(long question) If you weaned from breast milk to formula or milk...

emakoo01

How long did it take?  

 My LO is almost 11 months old.  She has been EBF since Day 1, both boob and bottle.  I always had in my head that I would stop BF when she was a year old.  Now that we are almost there, I realized it would not be good for me or her to go cold turkey from one day to the next, so starting this past weekend I began to slowly (and I mean sllllooooowwwly) introduce formula.  I tried to do half and hald, or 1/4, 3/4, and that did not work, so I started with literally like one drop and now we are up to about 1.5 to 2 oz mixed in with 4 oz of breast milk.  I think it is going well and I imagine I will start to produce less and less becuz "they say" that happen whenever formula is introduced.

Sorry this is long, but, I'll continue.  So today we had a belated "9 month" appointment and I asked the doc about weaning and she said at this point I gave give whole milk (wish I knew that a few days ago before I blw $34 on Earths Best ORganic Formula), but when I told her I bought this stuff she said just switch to milk when I'm done with the formula.

So my question is, how long should this whole process take?  I want to know when can I just give her milk, or stop pumping, or stop bfing?  I am totally sad about it but I know that being sad about weaning is as irrational as being sad that she will walk, or talk... she has got to grow up at some point.

So when am I done, or, how fast can you switch the content of the bottle completely to formula or milk and close the breastfeeding chapter?  

One week? Two weeks? Two days? 

berrysweet

Well, you CAN do it as fast as you'd like. One day, around 7 months, DD just straight up refused to nurse. We thought it was a nursing strike, and tried to ride it out, but a month of offering the boob at every feeding later and pumping, she still wouldn't BF. Then one day, I offered her a bottle of BM, she threw it across the room. I offered her a bottle of formula, and she downed it. 

My point is that there is no rule. Some babies transition in a day, others fight it the whole time.

emakoo01

Well my daughter not only refused to have straight formula, but she even gagged and almost choked when I gave her cereal made with all formula.  She is slowly getting used to the change in taste. 

I think I am afraid to stop nursing.  But you are right.  I need to just let it go, on my time.  Thanks! 

berrysweet

Well, I mean, you don't HAVE to stop at a year. If you still enjoy it and she does, why not continue?

That said, if you want to stop, I wouldn't stress about it too much. Your DD may fight it for a day or two, but my experience has always been that if they are hungry enough, they'll eventually eat it. I know that may get flames, but that's the reality--if (God forbid) something happened and you were hospitalized or killed, she'd HAVE to take formula at some point. 

Also, maybe it's encouraging to hear that most babies I know favor milk over formula big time!

emakoo01

great! maybe tomorrow I will try to mix formula with whole milk and see how that goes.

I dont want to get all mushy gushy over it.  YES I love nursing NO I dont want to stop.... but the reality is I have to stop, if not today, then next month or next year, you know what I mean?  I HAVE to stop at some point so no matter when that is it will be hard.  And I dont want to be all sad like in tears the "last" day nursing.  I nursed her today in the Acme parking lot.  Maybe that could be the last time.  I dont have to be emotional about it.  I dont want to be.  

It's like a bandaid.  I want to rip it off fast and be done.  I dont want to agonized over every hair... ya know>? 

berrysweet

Yeah, I get that. It was hard for me, and I had absolutely no choice in the matter! On the other hand, the thing that made it easier for me was that DD was showing signs that she wanted to be done. I was just wondering if the process would go more smoothly for you and her once she is showing signs of wanting to wean...

kristalovesjared

I just did this a month ago and I was really scared. I was worried about not being able to bf anymore and started slow. Like you, I mixed the formula with breastmilk starting with 1/4, 3/4 and working our way up to a whole bottle of formula. After she would take formula (about a week) I thought I was going to giver her the bottle instead of nursing once a day, then twice the next day, etc. Well she would never take the bottle from me so one night I just decided I couldn't bf anymore and stuck with the bottle (it was a horrible night) But the next morning she took the bottle fine and from there on she's been a great formula drinker! It seems like she doesn't even miss bfing.