Weaning Tips?

Hello H.,

I too am on the last stages of weaning my baby girl, now 17 months old. We started after her first birthday, so was able to give her whole milk as a replacement for the breast milk.

We're down to just 1 early morning feeding. We cut out the last feeding of the evening just by changing up her nighttime routine a little. I give her a sippy cup of milk while we are reading the nighttime story, then give some extra cuddles to her get her sleepy. Maybe something like that would work for you as well.

We're going to try to eliminate the last morning feeding my New Year's. Unfortunately I think it's going to take a little bit of crying (both her and I) to get past that one. I too, am interested in any tips other moms have.

Happy holidays!

Well. It sounds like she is almost there. It depends how long you have been doing the 2 feedings. after a couple of weeks cut her down to 1 and then stop. yes she needs to either be on whole milk or the next stage formula. ask your doctor which one. I went almost cold turkey with all of my kids except the last one. i tried to wean her with less feedings and it took 19 months to get her off me. too long! Good luck.

No need, but I wouldn't wean her if you can help it until after a year, but actually two years is even better, as even though they start developing their own immunities starting at 6 months, it takes until age 2 for their immune system to be completely developed, so they greatly benefit from your breastmilk still. Also, if you start out weaning at night, you don't want to introduce other fluids, so your child can start to have dry diapers at some point. If you get lots of fruits into her, as well as as many sips as possible, she'll get the water she needs. Watch her urin color and order. If it's too amonia like, she likely needs more water. Stay away from substituting juice, though, as it has too much sugar (even though natural). They now say kids shouldn't drink more than 6 oz. of juice a day, if that. When I do give juice, I water i down a lot, so you might want to add a touch of apple juice to your water to sweeten it up a bit to help her drink more (vs. watering down the juice, juice up the water a touch). I use organic unsweetened apple juice, when possible. You can contact La Leche league in your area with more on how long to nurse and the fluid issue. Good luck! G.

You are doing an awesome job! You can also add Calcium rich Vitamin D fortified OJ to her diet(Minute Maid makes one with 1/2 the sugar and calories) or you can just dilute it. This is what my Dr recommended as my daughter would not take whole milk...she only drinks water. She is taking the juice just fine. Don't worry...it will happen for you! It is ok...most good Dr's are recommending you nurse up to 2 years now so you are doing an far ahead of the game! Good luck

Hi H.,

I had given my son a night time bottle from the time he was 3 months just to be sure if something happened to me he'd be well fed. I nursed until he was 10 months, and up to that point, slowly replaced 1 "nursing session" with a bottle. It weaned me slowly as well. When he was totally weaned, he still had a bottle until almost 2. But to wean him from the bottle and from the breast, I bought Nuby sippy cups. They're wonderful! They're silicone, so they're more like a bottle or breast, vs. those hard plastic sippy cups. I found them at Walmart, but they're also available at Target and even the grocery store!

Hope this helps and good luck!
M.

I breastfed my daughter until she was 12 months old so when i stopped breastfeeding i just switched to whole milk instead of breast milk... i did also give her water though. I think if your daughter is eating enough and doesn't seem hungry i doubt you need to substitute every feeding with milk because the solids she's eating kind of take the place of that.

Hi H.,

I stopped nursing my baby boy Sept. of this year. He was 15 months. After about 12 months, I knew that his nursing was purely for comfort, and not so much for nutrition. He was eating everything that the rest of the family was eating, even taking his liquids (water, juice) from a sippy cup without a hitch (I have a son 1.5 years older than him so he caught on quickly). Anyway, when it was time to go to sleep and often through the night (kinda like newborn-ish) he would nurse. After 12 months, because he's growing so much and got his nutrients and liquids like a big boy, I decided nursing was no longer necessary. (I was only the human pacifier). So at about 15 months, I said one day that was it, and we tackled it cold turkey. It took about 5 days, I had to be strong because no one wants to be the source of their baby's discomfort. It was a decision I was determined about (also that same week, I tackled potty training my then 2.5 year old...NO MORE BUYING DIAPERS AND PULL-Ups).

So in answer to your question, we tackled it cold turkey. I'd tried different methods people suggested (laying him down with a bottle and snuggling with him, trying to distract him at nursing times, etc.) none of it worked, he never liked any other nipple but mine..no pacifier, I bought ever bottle under the sun. So he did cry pretty much the first and second nights (more the first than the second) and each day it got progressively better. I made sure all the rest of the needs were taken care of: well fed, plenty to drink from the sippy cup, bathed, diapered, warm(or actually cool because it was August here in sunny So. Cal) and then we just laid down together and I comforted him the best I could. It did help that I adjusted his daytime nap to a little earlier time and made sure he played heartily so he would be nice and tired.

By about day 4, his cries were mere wimpers, and day 5, we wimpered only a bit, and we have been pretty good since. Occasionally, he did try to reach into my shirt and help himself (they'll get bold like that the older they are), he's pretty cool now. While being put down for bedtime now, he does pat me as if he's reminiscent of what once was, but he's a little trooper.

Now if we could just figure out how to get them to stay in their own beds at night and stop waking up at midnight like clockwork..........

I hope this dissertation helps :-)

I breastfed 9 days shy of a year. I thought it was going to be terrible to get my daughter off the boob. Fortunatley it wasn't. I was down to two like you then saved the nighttime feeding for last. One night I just didn't give her boob and she was fine, no bottle or anything. Only thing is if she fusses stick to your guns. As far as fluids I just replaced her feedings with whole milk. My daughter still doesn't drink much water but I water her juice down a lot. Hope this helps.

I never gave water until after age 1, but when I weaned, I just substituted a breastfeeding session with formula or milk (depending on age). If they normally would be drinking breast milk, then should continue with that but with another form of milk.