Weaning Question

jmjacquemin

This board has been full of great advice and I read it frequently but haven't posted before.  I am wondering how to start the weaning process for my daughter who is almost 11 months old (9.5 adjusted) as I am a teacher and starting back to school next week.  

Background:

I had a major oversupply when she was a premie, and it took me a long time to get her successful in just nursing.  She had to take the bottle in order to come home from the NICU.  She was born last Sept, and took the bottle just fine with appropriate amounts until Spring Break.  After having me home for a week she went from taking 10-12 oz in a day at the sitters to 5-7  oz or less in the same time frame (6 months).  In the spring she clustered each evening and nursed 3 times in 6 hours before going to bed.  She has been every 3 hour or longer between feeds from the get go as that is the schedule she was on in the NICU.  I battled significant clogged ducts until this summer.  

This summer I went to EBF with only a bottle on rare occasion which she typically refused.  In the past 2 weeks I have had a couple of days of inservice when she has been home with my husband (who is also a teacher)  and she won't take more than an ounce or two all day.  She refuses a sippy with BM or water, and also refuses any solids as of recently unless it is me giving them to her.  I know she is holding out for me, but with over 2000 oz in the deep freeze, I want to get her to start drinking that as I go back full time next week.  She doesn't have any teeth yet, but will eat Gerber Crunchies, puffs and MumMums, but refuses all other table food I offer.  

I am planning on only pumping one time during the school day till her birthday in a month and then wean down that pump and just nurse when we are together in the morning, once when I get home and at bedtime.  At this rate my stash is going to last a long time.  I have already donated over 500 oz and will donate more once we see how the school year gets started with.  Ideally I would like to keep her on BM till after her due date or longer and I think I can do that but not sure what to do about her refusing bottles and sippy cups all day.  She is typically at the sitters from 7 AM till I pick her up around 3:45 getting home at 4:00.  

What would you suggest for weaning and getting her to drink BM during the day while I am gone?

jordannpaige10

The only way DD would take a sippy was if it was a straw sippy. Best suggestion my counselor ever gave me since we were having a similar problem, I had tried all sorts of spout sippys with no luck and it made it hard for us to go out and do anything since she only wanted me. Hope you get it all figured out! DD now takes sippy cups anywhere and only BF at nap/bed time.