Weaning

jarob747

As our LO's approach a year old, how are you going to transition from breastfeeding or formula feeding to milk? Are you going to cows milk? goat's milk? continue pumping?toddler formula transitions? Continue breast feeding when your with them only before bed? 

If you are going to transition to something else are you going to ease it in say like 50/50 or go all in with something else? 

Also bottles... Are you getting rid of bottles at a year completely? Are you just going to give milk in a sippy? Do they still need milk like they do now? How many times a day do they need milk? With every meal? 

I need some help with all of this.

I breastfeed when I'm home and pump when I'm at work, over the past 2 weeks I don't pump enough so I've started supplementing with ready to go formula which I've been mixing 75bm/25formula but will have to start 50/50 now. He refuses straight formula. Don't know what to do at a year, but I do know I am done with pumping at work. I plan to continue breastfeedin when we are together for as long as I can up to 2 years.

=caenis=

 I also bf when we're together and pump when I'm at work. I only pump about 5 to 8 oz anymore these days at work, and I want to stop pumping at a year. That means he gets only that small amount of milk at daycare in addition to fruit, bread, water and crackers. I will definitely continue to bf as much as he likes, whenever he likes, as long as we are together. But he will have to do something else about milk at daycare. I might just tell them to give him water when he's thirsty - he will also start getting warm lunches there once he turns 1, which should keep him fed and comfortable during the day. I'm assuming he'll get the milk he needs with me in the morning/evenings.

And once he's ready...I guess he'll put a stop to bfing himself, right?

We only use his bottles for breastmilk because he is not all that efficient with sippy cups. But he does get water and rooibos tea in sippy cups, since it doesn't matter much to us if he doesn't finish it. I guess at 1 year he won't get milk bottles anymore, so he'll be a 100% sippy baby (aside from bfing).

Hmm. Unless his grandparents are babysitting overnight. I guess it would be handy if he likes goat's or cow's milk for those situations. So now that I think about it, I will start introducing him to that, as a snack, so he won't be traumatized when there's no breastmilk some evening.

ETA: From what I've read, goat's milk is easier to digest. So we'll go with that first.

smn14

I'm in the process of cutting down breastmilk during the day as I go back to work mid February. I have swapped out her mid afternoon feed with a snack and a drink. She has (and will continue to have) her morning and night time breastfeed, and I will start to phase out her mid morning feed over the next couple of weeks. My goal is that she won't have breastmilk during the day when I start back at work, as pumping won't really work when teaching - I won't have time to pump really. 
DD has never had a bottle, so I will give any cow's milk in her doidy cup. When she is ready (or when I go away for the night!) she will move off breastmilk at night and morning and switch to cows milk. Can't believe we are here already!

dcaron10

I have also been wondering about this. I breastfeed him when we are together and I pump when I'm at work. He takes breast milk in a bottle from my in laws who watch him on the days I work. And like you said I am ready to be done pumping at work. But I am worried because he still is not a great eater. I am afraid if I stop the breast milk during the day that he won't get enough nutrition with just cows milk and little bit of food he does eat.

SarahChristine12

We formula fed all 4 of our kids and we started transitioning a couple ounces at a time. So we would do 6oz formula/ 2oz cows milk and after a couple days we would increase another couple ounces of milk until it was just cows milk. 

As for the bottle, our youngest little guy switched to a sippy cup at 7 months the other 3 were probably in the 9-10 months range when they switched to a sippy. They were all a little different on how well they adjusted and when the switched to the sippy cup.

flowerintherain

I'm planning on starting the weaning process with mine the day he turns 1. For 2 reasons...
1.He bites A LOT.
 *TW*
2. I just experienced a loss this week, and my OB said that while a lot of women do bf through pregnancy, it still definitely could've contributed to my MC. So I want to make sure he's weaned before ttc again because the I'm an emotional mess right now and want to do everything in my power to avoid going through the same thing a second time.
*TW END*

Lucky for me, he loves real food. He really only nurses for naps and at night or when sick. And he never took a bottle really; he went straight to sippys. I'm planning on doing 1/2 breast milk and 1/2 cows milk the first few times to make sure his stomach can adjust well. But I'm a bit worried about night time. We co-sleep and he nurses ALL NIGHT LONG.. so I don't know how to night wean him. I know putting them to bed with a bottle is frowned upon. Any ideas? 

taitai82

Oh no:flowerinrain: I'm sorry to hear about our loss.

=caenis=

Oh, @flowerintherain : how sad. So sorry to hear about that.

I guess one option for weaning could be combining it with a transition to his own bed? I wouldn't know how else - if his tummy is full from dinner and he's sleeping without you there, maybe he'll be less tempted to ask for a milk snack in the night? I've never co-slept so I don't know if this is a good idea or not.

Also even though my baby sleeps in a separate room in his own bed, he still asks to nurse 1x in the night at least. I guess what I'll eventually try if I really need to put a stop to MOTN feeds is offering water from a sippy when he asks and seeing if that helps him settle again. So that's another option.

jarob747

@flowerintherain I am so sorry for your loss. I can't even imagine how you're feeling. I'm weaping with you. Lifting you up in prayer!

I also cosleep and he nurses frequently in the MOTN. I've been trying to offer paci more but he sometimes refuses and I give in and nurse him. Which I've kept up so long because I don't pump a lot so I figured nursing at night was good for supply. 

My LO only gets a bottle of pumped milk ( just recently missed with formula for supply supplement) when I'm at work so I really don't think I'll have your getting rid of it because he takes his sippy cup great. I wonder if I should have the sitter continue to give 5 oz of milk after each meal like he's doing now? 

I have no tips!

flowerintherain

@taitai82 @=caenis= @jarob747
Thank y'all for the kind words. It means a lot right now. Getting through this is difficult, and I wish nobody ever had to go through it. 

Good suggestion on the bed transition. I know it eventually needs to be done. Hopefully that will help reduce the MOTN feedings. 

@jarob747 does your baby finish the 5oz of milk after he eats? If he's not too full to drink it, then I don't think it's hurting anything. When your ready to transition him to cows milk or some other type of milk, I'd suggest mixing it just to get him used to it. I know they need milk for calcium, vitamins, and strong bones, but I don't think it's as crucial to their diet now at almost a year as it was when they were infants. 
I think my LO is getting the majority of his vitamins and nutrition from real food these days and breast milk is just like an extra boost. 

robinj716

So very sorry for your loss. @flowerintherain

mrsc12414

@flowerintherain I'm so sorry for your loss . Sending hugs and prayers ! 

I have no no clue what to do to wing . I have an older child but she's 11 she was formula fed and quite honestly it's been so long I don't remember . My baby only nurses like twice a day now and that's nap time and bedtime . I just don't know how to settle her without . She will be 1 on feb 5 I know I need to get on it . She's not efficient with a sippy cup so I don't even know what to do with that . I'm still in disbelief that our babies are turning one 

katieashley13

@flowerintherain I'm so sorry for your loss. Wrapping you in prayers!

Its nice that we're all in the phase together! We've dropped to 3 nursings a day (morning, after lunch and before bed) I'm thinking of trying to introduce cow milk/breastmilk combo at lunch time and dropping that feeding next week to see how it goes. I thought it'd be harder than it was but she did really well with the transition to three feedings a day. I just have to remember to give her water throughout the day. (Were also not very efficient with a sippy cup yet). My goal is to have her weaned by her birthday. 

jarob747

@flowerintherain yes he finishes the entire 5 oz bottle. He eats good 3 meals a day and 2-3 snacks and drinks 5 5oz bottles a day, and he still only in the 5th percentile for weight. He's a skinny but healthy lil guy. I I'll start to mix in cows milk over the next couple weeks. 
When I'm home I still nurse 4-5 times a day and at least once a night. 
@katieashley13 I too am glad we are all in this together, it sure helps assure me as a mom. 
@mrsc12414 I can't believe how fast this year has gone. And it will only continue to go faster from here. 
Good tips on here, thanks all

smn14

@flowerintherain I'm sorry for your loss. 

Erinka

Check with your child's pediatrician or nurse. Babies 12 months+ still need milk (about 16 oz a day) whether it be BM, cow's, soy or whatever.
I will be weaning at 12-13 months and baby girl will begin to have whole cows milk... transitioning over time with part BM I've stored in freezer. 

mwmiller4

@flowerintherain I'm heartbroken for you and am so sorry. 

I'm not sure if you've seen this but I'm in a breastfeeding group on Facebook and people talk about how well this night weaning technique works if you still want to co-sleep. 

https://drjaygordon.com/attachment/sleeppattern.html

Please know that I'm thinking of you and your family.