Advice on Weaning - Arvada, CO

Hi K.,
I just finished weaning my daughter, who is almost 9 months. It actually was not as bad as I had thought. We just took it slow... I was pumping so the first couple weeks I just took out a pumping session (so she was getting formula at day care instead of breast milk - - sounds like you would do milk). Then we switched her after work "snack" to a bottle. After 2 weeks of that, we switched her morning meal to a bottle, etc. The last to go was bedtime and (if needed) the 4 am feeding). Good luck!

At 10 months your baby isn't really ready to wean... It is recomended that you nurse till he is a least a year, two is even better. The milk you produce provides much better nutition than any solid food you can feed him. And the snuggle time you spend with him gives him much more.

This is a perfect time for weaning, you can start the process now and make the one year mark! So are you down to three now? Usually the last ones to go are the before bed and morning. You have about six weeks here so maybe cut one for one week, probably the afternoon or mid morning if you are still doing those. Just do it gradually that way your milk will dry up in a healthy way and you can avoid problems there. Definately no formula and also NO BOTTLES! Introduce a sippy cup now that way you can just avoid the bottle all together! Just keep introducing it at every meal weather it is the milk or juice or even water. If you can make it to the one year mark that is a big accomplishment! And this is a good time to wean because babie's this age are more ambiable to this! In adddition breast milk is not sufficient nutrtion after one year.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding for a year and beyond. I would wait until he is 12 months to wean. I wonder if you may have to do formula if you don't.

If he nurses for comfort, make sure he has another "lovey" to fall back on. Introduce one before you start to wean.

When you are ready eliminate one feeding at a time over the course of a month or so. When one feeding is eliminated, work on the next. This will help him adjust, but should also help you with engorgement.

Make sure you don't leave his favorite feeding for last. You can eliminate a feeding by distracting him. If he asks to nurse, say "Let's read a book!" or "Have some applesauce..." Cover your breasts as much as possible (this is not the time for cleavage shirts!!) so he doesn't see them.

I would really advise against starting a bottle for milk or a paci - these are just new habits to break later.

Good job for nursing for so long and good luck! My daughter was the biggest comfort nurser on record and weaned at 20 months. Now she watches her little bro nurse and has no memories of ever doing it. :)

We dropped a feeding a week. We hit one hard feeding, and a friend suggested either a bit of yogurt or milk with a touch a chocolate as a substitute. It worked well. Our first son did better than I did with weaning once we did the substitutes. Our second son dropped cold turkey when I dropped the second feeding. I have a friend who does a weekend get away (3 days) and does it cold turkey. Milk is gone when she gets home. We thought we were going to have to do that method with #2, but he surprised us. GL! Hope it goes well!

Within 2 months of introducing the bottle (whether it was formula or whole milk), both of my kids weaned themselves and started just taking the bottle and no longer ME. My daughter was 11 months, but my son was only 7 months (due to daycare). We also introduced sippy cups at the same time - with water. They seeemed to like the idea of something to knaw on while teething, but they were also able to drink from it. I would give it to them after they had eaten solid foods (instead of a bottle). Then I saved the bottles for nap (initially), and then also at bed time. I think it was easier for them to adjust than it was for me.

something that worked well for me was to plan a fun activity that overlapped the nursing time so that my son was so distracted that he forgot about nursing. for the bedtime nursing, we went to a basketball game. he was having so much fun with the game, cousins and grandparents, the train ride, big city sites, etc. that he didn't even care to finish the cup of milk i'd brought. by the time we got in the car, it was way past his bedtime and he fell asleep right away. the next time he indicated that he wanted to nurse, i just told him he didn't need it because he was so big, handed him a nuby cup of milk and his blankies and read him some books on my lap. i was amazed at how well it had worked, especially because he is my clingiest child so far. for the naptime nursing, i arranged to be out of the house for some naps so that he'd be dependent on dad and the cup of milk for comfort and food and realize that that was ok.

If he is nursing to sleep then that is the biggest thing you need to focus on as that is two habits to break at once. Maybe cut down the nap one then the bed one.

He probably still needs the nutrition from you if you aren't doing formula so I would stop nursing at bedtimes and maybe do it an hour or two before nap or bed, so he breaks the cycle of nursing to get to sleep. Then take away the nap one then the bedtime one. Never nurse him to sleep as that will lead to a whole other issue for him. Start now brushing his teeth after giving him the breast so he gets that routine going. He should only be taking one nap a day at 11 mos anyway so maybe lessening it that way.

Sounds like he is eating very healthy and that is great, in a month and a half he should be getting all he needs eating regular solid meals! Sounds like he is doing that already.

With my son I was alternating formula and breast so when I just took the breast out of the equation then it was easier. Then I didn't take formula out of the equation until he was 12 mos of age.

I weaned about the same time to cow milk. I went right to a sippy cup with soft tip. I also mixed pumped milk and cow for a bit until it beame all cow milk. She had started out not liking the taste and this helped.

I found that weaning gradually worked best. I cut out one feeding every two weeks or so. I thought about what times my son needed/wanted to nurse and which feeding would be easily replaced by a snack, some activity, etc. Gradually I got down to just bedtime and naptime. I got rid of bedtime first, as that seemed to be the one that might be hardest, then when I was finally ready to be done I cut out the naptime one by just finding things to keep us busy. I was surprised at how fast he forgot! I really thought that doing it slowly was the best, because he had time to adjust as well as me. I didn't get engorged at all. This strategy worked well for my daughter too. I weaned at 15 and 16 months with my two kids.

You have a lot of reponses about doing it gradually and from my experience that's the best way. With my first, I went cold turkey when she was 6 months old (I had to for medical reasons). She was already taking a bottle and it didn't really bother her, but for me it was MISERABLE! My second nursed exclusively until he was 9 months old. I just took away one feeding at the breast every 3-4 weeks and when he needed it, replaced it with a soft-tip sippy of milk. This worked best for both of us and the last time he nursed was the morning of his 1st birthday. He was happy and I didn't hurt. My body needed the 3-4 weeks to adjust, but it seems that most don't need that long. You don't have to give up that love and cuddle time with your son either, holding him and appreciating him can still happen while he's taking a sippy or a bottle. Good luck!!!

I weaned my 2 kids by dropping 1 feeding each week or so. I would replace that nursing session with a sippy of milk. For me it went very smoothly both times. Good luck!