I want to stop breastfeeding my 6month old son! Need Help!

Laurie - posted on 01/23/2010

Kyra - actually you probably don't have to worry about biting much even once your daughter gets teeth. They actually can't bite and feed at the same time due to positioning so if you discover that she is biting then she is done and just playing so take her off.

Kyra - posted on 01/21/2010

I really dont have any advise. I am a first time mom and i understand the feeling that it takes up alot of your time. I also feel honored that i can breastfeed my baby. Not everyone can. I plan on nursing as long as she doesnt bite me when she gets teeth, after that i will pump until she is a year. I usually leave her with my mother-in law once a month for a few hrs so the hbby and i can have a date. She takes the bottle well.

Theresa - posted on 01/21/2010

try getting him used to the bottle with breast milk in it, once he's used to that, then try formula, or try mixing 1/2 breast milk, 1/2 formula.

Elaine - posted on 01/21/2010

All research says the most benefit is for you to continue until 1 year!!! Formula is not better or even close to breastmilk. But if you need to stop, gradually hanging over is the best. Start by only giving a bottle at all feeding times, but nap time & sleep time then change those over too. You'll have the easiest, happiest change that way. If he is hungry he will eat...

Sara - posted on 01/20/2010

Idk if you have started him on solids yet....when I started my daughter that gradually began the weaning. Have you tried having someone else(maybe hubby) give him the bottle?......leaving the room or even the house while someone feeds him is best....he can smell your milk and might be refusing because he knows that you are there. That is what the lacatition consultant told me to do if I wanted her to have a bottle. I think the fact that we introduced her to it early(once a day) helped when it came time to wean. Idk really what else to say since I really had no problems in this area once I was ready it just kinda happened.



On a side note, I don't understand why anyone would starve their child for 4 days....that is neglect!!!! How would they like it is someone starved them? I feel really sorry for those babies. And can you imagine all of the screaming and crying that you would have to endure? And then there is the fact that you will be wanting to breastfeed because you will be all swelled up and sore. When my daughter started to sleep longer at night I woke her a few times to nurse(just a few minutes) so that I could get the swelling to go down. I don't know what is wrong with people!



Goodluck with everything!!!!

Renae - posted on 01/20/2010

If you get to the point where you have tried every bottle under the sun (I tried every bottle there is and every teet, every flow, ordered different ones from Europe and bought a special needs bottle that cost $100!) and like my baby still nothing works, go and see a paediatric speech pathologist who deals with infant feeding. They have special cups he can learn to drink from and can usually tell you why he wont take the bottle and what sort of bottle or cup he needs. They also have special bottles and teats you wont find in the shops.



I assume you have tried all the basic things like making him wait as long as possible so he is really hungry, getting other people to try with you out of the house (baby can smell your milk from 20 feet away), different shaped teats, different flows... yada yada... dont want to be telling you basic things you obviously would have already tried, it drove me nuts when everyone did that to me! lol

Caryn - posted on 01/19/2010

Have you tried a sippy cup yet?

I'm sorry that nursing is making you feel that way!!

Tara - posted on 01/19/2010

Try a different nipple that might help or try warm or cold milk. Just experiment sometimes one think works and another does'nt. My son is also 6 months old and i quit 3 weeks ago. Good Luck

Kylie - posted on 01/19/2010

I want to stop breast feeding because it just seems to be taking over my life.....i breast fed my daughter until she wasalmost 2 bcoz she wouldnt take the bottle eitherr.

i have tried pumping, but he still wont drink my milk out of the bottle! i have just simply had enough of doing it, and am begining to not look forward to feeding times. he also uses his time nursing to fall asleep.

Caryn - posted on 01/19/2010

What is your reasoning to wean him from the breast now?
I agree with what Laurie said about offering bmilk in a bottle/sippy. I would personally recommend a sippy since he's old enough to start drinking out of one anyways. No need in introducing a bottle if you can help it.
I would not recommend letting him go for days without bmilk or formula. At his age he really needs bmilk in the very very least. Bmilk is what is best for him and if you can stick it out longer then its better for him.
Also agree with warming it some. When he is nursing the milk is warm from your body and that may just be how he likes it.

Laurie - posted on 01/19/2010

What exactly is the problem and why do you want to stop at six months? If it is because he is making you sore by breastfeeding alone you could try pumping for a bit to give your breasts a rest. Pumping is much easier on your breasts than him feeding directly. You could also try pumping some breast milk and offer that in a bottle to get him used to the idea of a bottle. Then gradually mix in the formula. I suspect your son simply doesn't like the taste of the fomula. You probably have never tasted your own breastmilk but if you did you would note that it tastes similar to cows milk but much sweeter as though sugar had been added to it. Formula by comparison is rather bad tasting. I know my son wouldn't touch the stuff when my milk supply was starting to be outstripped by his appetite which was at about 6 months. I had to resort to cereal to increase his intake. You could also try different temperatures with the formula. My son (now two) would only drink his milk when it was quite a bit warmer than body temperature, which is odd as he would drink directly from me with no problems.



If the problem is he wants to feed and you can't because you have to go back to work for instance, you could also switch to pumping full time. I am currently pumping for my daughter and can get away with pumping three or four times a day and produce enough for a four month old. She drinks from the bottle much more frequently - sometimes every two hours during the day!



One other idea would be to try a no spill sippy cup. He's probably old enough to learn how to hold it and maybe it is the bottle rather than the formula that he objects to.

Natalie - posted on 01/19/2010

I breastfed my son when he was young and decided to ween him once he began biting (about a year). It took awhile for him too. I offered him solid foods or rice ceral and bottles before offering him the breast. It took awhile but he began to realize that bottle and being spoon fed was easier then nursing.