She Is Turning 1

B.,
I would contact her pediatrician about that...I started alternating between milk and formula for my son at ten months, and by his 1st bithday he was 100% on milk. I talked to his pediatrician first, and because he was healthy and right on track with his height and weight, it wasn't a problem.

Congrats for nursing for a year! As one poster said be sure you really want to wean! Weaning is a process that takes some time if done safely for mom and baby. And nursing is a special activity and bond for you and baby as well.

Some thoughts: First, I am a Lactation Consultant. If you want to wean (in part) so you can have alcohol - then rest assured you CAN have alcohol. Per Dr. Jack Newman (one of our esteemed breastfeeding experts - you can find him online all over the place!) unless you are falling down drunk and aren't safe to HOLD the baby - you can nurse the baby after drinking even if you are hella buzzed.

People misunderstand the whole concept of alcohol in the body when it comes to breastmilk. The alcohol content in your blood is the same as in your milk - so if you are at .08% blood content that is what is in the breastmilk. That is what baby drinks - not the 15% in the beer you had or even the 80% in that shot of Jack Daniels. :) Just that .08% or less. That is 8-hundredths of a percent! So think about the fact that the baby gets at most .08% - her body will then process that down to next to nothing - there is no problem for baby. Baby will NOT catch a buzz or get drunk. Imagine how excited the moms in my support group were when they were given THAT information! :) GO ahead and have a few drinks - enjoy yourself. Baby will be FINE. Besides - you ever hear Dr's tell moms to have a glass of wine or a beer to relax while breastfeeding?? I hear it all the time. :)

Even with caffeine - you just watch the baby - too much gives you a jittery kid - but you may be able to have some in moderation without affecting the child.

Now, on the cruise you may actually want to continue nursing for a few reasons. The milk you bring for back up will need to stay frozen until you use it. This may or may not be possible. Your milk will only last a few days with this type of travel if simply refrigerated. It would be a shame to lose any due to a mix-up or lack of refrigeration. The foods that you may be around may not be what she is accustomed to - the water may not be safe - she will need something to drink - she will have easy access to you if you are still nursing.

If she needs comforting due to strange surroundings, too many people, over stimulation, not enough space to run etc., it will be SO MUCH easier to comfort her at breast than any other way...just a thought. Also, lastly, sometimes people get sick while traveling. It can come from anywhere - your daughter will be well protected from illness and/or stay less sick if she does get sick, if she is still nursing.

If you are worried about nursing in public on a cruise - please don't. If someone else doesn't like it THEY can go away, avert their eyes - they can be responsible for themselves - YOU are NOT responsible for anyone else's feelings or comfort other than your and your baby's. And in Mexico - most people breastfeed - at least that is what one of my LC buddies down there tells me. :)

Now - if you still decide to wean before the cruise - take your time and be safe. You don't want to rush the process for you or your daughter. You will want to wean gradually to avoid plugged ducts and mastitis and to not upset your daughter. The feeding that is most important to her should be the last to go. "Don't offer don't refuse" is a good rule of thumb for weaning a young child - in other words, don't offer the breast - but don't refuse if she asks for it. You can use some distraction techniques if she does ask but if she insists then you sit down and nurse. You don't want an emotionally painful weaning when you have had such a beautiful nursing relationship. :)

If you have any other questions you are welcome to call...###-###-####. Otherwise I wish you luck with your choices! Enjoy your cruise! Sounds like fun!

Take care...

J. Simpson, IBCLC, CIIM

You should never give a child milk before a year of age, for several reason, one being that the extra calcium can block the absorption of iron -I actually have a friend of a friend who's child became anemic from too much milk.

Really, we're not supposed to be drinking milk at all. If your child gets dairy in his diet; cheese, yogurt, ect, he does NOT need milk at all. Soy is also not a great idea at this age because soy itself contains chemicals that effect one's hormones...it's especially important to watch the amount of soy our children get, and soy is in everything....more info here: http://www.mothering.com/articles/gr...soy_story.html However, sometimes children are allergic to dairy and soy is the only alternative, and *I* personally don't think organic soy milks or tofu are as bad as the over processed soy stuff /tangent.

Your baby is going to be a lot better off being fed the formula he is on and then maybe a toddler formula up until the 2nd year of life than he is milk. It's really best to avoid daily milk drinking. It's not as healthy as they make it out to be.

A cows milk was made for calves: http://www.all-creatures.org/cb/a-cowsmilk.html

I found that the easiest way to wean is to start a few weeks before the date you have picked to stop breastfeeding and start feeding her more milk, formula, rice cereal(whatever you think is best for her) and less and less breastmilk. By the time you're ready to call it quits you should be down to 1 or 2 nursings a day (aka late night and early morning) When your deadline comes, hold firm. It might be hard at first and be sure to give her extra attention and cuddle times because the closeness is the best thing about nursing anyway and you both should adjust just fine.

It's great you've breastfed for this amount of time. Yes, it's hardwork... and good for you. Just make sure you want to wean her now. Remember, that weaning can go up and down. It won't happen overnight. Your breasts will have to adjust too. As for introducing cow's milk... you best ask your Pediatrician, since he/she knows your daughter's medical history best. Adjustments to cow's milk is not always a slam-dunk either. Some babies take to it, some don't. My first child did with no problem. My second did not like it and spits it out. But he is getting better.... g-r-a-d-u-a-l-l-y. Keep that in mind... a baby/child will not always go according to the Parent's time-line of how things should go, or want to go. Each child is different. Ask your Pediatrician about weaning... each is different. My first self-weaned when she was ready. My second did as well. For myself, I opted for self-weaning. Everyone is different. If you want to wean her just for the sake of the trip and indulging in enjoying yourself, nothing is wrong with that. But... just make sure that this IS what you want to do. Will you want to go beck to breastfeeding after the trip??? Think it out. Make sure. Good Luck!
~Susan
www.cafepress.com/littlegoogoo

Well, first of all, In studied Cultural Anthropology in college. I learned there that the most emotionally healthy people were breastfed SEVERAL YEARS. These lucky ones were often the youngest child in the family, and they grew up to be loving, emotionally stable adults. Some breastfed until the age of seven.
So, I decided to allow my daughter to wean herself. By and by, she was to be enrolled in Kindergarten after summer, and she still did not choose to wean herself. I explained to her that the other children would make fun of her if she were still breastfeeding. She reluctantly agreed. She said that breast milk was sweeter and tasted better than cows' mil.
When my daughere was 2 1/2 years old, I allowed her to potty train herself. My parents had come to visit, and we had moved a double bed into her room. I told her that when she was able to stay dry and use the potty each time for an entire week, then she could sleep in the big bed instead of the crib. Her eyes got as big as saucers, and she was so motivated that when she made a mistake (on the first day- it was her only mistake- she cried.)
So I recommend offering your child a reward that she wants very badly, and making it contingent upon her having weaned herself. I think it would be better on her emotionally if the weaning was somehow perceived by her to be of her own choice!
Love, K.

Sounds like something you should ask your baby's doctor. Maybe there's a middle milk between your milk and full strength cow's milk.

I weaned both of my sons at 1. I also pumped at work to bring the milk to daycare. I had my daycare provider replace one bottle of breastmilk with formula. By doing that, my supply went down, then after a week she replaced his second bottle with formula. So I wasn't pumping at work anymore and just feeding him at home. I then only breastfed him once when I got home from work, then I would give him a bottle for his before bed feeding. We went on a trip to San Francisco and while we were on the trip, I was ready by this point to totally wean him and he was now ready to, so my supply had gone down enough that I just breastfed him one last time in the evening and we were done.
As far as the cows milk goes, I gave that to all three of my kids right before they turned one. They were all healthy, strong kids and didn't have a problem taking it. So good luck and I hope you have a good time on your trip!