Need weaning advice (long)

Boo0512

DD just turned 9 months and I'm intending to breastfeed until 12 months.

DD is very, shall we say, strong willed. She has refused a bottle since 4 months and in the last few weeks she has quit eating solids. I've tried a bunch of bottles and sippy cups, fail. I have tried lots of purées, I've tried cutting up scrambled eggs, cooked carrots, a baked apple and given yogurt melts, FAIL.

I've been WFM since dd was born but this summer is going to be busy and I will need to go over to our clients homes which are on average at least 20-30 mins from where I live.

Am I supposed to just leave dd with my MIL and hope that "she'll eat when she's hungry" ??? I really don't want to do that to DD or my MIL. Months ago when I left dd with my MIL she just screamed and screamed and didn't eat for well over 5 hours (until I came home). I just don't know what to do. TIA.

Boo0512

She'll drink water out of a regular cup but if I put breastmilk or formula in it she won't touch it.

I've pretty much given up on her taking a bottle. I just don't know what to do about completely cutting her off of BM.

Boo0512

Yeah I guess I shouldn't have said "cut her off" I more so mean transition her to cow's milk. I would be totally fine with nursing her in the morning and at night. I'm just really frustrated and worried because 3 months is going to go quickly and I feel like we're at a stand still.

Shoegal36

Hmmm I was going to suggest giving her some cow milk in a sippy cup JUST to see if she will drink it. That could put your mind at ease for later. If she's not eating much for solids, I would probably hold off on any cow milk though for now... I know some people really aren't comfortable giving it before 12 months anyway. 

Then I was thinking, if she will drink the cow milk in the cup, I would just work on getting her to eat more solids (not that there's much you can do that you aren't already doing) and then I would slowly start giving her cow milk in her cup during the day and nursing her in the morning and at night. 

My friend's baby refused bottles and formula, but took to cow milk no problem so I'm hoping LO will be the same. 

As for the solids...did she used to like certain things, but doesn't anymore? Or just never liked much? I know there were a lot of things that made LO gag at first (basically everything except bananas and meat), but when we took our solids class the dietitian said it can take babies 8-10 times to like something. If she hadn't said that, I probably would have just thought after 2 or 3 tries that she didn't like it and gave up. So, I just kept trying and trying. I never forced her to eat it, but would just give her a spoonful every day. Like peas for example, took her forever...but she likes them now.  

Does she like cereal? Could you mix a bit of fruit or veggies with the cereal and then gradually reduce the cereal? I did that for a few things. (blueberries and peaches) 

Sorry I'm probably not much help  

Boo0512

She used to do just fine with solids. She wouldn't eat cereal unless there was fruit mixed in but that was it. She liked several fruits and veggies. We never got to meat. Now she won't touch a thing.

coffeeandbooks

Three months is a very long ways away for a baby. Your baby is going to change so much by then. I would be really surprised if she doesn't want solids by then. I think you will be fine. Eating, sleeping, all that stuff can change overnight.

Boo0512

coffeeandbooks said:

Three months is a very long ways away for a baby. Your baby is going to change so much by then. I would be really surprised if she doesn't want solids by then. I think you will be fine. Eating, sleeping, all that stuff can change overnight.

I'm going to quote you on this

Seriously though, I hope you're right!

kcwnc

We mixed breastmilk in all of LO's purees and brown rice cereal at first. It was an easy way to get him to try the foods and get some extra milk. Use as much milk as it takes then slowly add less and either more water with purees or full fat yogurt. We started this around 6 months and gradually made them chunkier til he took them in pieces. My LO hasn't been interested in drinking milk from a bottle or a cup for a month now. We've gone back to mixing milk into his food, cooking with it too.

Schell2013

I agree with an open cup. Also just leave her sippy cup where she can always get at it. One day DD finally clued on about it, and was playing with it and just started drinking out of it. It happened that quick. My LO has been on a solids strike for a few weeks and I don't make a big deal about it, just keep trying.