or wrong way of choosing. 

I will find a sleep mod and see what she suggests.

[Samuel's mum]

Re- sleep.
I would say wean first and see how sleep is affected before going full on with the sleep 'training'. Patterns do change once a baby is weaned.

[CaedensMama]

Re- sleep.
I would say wean first and see how sleep is affected before going full on with the sleep 'training'. Patterns do change once a baby is weaned.

That's what I was thinking too - I would say since you are working on the weaning anyway, so that first and perhaps the sleeping will get better on its own or you can work with it once you are into what you want to be doing long term anyway.

Let us know how things go!

[teezee]

i do agree if you really feel you need to wean your lo at this point worry about one thing at a time. see how or if sleep is affected and then deal with that later. i have heard that lo's can get constipated by formula and i would also suggest water...as my dd was bf and constipated i gave her LOTS of water from 6 months (at least a few oz a day) and lots of fruit...are you sure there isn't anyway that you can continue bfing?..that is if you do want to? have you exhausted all options with your dr?? i am still trying to get my dd to even occasionally take formula since i am not able to pump enough anymore for her to eat while i am out and away from her and she still refuses formula (she took it for about a week but then won't touch it anymore..) so from exp that is a very stressful task in itself on top of everything else you are now going through.