How to ween baby off of breast feeding?

Michelle - posted on 08/18/2009

Let me know if it works for you but my Hannah Mae (July 9/08) became clinically dehydrated in my attempt to wean! My doctor said "She won". I really thought I would just stop and she would too but she is really attached to "the boob".

Michelle

Arianne - posted on 08/17/2009

Thanks ladies for your advice. I have moved on to only breastfeeding him in the mornings. It has only been two days in the making, but so far so good. Again, my goal is to have him good to go by Sept. 10th and I think we will make it. My next question is what to do about my breasts still filling up with milk. I wake up in the mornings now and feel VERY full and a little uncomfortable. Will that change over time or what can I do to relieve myself? :P

Wendy - posted on 08/17/2009

Hi - we're going through exactly the same issues. We dropped the day time feeds by just not doing them (he's happy to drink juice during the day). We've also started giving cows milk at bedtime (although he's not very keen) but he will go to bed without a feed from me so long as his dad puts him to bed. I wonder whether its actually us who think they still need it rather than them! I feel if we could get him to drink a proper amount of milk then we'd be good to go but he still wants the comfort of the feed (particularly as he's just in the process of teething two molars). So advice would be just try without and see what he does (you never know I may take my own advice too!)

Heather - posted on 08/15/2009

I started the day after he turned 1. I cut out one midday nursing and gave him a sippy of milk instead. Two weeks later I cut out the other midday nursing. Two weeks after that I cut out the bedtime nursing, and that's where we are currently. He's just nursing in the morning, and going to bed with very little fuss. Last night I sat him in his high chair and gave him a sippy of milk and a couple of graham crackers, brushed his teeth, and then did our bedtime routine without the nursing part, and he did very well. Slept over 11 hours last night, which hasn't usually happened. So in a week and a half I'll cut out the morning nursing, and I expect it will go well, because he'll be happy just to go have breakfast. Good luck--you'll be just fine.

Arianne - posted on 08/14/2009

Yes, Braxton can drink from a bottle. I think that is what I will try starting this weekend. We will be busy running errands and I think if I have him distracted and drinking from a bottle for both feedings that might help. Thanks for the advice :P

Rose Lyn - posted on 08/13/2009

I weaned mine off two weeks ago by accident. I had cut it down to two times and one day, we just went through the whole day without nursing. We were out and abouat all day and he just napped in the car.



Pick the time that he is nursing the less (i.e, morning - 15 min, nap - 5 min) and start cutting that out first. Do that for a week and start with the next one. Maybe once you pick him up in the morning, you have him eat breakfast first thing if he's hungry. I used to distract my little one from nursing in the morning by going outside to pick up the paper in our driveway. As for naptime, can he drink out of a bottle?