June 2015 Moms
Jashley05
member
Transitioning away from the bottle and breastmik
Jashley05
member
DD is ten months, and we are ready to start thinking about transitioning away from breast milk. I've been building a stash of milk since day one and probably have a solid two months of milk if she were to continue 24 oz a day. I already see her naturally drinking less and eating for solids, so that number is only going to get smaller. I also exclusively pump and down to three pump sessions (soon to be two). At this point, I am sometime short and have to pull from my freezer stash, but that's what it's for.
What are your plans with the coming months and approaching one year mark? Will you be supplementing with formula? Will you make it to one year and go to cow's milk?
What are your plans with the coming months and approaching one year mark? Will you be supplementing with formula? Will you make it to one year and go to cow's milk?
Re: Transitioning away from the bottle and breastmik
Maybe I'll try a little bit of whole milk here and there in the next few weeks. I've read you're not suppose to give it until a year of age but our pediatrician ok'd it from the stand point that it isn't replacing breastmilk until one year.
Breastfeeding is still working for us, so we will stick with it until it doesn't. He's going increasingly longer during the day between nursing - up to 6 hours, 7 sometimes (obviously eating plenty of solids during that period). But he still nurses once or twice at night and cluster feeds in the mornings.
My pediatrician said he can have up to 16 ounces of cow's milk/day once he's 1. I'm not sure we will do that, but it will be a nice option to have for babysitters or whatever.
I am sure you've talked to your own pediatricians about it, but ours is pretty firm that LO shouldn't get any cow's milk before age 1 (that and honey were her only two restrictions - she said his stomach isn't ready to digest the milk). If you know that and have done your own research and think it's fine for your baby, then cool. No judgment, just sharing what I was told.
Hard to believe these babies are almost toddlers. It's so exciting and heartbreaking!
I will probably drop down a few pumping sessions at a year but still nurse whenever he wants and pump during the day so he has milk the next day. Right now I donate 100 or so ounces a week to another mama so I may just cut that down so Lukey can still get my milk.
I guess mostly just play it by ear and see what happens
If you're still just doing breastmilk make sure you continue vitamin D drops, since LO won't be getting that from cow's milk.
2nd round exp 8/20/18.
For anyone that's been through this before and allowed baby to wean themselves anything I need to know or should be doing? I'm trying to do three meals a day plus snacks. I definitely need to figure out how to feed this kid and learn how to cook! I'm also not sure about introducing cows milk but ped seems to think she needs it after a year. She might not realize we are still nursing as much as we are.
it's not easily digested and actually isn't that good for humans anyway. I asked my ped about an alternative to homo milk because I don't want to give it to my kids. They will be 1 on Friday and I've started giving them homo goats milk, which you can get at pretty much all grocery stores. The proteins in goats milk is much easier to digest and much better for you in my opinion. My doctor said the reason for giving babies homo milk is not for the calcium but for the fat content because fat is essential for brain development and they only need about 1 cup per day. Im slowly starting to wean them off the formula but they love to suck on their bottles so I might just wait a little bit before I really try to wean them.
Again I don't think anyone needs milk so if I had to get regular old milk I'd pass, too many hormones and what not. Just sharing since you seem interested in the sourcing and value to it. DH and I have had a long food journey
they need full fat for brain development.
I bought non homogenized yogurt the other day on accident and it was so good!
We turned 1 on the 16th and also completed the transition to whole milk with zero issues. I'm just excited I don't have to buy and mix formula bottles anymore!
So really, we completed transition in like 3 days, but I feel we probably could've in one day since it went so well.
We will do almond milk for now but need to talk to his doctor because babies need the fat content of the whole milk. I want to ask his doc what to replace or how to be sure he's getting those calories he needs.
I've been meaning to put the almond milk in something and see if she reacts fine before giving her any substantial amount. She just turned 11 months so I've got a few weeks to figure it out. Maybe I'll do some googling and see what I can find.
i guess it's just preference since there are many different milk choices.
@klkonwi - let us know what your doc says! I'm sure we'll be talking to ours also.
i don't remember what we did with Taylor because that was so long ago.. She was allergic to milk too at this age.
I don't have any worry about my supply at the moment, but I often have trouble getting enough pumped for her (sometimes there's no let down even when engorged a bit). So I do feel relieved that I was able to reach this one year mark with pumping/breastfeeding. Now the next worry is getting her to take to whole milk better without having to think she's going through the day (at daycare) hungry (she's also not the biggest or most consistent solid food eater yet).
Something that helped calm my nerves was an article I read on Pregnant Chicken or Scary Mommy or something, by a woman who had the same concerns. She basically said that after the baby weans, nothing really changes in your relationship. Baby still comes to you for comfort, still needs all the hugs and kisses, you're still bonded, etc. Reading it helped me address fears I could relate to but didn't even consciously realize that I had.
So I'm trying to just go with the flow - giving him cow milk when it makes sense, and trusting he will eat when he's hungry. As someone posted here recently, "Babies are good at self-regulating." I'm also just trusting our bodies to continue synching up like they have for the past 12 months. If my supply drops, he will adjust.
It's a big change, not to be the primary source of nutrition for our babies! I think recognizing and acknowledging, and then letting go, of natural fears about the change is very healthy. And good for you for recognizing when those fears are something more, and addressing that @ciennah99! What a strong woman and great mother you are!!
BFP #1 12/23/13 MMC 01/24/14 @ 9w5days
I doubt you're doing anything at all wrong!! All babies are different, and if they're hungry, they're hungry.
Do do talk to your doc, but don't let your instincts be pushed aside. You know your baby best.