Weaning experiences

numbersgirl08

@WasNotWas post in TOAT made me think about what other people are doing or have done and any experiences you can share (this baby or prior babies!).  I'd be particularly interested if you weaned around 6-9 months.  I've been putting it off but since I've gotten my second plugged duct in three days this week I'm just going to do it.  I need to for my sanity and my poor boobs.  

Right now N nurses 5x a day.  I'm  planning to drop one session every 1-2 weeks.  I'm going on a beach trip March 22 so I'm kind of thinking if I'm weaning now then I'd like for it to be done by then.  How long has it taken any of you?  Did you deal with plugged ducts?  Did your supply kind of tank at the same time so that at the end it stopped naturally?  I just can't imagine my boobs not producing milk anymore - my mind can't wrap around the fact that I will dry up!

WasNotWas

my girlfriend got food poisoning and it killed her supply, so you could eat some bad meat just kidding.

I don't know how often you pump, but you could pump instead of nurse and might be able to cut the sessions shorter easier than cutting a nursing session short (did that make sense?) I'd say take it day by day. Have your goal to cut one session a day every 1-2 weeks, but don't get on yourself if it doesn't happen.

LiLi23

With me, my supply started taking a hit around the end of December/beginning of January. R got a nasty cold and didn't nurse like he used to, I got my first real period and my pump was crapping out. So, I decided that was it.

I cut one pumping session out a day for 2 weeks (so I only pumped twice at work) and offered a bottle at night and pumped just to relieve pressure if needed. Then I went down to one pump session a day for a couple weeks. I pumped here and there for a few minutes to relieve pressure if needed. The goal was to only pump enough to be comfortable, otherwise it's counter-productive, you know?

R fought it hard in the beginning. He hated taking bottles from me, especially formula. But he wouldn't nurse either. It was tough, but now he sees his bottles and gets so freaking excited and will inhale them. I think I got one clog along the way. Not even sure that's what it was because I was fortunate enough to never have to deal with it. It hurt like a bitch, so I'm guessing that's what it was!

kacelle

DH and I are leaving the country (and the girls) for a few weeks next month, so that kind of forced the weaning.  I expected it to be much bigger of an ordeal than it was.  About a week ago, I offered a bottle with formula and she gulped it down.  I started giving anywhere from 1 to 3 bottles a day instead of nursing.  We're now totally on formula and I haven't had any real issues with engorgement, clogged ducts, etc.--this is after 7.5 months of EBF (with maybe two bottles during that whole time)!  It did make me feel better about the transition.

BunnyLove416

My supply started to dwindle around the end of December and L basically weaned himself while we were out of town for the holidays. I think it was a little easier because he was already used to taking bottles so it wasn't a shock. I was never engorged or had any plugged ducts, which I guess was a pretty good indication it was out of my hands on the supply side of things. 

Weaning was sort of a mind fuck, I never really thought I would breastfeed and even during those six months I was doing it I wasn't super in love with it but I did have a hard time letting it go. As much as I occasionally miss it the bottles really are so much easier in some ways and it's so nice not to pump anymore during the day.  It did improve my mood to wean, not right away, I think I had some PPD going on for a little while there while everything got back to normal, but afterwards it was so liberating to eat and drink what and when I wanted with no guilt and to not be obsessing about ounces! 

nikel13

It was getting harder and harder to nurse during the day because Lily wants to go...now. Nursing is not neccessarily a speedy thing. I started with one bottle a day. I then introduced a new bottle a week. That doesn't sound right. I mean to say that I went from one bottle to two after a week to three and so on. Now, Lily nurses to sleep, MOTN (once), and morning. She seems to be trying to drop the morning as she is getting shorter and shorter with that one. I haven't had problems with supply tanking. I still engorge a bit by bedtime.

I really have just been trying to take Lily's lead and cues with this. We regressed a bit in the beginning because she got sick and wasn't feeling the bottle. It was okay and we just tried again the next week.

phishgirl29

I'm bumping this up because I want to .

I'm tying to wean but it's been an uphill battle.  I'm still nursing in the am and pm (to sleep) but just Had an Ah Ha moment a couple of hours ago with my son.  It turns out that he likes similac better than enfamil so when I was giving him ½ bottles of each (enfamil), he wasn't taking it but when I busted out some similac samples, he downed it in 5 minutes.  As it turns out, he prefers formula/breast milk bottles to straight up breast milk.  

At first I was sad that he didn't like my milk, but now I don't give a shit and just want him to eat.  The doctor hasn't said anything to us but he's only gained ½ a pound since December, when he was packing it on prior to that.  I just hope that I can be fully weaned by April 1st.  I don't want the IVF train to leave without me!

WasNotWas

@phishgirl29 so what do you do during the day?

phishgirl29

DH is home with him so he's been giving him 3 bottles 9, 1, & 4 roughly. It's been taking us 30 minutes to an hour to give him 1 feeding (3 ounces which is too little). The pediatrician just says that he will drink it if he's hungry but he hasn't. As a result we've been pouring an ounce or two into his solids so that he gets some of it in his diet.  He would eat solids all day if we'd let him thankfully.

I actually have no guilt about wanting to wean but I do because he hasn't taken to drinking bottles yet.  Tomorrow is an expected snow day so hopefully we can prove this new theory of mixing similac.

WasNotWas

When you are home with him do you do bottles too?

phishgirl29

During the day I do. We've been since the last week of January.

WasNotWas

Well that gives my plan hope! Thanks @phishgirl30

SummerSnow11

I'm early on into this journey too. I'm down to pumping once at work, and nursing in the morning and at night. I wouldn't say I loooved breastfeeding, but I am sad to be at the end. But it is time. And I am really excited about the no pumping.

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HeartLikeMine3

@libberluru, it is all so difficult. It is so easy to bf when we are home together but I need to be done soon. I'm ready to work more and I have some trips planned in April and May. Weaning while your SAH is sooooo hard. So far I'm only successful at getting him to take a bottle at night and then he turns to nurse right before he falls asleep for 5 seconds. It's kinda sweet like he just needs the comfort breaks my heart to take that away from him.

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HeartLikeMine3

@libberluru, you are right I just hope I don't loose out on any of the snuggles.