How to wean a 9 mo old 4rm breastfeeding and begin on a bottle/sippycup?

Tanith - posted on 01/27/2011

My son only took a bottle for the first time at 15 months of age. He took a bottle when he was ready I guess. I tried at 6 months, thinking I could leave him for a few hours with my mother to take work load of my shoulders, but he refused the bottle and it only caused him to be unhappy. His health and happiness is what's most important to me, so I was forced into finding a way and routine that worked around his feeding times and our business.



I am a full time self employed book-keeper and electrical contractor. My son is now 16 months and he's never been to daycare. He's never been looked after by someone else. I am fortunate to work from home and I don't see customers and I don't go onto site, my husband does all that, but I do take care of the sales, vendors, employees, ordering, telephone calls, invoicing and general book-keeping.



It is very very hard work taking care of a business when there's a little todder keeping me busy. How I do it, and still managed to breastfeed for 15 months......well it takes drive, many late hours, very hard work, prioritizing, work load distribution, time management, determination, patience and a strong will.



Breastfeeding a baby while coping with massive work loads can be done, you must just find a routine that works for you and your baby.



Like Noreen said, you are so close to 12 months. It's worth sticking it out. Express if you have to, or suppliment with formula. At 9 months, my son was only getting 3 or 4 breastfeeds a day. Your daughter will take a bottle if she is really hungry. No child will starve itself.

Janice - posted on 01/26/2011

Since BFing is well established I would continue to BF when you are around and slowly begin giving a sippy cup expressed milk until 12 mo. then whole milk. My daughter was down to only nursing 3x a day at 10-11 mo. and my body adjusted fine and she just ate real food and had watered down juice in her cup 3x a day. I went to school full time not online and exclusively BF. I just split my classes so I could feed my daughter too. I was never gone for more than 3 hours at a time when she was little so you CAN do it. Anyways Rachael it is your choice to wean but at this point it would be tough to get your baby to take formula it tastes horrible compared to breastmilk. I've tried both - Breast milk tastes like sweetened skim milk and formula tastes like mud. Good luck either way :)

Racheal - posted on 06/02/2010

Noreen you said, "You can't really make a baby take a sippy cup or a bottle if they refuse. Why are you concerned that she takes either?" There is no way that you are a full time student and breastfeed at the same time, if anything you must be a full time student in front of a computer......I am becoming a mortician and there are no online classes, with classes being all day, there would be no way possible to have time to brestfeed my daughter. Im going to wean her the best way that I can......and no.... good luck to yourself!

Noreen - posted on 06/02/2010

I never said you were forcing your daughter to do anything. I was basically saying that it's hard to wean this late into the game and that you're so close to hitting 12months and was encouraging you to continue breastfeeding since your so close. Just because you want to go to work and school doesn't mean you can't still breastfeed either. I was a fulltime student and still managed to breastfeed my first. Just saying... Anyways, good luck with everything!

Racheal - posted on 05/30/2010

Noreen, honey im not trying to force my daughter into doing anything. That's fine if you want to breast your child until she move out, i don't care. I'm talking about my daughter, you are entitled to your own opinion. Don't want to force her to do anything....I was asking a question.....so im not going to sit at home and breast feed for ever or until my daughter turn 2 years old. I will take in any ideas until i get this figured out, i have to start back going to school and working so that i can provide for my daughter....Wish me luck. Noreen dont post no dumb a** comments on my post......

Noreen - posted on 05/30/2010

My daughter just turned 8months old and has never had a bottle or a sippy cup. You can't really make a baby take a sippy cup or a bottle if they refuse. Why are you concerned that she takes either? Breastmilk is the best food you could ever offer your baby! I'd just stick it out since your so close. I plan on breastfeeding my daughter for atleast 18/24months. Maybe even longer. Heck, I might let her self wean. :)

Bridget - posted on 05/30/2010

To get your daughter used to a sippy cup you can try what I did. I gave her a little water in her cup with each meal. Mostly she played at first, but slowly she got the hang of the cup and can use it if necessary- though she still plays a lot! I recently got my daughter to bottle feed, I still breastfeed but after 8 months of only breastfeeding her Dad was feeling a little left out, plus once she has teeth I think Im done, she bites me now with just her gums and that hurts, I dont even want to think about those teeth! haha The way I got her to drink a bottle was a tip I got from an aunt who had the same problem. Id check with your doctor first, but we gave her 6oz of formula and added 2 oz of the vanilla pediasure. She loved it! She took the bottle right away. We started to decrease the amount of pediasure so that now she drinks only formula. My doctor said it was fine, but again, Id check with yours. Good luck!

Racheal - posted on 05/30/2010

ok, thanks because i was wondering how am i going to be able to get her to stop. Then i didn't want to be breastfeeding a 1 year old...lol...i think im just going to wait and try and not give her the breast as much and try and give her a sippy cup when she's not that hungry so that she won't cry to bad. I'll try my best because I really plan on working and stuff, but i can't right now due to her BF. I thank you though for responding Kendra....good luck to you too with your little one

Kendra - posted on 05/30/2010

The only way I know of to wean a BF baby is to cut one feeding per week until gone. I am sure you know she has to be on formula or breastmilk until 12 months. You are so close now it would be easy to keep BFing until 12 months THEN wean without having to go to formula and fight about bottles or cups. My son is 8 months and EBF and won't take a bottle at all... or cup... or other foods for that matter! I have no idea how to get a baby to do a bottle or cup when they don't want to!