I have been trying to wean my son for awhile now and he's only taken the bottle once. I've tried several different bottles/nipples. We've tried Enfamil, but it was the Similac pakets from the hospital that he finally took. I've let him play with the bottle to get use to it and he'll even try to feed himself, but then stops when the formula comes out. If I try, he'll push it away, turn his head and get pretty upset. I've tried doing it only at certain times of the day or all day or had my husband do it (which absolutely does not work-he has NO idea). I feel I've run out of ideas to make it a pleasant experience, full of encouragment when he does even take a bit, and I'm just at a lose! To top it off (and this just makes it worse), he co-sleeps with us, but now that he can crawl the only way I can get him to sleep is BY breastfeeding vs how I could just lie him down and he'd go to sleep! We've put the crib in our room next to where we sleep and I've tried feeding him, putting him in the crib...my goodness, he cries like his world is over! So, I guess I have 2 problems! Any advice on either would be well appreciated!!!!!! Thankyou!!!!!
I appreciate everyones input, but when I said I tried everyting, I meant it. He's been on a sippy cup for 2mos, drinks very well by himself, and I tried putting the formula in there already...same response, he pushed it away. As for pumping, I've already tried several pumps, none work for me. I've been trying to pump since he was 3mos. I know I only have 3mos until he's 12mos, but this is why I'm trying to start now. I'm all about taking steps and my goal is for him to be done by his year b-day, not to start the process then. It took us almost 2mos to get him on a night routine, with bath, massage, book and bed and a bit of crying. We could lie him down and he'd go straight to sleep, but now all he wants to do is crawl or sit-up in bed, so I end up having to nurse him to sleep vs going in there every 5sec before he falls off the bed! I'm not trying to wean him soley b/c I need me time (I already workout-that's enough for me right now!), but mainly b/c the ONLY time he does feed is when I lie him down to sleep and it's just enough to nod him off..couple sucks and he's out! I just don't feel he's getting enough nutrition from it, so that's why I'm trying to get at least one feeding of formula in! I just don't know what to do, but I do appreciate some tips that were left and I will try those and see how it goes! Thankyou!
Try a different formula. My daughter couldn't drink the formula that she was started on, but we finally found one that she would take. I don't know what you use now, but I recommend Similac with iron, Enfamil, or Goodstart. Also, he may be lactose intolerant, which means you may want to try something that is lactose free. That's the problem I was having with my son.
The first step to weaning is patience. You're asking him to give up something that has been there since day one. At 9 months he's probably not just exclusively nursing, so that's where it would be easiest to introduce new things. Try mixing his cereal and fruits with the formula to get the taste. When he's sitting upright for his cereal/fruits/vegetables, try introducing a soft edged sippy cup. They now have ones that are more like the shape and feel of a nipple (I recommend silicon because they are easier to clean and seem to last longer) I would also try breast milk in the bottle (you noted that he stops when the formula comes out) then add a little formula to it - gradually weaning away from the breast milk. Neither one of my children ever slept with us, so I'm at a loss on any advice there. Good luck!
I use a breast pump when I need some "me" time. Breast-feeding your baby to sleep isn't taking away from time that you could be working out or getting your nails done, and it's offering your child a lot of comfort and security.
Congrats on breastfeeding, and Congrats on co-sleeping.
I think it's a little early to stop doing either one! If you must, however, I'd suggest that you pump milk for a while and slowly transition the baby from your bed to a crib in your room. I would highly recommend that you make one change and give the baby time to adjust before you make the other.
Just keep breastfeeding him until he's a year old. Soon enough you will be able to do for yourself. Besides, breastfeeding is burning up 500+ calories a day for you now. Good luck!
With a nine month old you don't have to wean in order to be able to work out, have a drink or get your nails done. I started nursing 4 years ago and I've been doing all three (with the exception of during pregnancy) ever since.
To be perfectly honest, he stops drinking when the formula comes out because formula is NASTY. You try it. Yuck, yuck, yuck - especially when he's spent the past nine months enjoying something that is apparently a little more palatable than cow's milk.
My advice as far as that goes is to breastfeed 3 more months, don't get sloshed - as long as you are not DRUNK there is not enough alcohol in your milk to affect a healthy nine month old. If you do get drunk, pump and dump until you're sober. Getting your nails done (assuming you don't stay at the salon long enough to get high off the fumes) likewise isn't going to put harmful levels of anything in your milk - and even hard exercise isn't going to put anything other than maybe an off flavor in your milk. Your son should be eating some solid foods, so if your production goes down he will likely make up for it in food - and may wean himself.
So far as sleep time - hmmm.. good luck. I use a bath, a baby massage, and a sippy cup (neither of my sons will do bottles) of water, and a lullaby cd.
They screamed themselves to sleep for awhile - my 4 year old screamed for about 2 months, my 16 month old only screamed for about a week - and then they got used to it and just went to sleep.
J.
This too shall pass keep telling yourself that(over and over again)..it does help:)
Give yourself a big pat on the back for breastfeeding so long.
Motherhood is the most difficult job you'll EVER have :)
Just tackle one chore at a time, stop nursing first;changing to much to soon will only be too difficult on you both. Just a suggestion but I wouldn't use a bottle, you'll only have to break him from that in another 3 months. I would use a sippy cup. I would pump milk and put in sippy cup for a few days. You might also try goats milk instaed of formula if he doesnt like the formula. Slowly take away his feedings one at at time and drop the nighttime nursing last. This will also help you from getting engorged. I wouldn't try to change too much to soon I'd wait to put him in crib until you get him weaned. Good Luck
Okay what worked for me was cutting them off completly- cold turkey but then again my girls were 10 months and 13 months. They were sleep with else too but that changed too.
You just have to go thru a few rough nights and stick wih it because if you go back and forth he will never learn- YES i know it's hard hearing them cry but once if you are consistent with him you and him should be able to do it.
What I did was leave the house and stayed away for 1 or 2 hours but then go all day. He will have no choose than to take a bottle. When you let your husband feed the baby are you there in the room watching and telling him no this way or that way. Your baby can smell you and if you are in the room or even the house he will want YOU.
About the crib move it into his room. I know you think it helps but it just makes it harder when you want him to move into his room. Yes I did do this from the beginning thank GOD.
Also what about sticking with it for another 3 months and just go to a cup you will eliminate having to wean him from a bottle later down the road. Just a suggestion from a mother of three and YES I wished I did it that way. It was so hard weaning them from a bottle.
I hope what I have said has helped and let me know if you need more info on anything about what I saif.
Good Luck and Happy Mother's Day
-L.
Wow J. you've got a rebel, huh? I read that you have tried everything they suggested so hopefully I'm not repeating any advice. My son would never take a bottle from me or from anyone else when I was in the room. If you want to switch to the bottle you can't be there. If he is eating baby food, he should be getting nutrition. Are you giving him the formula/milk with his meals in his cup? Or you can mix the formula powder into his food. As for sleeping; when I was weaning (at 14 mo)I just rocked him and held him close to me. He could still smell me and feel the closeness but there was no milk. If he wants the sucking, you might offer your pinky or a pacifier. To lay him down in his crib, you have to wait until he is completely out or he will wake right back up. Best of luck to you!
Based on my experiences with very similar issues, my advice is to be consistent, they will reisist but eventually get it. Be firm but not angry. Enlist hubby as much as possible and explain that if he helps it may not work the first 10` tries, but keep at it. For night time I found a very consistent routine helped, bath, cuddle, dress in pajamas, read a book, sing a song. I also breasfeed a co slept for the first 6-9 months and then we transistioned to the crib. As far as the formula goes, I don't know we never got my oldest to drink it, with the youngest I supplemented right away so I didn't have that problem. With both boys I started them on a cup around 4 months and then they never really assoicaited the bottle with a replacement for me. If your son is old enough, you might try a milk. We used dairy, my sister in law used goats. Don't get too discouraged you will get there!
J.,
Have you tried having someone else, NOT YOU, feed him at feeding time with a bottle of formula. He knows YOU have what he wants...breastmilk. But if he's hungry and someone else feeds him with a bottle of formula he will most likely take to it since this is the "norm" for feeding when someone else besides mom feeds him. Am I making sense, hope so. In other words when you do pump and give him breastmilk in a bottle it is usually from somebody who is not his mom....again this is the "norm"....so if you have your husband, family member, or friend give him a bottle of what your son thinks is breastmilk and really is formula....he should not associate anything "Different" with this action. I hope this helps. Good Luck!!! And I completely understand where you are coming from.
