How do i wean my daughter?

[littlebooty]

I am ready to stop bfing. But my daughter is not ready :( i need to go to a vocational school for a year ., so that why i need to stop. she's is going to turn 1 yr old in june 13th. How can i waen her, do i feed her just solid foods? and can i start feeding her regular cows milk? she wil not take the bottle.

[Bama_5]

At this age, I'd train her to sippy cups. Try all kinds/shapes/sizes etc. With straw, without straw, etc. You may have to take the valve out that makes cup spill proof and turn cup into babes mouth to convince to take the cup. After babe is convinced, you can train to use it with the valve in place for no-spill convenience.

It sounds as though you have time to wean gently instead of cold turkey. That is my recommendation if you have the patience and can go slowly.

Begin to offer snack foods (finger or whatever she is eating) around the time she would need to nurse. Top off with nursing at first. You can gradually increase the amount of food and shorten the length of nursing until nursing time fades out.

Cow's milk - We don't use cow's milk. I do use soy milk and will put some in a cup on occasion. However, if cow's milk is your preference, most do add it at a year. Note: Cow milk is not necessary for calcium or other nutrient just because you wean. Adding one is not a substitute for the other.

For some of my weaning tips, click on weaning tips (http://www.breastfeeding.com/forums/showthread.php?p=405040#post405040)

I'll give you time to read that and try some of the tips. Should you need other advice, feel free to reply here or start new thread.

Wishing you the best as you decide and do what is best for your family.

Bama_5

[madelsmama]

I'm not sure what's involved with vocational school--is it possible to still nurse her when you're together (in the morning and when you get back home)?

[Agog]

I started by getting my son to take a cup (sippy, with handles) that took a while. He took well to cow milk. I also gave him watered down juice (about a 1/4 cup of juice, the rest water). Once he got used to the cup, I started to give him the milk cup before naps instead of the breast. I did that over the course of a few weeks. Then I reduced him to only night and first thing in the morning feedings. Then I stopped the bedtime feedings, the last to go was the wake up feedings. I never forced it, and if he seemed unhappy, I went back for a few days and went slower. You have to find the right pace for your child and you. I was lucky that my son took very well to milk and juice and solids. He had a few days where his tummy seemed a little off, and I think it was just adjusting to the lessening amounts of breastmilk, but he never seemed sick, or unhappy, just had some hiccups and burping, etc.

Try to go as slowly as possible and good luck!

[littlebooty]

Thank You All For Your Replies! I Have Decided Not To Stop Breast Feeding And Just To Nurse Her Through Out The Day. I Will Be Going To College In July 15th.. From 5:30 Too 10 :30p. My Daughters Bedtime Is At 9 Pm. The Only Way She Falls Asleep Is Through Breastfeeding. How Can I Get Her To Sleep With Out Nursing. I Give Her The Sippy Cup And She Is Fine With It If Shes Awake But, When She Is Sleepy She'll Push It Away From ME..HOW CAN MY HUSBAND PUT HER TO SLEEP WITHOUT A BIG STRUGGLE?

[Jacksmommy]

She may go to sleep fine for him. They may develop their own routine of story reading or singing or rocking. Maybe he'll lay down with her. Maybe she'll change her bedtime to wait for you. I wouldn't worry yet. It might be just fine.

[Agog]

My son fought the sippy cups when he was tired at first too. You just have to keep trying. This process is as much about retraining yourselves as it is about retraining your child. Some babies fight longer, but once she understands that that's all she's gonna get, she'll be ok. I know it sounds heartless, but a few tantrums won't hurt her. I got my son out of the nursing to sleep habit at about 6 months, cause I saw problems ahead if I didn't. I did notice that I had to make my son's bedtime earlier. One of the reasons he would only nurse to sleep is because he was TOO tired, and couldn't calm himself down. (that's only me, I know other babies who have a later bedtime and that's just their internal clocks. My boy is early to bed, early to rise. Which kills me, as I'm so NOT that way) Once I realized that, he went down a lot easier, and actually PREFERS being just put down in his crib to get himself to sleep. I also agree with Jacksmommy, her dad and her will develop a routine of their own, what works for you won't necessarily work for him. The important thing is to give them time together alone so they can get used to it.

[threefunboys]

So, it sounds like your biggest issue is getting her to bed (that would be my biggest problem too). I guess your DH is going to have to figure that one out. I would suggest perhaps doing a "trial run" where you are available just in case, but then again, your DD might not stand for dad putting her down if she knows mom is available (go out somewhere if you're going to try it. Babies know when mom is around, somehow).
And with my DH, if I'm here, he'll hand the baby over to me when he gets frustrated, if I'm there, so he wouldn't really get a good "practice session" in. She may protest at first because it's not what she's used to, but she and DH will figure it out.

I do, however, respectfully disagree with Agog about cow milk not being a substitute for breastmilk. I DO think you can substitute cow milk. Milk has a lot of good nutrients. If you want to know the real truth, talk to a nutritionist or your baby's doctor (don't go looking around on the internet--there are a LOT of lies about milk out there). The recommendation is to wait until 12 months to give cow milk (but I've heard of people giving it at 10 or 11 months and doing just fine). It's also fine to give her cow milk and continue to BF, of course. :)

Good luck!

[Bama_5]

I do, however, respectfully disagree with Agog about cow milk not being a substitute for breastmilk. I DO think you can substitute cow milk. Milk has a lot of good nutrients. If you want to know the real truth, talk to a nutritionist or your baby's doctor (don't go looking around on the internet--there are a LOT of lies about milk out there). The recommendation is to wait until 12 months to give cow milk (but I've heard of people giving it at 10 or 11 months and doing just fine). It's also fine to give her cow milk and continue to BF, of course. :)

Good luck!

Bama said that and my exact wording should have been "equal substitute". Technically, anything you give in place of something else becomes a substitute.

Thanks for "respectfully" disagreeing. However, your comment about "want to know the real truth" doesn't sound very respectful. Just because you don't believe that there are two sides to an issue, doesn't mean that the other side is all lie.

For instance, peanut butter is a much needed protein source for me. However, there are many who find that it is deadly for them. Doesn't make it a lie to say that it is good protein or a lie to say it is highly allergic/fatal. Depends on the circumstance and individual.

As far as cow's milk - there is a lot of information out there both for and against it. I gave the OP her option. I only stated that it is not necessary to give cow's milk to replace the BM for calcium needs. There are reasons to not give cow's milk in many instances and I wanted OP to know that it is not required for proper growth and development if the nutritional needs are met through other (might I say better, imvho) sources. However, I did say many do use cow's milk and one year is when they introduce it. Her babe is at that one year mark so, I didn't speak against it.

I'll add that while I have my reasons for not using cow's milk, I think it is better weaning aid than a cola or kool-aid type drink.

To the OP - I'm glad you've found your peace and want to continue bf. With the hours you are away and the age of your dd, I believe it will all work out fine. AS PP said, maybe her bedtime will adjust or her sleep methods will change but either way, it will work.

Some of the previous comments sound a lot like crying it out which goes against everything I feel for my dc. I hope you and your dh can find a gentle way to deal with dd as she waits for you to get home. At her age, I bet you can :)

Most dh do develop their own method of soothing/coping when mom is away and as other's have said - My dh gives up way too easy if I'm available (which I usually am) :) . But I know he's gold when I'm not there (as my kids tell me).

Bama_5