BF Mom, Needing to Wean?

T.:

a) stick with the sippy cup.

b) you do not have to wean - by law you have to be afforded breaks.

c) contact Dianne Michael with Mom Corps for assistance with jobs.... 800 258 6817 x 212

P., RLC, IBCLC
Pres. Lactation Support Group, Inc

I don't think you have to wean. You said, "But he's getting to that age" and there really isn't an age. The age depends on how long you want to do it and how long your child wants to do it. The American Acadamy of Ped recommends 1 year and the World Health Org recommends up to 2. Also know that you may not have to worry about the lunch feeding because he is getting older. But if you need to pump any place of employment must let you pump, it is your right. The biting also doesn't last and if you react the same way each time and stop nursing when he does it he will quickly realize it isn't the best thing to do. If you do want to wean stick with a sippy if you can. But again you sound pretty upset so know that you don't have to stop.

You may not be able to go feed him at lunch, but employers are required by law to give you time and a suitable place to pump. This age is a tough one as they are playing with learning about eating and easily distractable, but keep going...it gets better! If he is doing well will a sippy I would see no need to go to a bottle. If your daycare will just put the milk in a sippy for him, then you won't have to wean him of the bottle later (although I found that not to be much of an issue with my BF son). Why wean based on a possibility? Also, there is no magical thing at 12 months that makes them need to wean. The AAP and several other organizations recommend nursing until 2 or older, depending on your and his comfort with continuing.

If he bites you, just get upset, and scold him. Set him down and do a "time out" for both of you.
When he learns that it makes you unhappy and he doesn't get to keep nursing, he will stop doing it, it's just a phase.

You got a lot of great suggestions. I am currently nursing my 13 month old daughter and tried to wean her during the day at 12 months and it lasted 2 days and I couldn't do it anymore I missed it to much so we are back to full time nursing. However, for snacks she does a sippy with whole milk in it. Like the other gals said, your employer has to give you a break in order for you to pump. Nurse as long as you and your child are wanting too. Oh and the biting is a stage. As long as you make sure that he knows it is a no no to bite you it will stop. My daughter went through that and when she did it I would take her off and tell her ok all done. She finally realized that if she wanted to cuddle and nurse she couldn't bite mommy.

You don't need to wean completely. I BF my daughter before and after work, and at night as needed until she was 18 months old (and I was done). I made enough milk for the times she needed it and otherwise she had a bottle or sippy cup with formula until 1 and then whole milk (still on at 2)

When I was ready to wean completely this is what I did. I exclusively breastfeed on one side for two weeks. Then when I switched to the side that hadn't had a feeding for two weeks, I had a bottle ready. When she didn't get anything from that breast, she went right for the bottle no problem. Took 3 weeks total and she didn't have any issues.

Good luck finding a job and enjoying your baby!
Ruth

Good luck finding a new job! As other posters said, they legally have to give you time to pump. I would stick with the sippy cup - no need to go back to the bottle. Also, don't forget that this doesn't have to be an all or nothing thing. If you *want* to cut back you can always do formula during the day and nurse when you're with your boy. But you don't *have* to do this. I quit going back to feed my son at lunch when he turned one year (and quit pumping a couple months before that - unless I missed the lunch feeding), but he still nurses a couple times a day and is almost 16 months now. We both really enjoy it and especially when the kids get a little older they're so busy that this is one of the few quiet snuggle times we have.

As for the biting thing, we went through this briefly when he was about 6 months old. I did a "3 strikes and you're out" with him. When he bit I pulled him off and told him NO BITING. Then offer him the breast again. After he bit 3 times we were done with that nursing. It only took him 1.5-2 days to figure it out and he's never bitten me since.

I wouldn't borrow trouble before you needed to. You have until, at the earliest, October 31 before you need to really start changing your current routine.

If you the only reason you are working is for insurance, perhaps you could look into other options. I am also the insurance carrier for our family and lost my job last year. It took a while for me to find a job that I like and worked for my situation. I ended up putting myself and my husband on a medical "discount" card and got my daughter onto the state insurance. That allowed me to take more time and find THE job that worked for me and my family.

As for nursing - simply do what you feel is most natural. I strongly advise not going back to a bottle. (My daughter went straight from the breast to a sippy cup as well.) Actually my daughter totally refused to drink from either a sippy cup or a bottle when I first went back to work. I remember it was a rough transistion for both of us. But she was 9 months old at the time and was eating some cereal and other beginer foods - so I just let is go. I knew that she wasn't going to starve to death for the 6 hrs a day I was away from her. It didn't take long for us both to adjust to where I would just nurse her after work.

BTW - we didn't wean until she was two years old. There is no hurry to start that unless it is what you want - even if you are working.

Don't slight yourself and your baby by weaning. You sound very dedicated to it and enjoy it and it is a waste of emotional and physical energy and agony to try pulling him away from you. I would just stick to your gut and if you like it, continue. Also, the biting DOES NOT last. Once they understand you won't tolerate it they stop very quickly. Been there done that. Still BF my 27 month old and love it.

Hi T.- I also returned to work when I had a nine month old and she also was good with a sippy. I pumped at work and she drank that milk with her lunch and then nursed with me the rest of the time. You have to do what is right for you. I don't know that going to a bottle when he is happy with the sippy is worth the potential future problems of kicking the bottle habit (none of mine would evert ake a bottle!)
Good Luck
Beth

Wow - what a blow. I understand how hard it is to keep BF. How lucky you've been that you can BF at lunch!!
I am a working mom that BF her babies past one year. I pumped at work during the day. The baby would have 1-2 bottles of BM during the day from our sitter. I feed the baby before I leave, when I get home and before bed. What I found is that the baby adjusts to your schedule. Now my baby is not taking a bottle during the day and starting to wean herself to only nursing at night. It seems like you want to continue to nurse. Trust your instincts. You will be able to work out the best situation for you and your baby.
Good luck!

There is no "age" where you have to wean your baby. MY daughter is 18 months and still happily nursing and there is no reason to stop. Even if you won't be able to nurse him at lunch time that doesn't mean you can't pump or he will just adjust to not having you at lunch. He's probably old enough by the time you start your new job to be able to go all day without milk, maybe just water in a sippy cup. The biting stops pretty easily. It's just a phase. Forget the bottle, why introduce something new when the cup works fine? Unless he needs the comfort when you're not there. Good luck but don't feel that you have to stop bf, you don't seem to want to at all.