Help Weaning please

[JenGRS]

I've just been searching the internet on advice for weaning and all I'm coming across are articles for why you SHOULDN'T wean. I understand all of it, but sometimes it's just not in the cards to bf long-term.
My third child, DS is 8 months old and has been exclusively bf. He's eating breakfast and dinner and nurses about 3-4 times a day and the dreaded 3 or 4 am feeding.
He has never liked the bottle or a pacifier. I'm his pacifier and it's really starting to take its toll. Somehow I'm thinking that a full night's sleep is a good thing once every year or so! ;)
My dream life would consist of the dear sweet (and he really is the dearest and sweetest baby!) to sleep through the night, have a bottle in the morning after his cereal. Take a bottle before his nap. A bit after his nap. Dinner and then a nice mmm mmm before bed. How do I wean him down to just one nursing a day? More importantly, how do I get him to take a bottle???? I've tried so many different ones. I've tried different sippy cups too. He REFUSES to do anything with them other than play or bite.
Please help.

Jennifer

[nicurn]

At 8 months, it's about as likely that a breastfed baby would start taking the bottle as it would be for a bottlefed baby to begin breastfeeding.

What kind of sippys have you tried? Your DC is really at a good age to begin transitioning to them even if you weren't planning to wean.

The easiest way to partially wean is to have someone else give the feedings until the alternative feeding method is a habit, but you won't be able to do that until your DC is taking a sippy.

Do you have an SO who could get up with your DC at night for a few nights and distract him from nursing? If not, how does your DC respond to having his nursing sessions shortened?

Oh, and BIG WARNING!!! Weaning by no means gaurantees that the baby will no longer want to eat at 3am, nor does it gaurantee that he will sleep through the night even if he isn't hungry. My first and third both sleep through the night unless they are sick, but 4 1/2 year old DS2 still gets up at least once a night, and he's been weaned for 3 1/2 years.

Honestly, if all you want is the occasional night's rest, the best bet is just to have someone help you out once a week or so and take your DC during that time.

[larzyrog]

some kids just doesn't like the bottle bc the nipple is different than the breast. i would not force the baby to have the bottle. u can use a water bottle and put the bf milk in that or whatever u use for milk. i know when i was babysitting the baby hated the bottle bc of the nipple so what i did was put pumped breastmilk in the water bottle bc she felt like an older kid, i think that what she was thinking bc she would see me drinkin for a water bottle. i hope this help. good luck

[Bama_5]

ITA with PP in that:

Weaning does not guarantee sleeping through the night.

This is good age to introduce cup. I use the Avent sippy (which is the older version where you use a bottle and instead of the nipple in the screw top, you put a soft sippy spout made for just this purpose - all by Avent). You could try other sippy cups (as I've used them too but not sure which ones - I start with the short ones because they are easier to handle).

I introduce the sippy (with pumped bm) at times when they are not normally nursing or when they first show smallest sign of boredom/fussiness/etc. For instance......

in the carseat...........in line at grocery store..........at mealtime.......even in the bath if you are really having a time getting them into it

You might have to squeeze the sippy part to get a few drops in the mouth of babe so they get interested. You might have to do this more times than you think for babe to catch on to the idea. You can take out the peice that makes it spill proof to help babe figure out the good stuff is in there. You can use water instead of bm but that might be less interesting/familiar/inviting to a toddler. Besides, at the age of your dc, it isn't advisable to give water as that is empty calories.

Anything I would mention to aid you in this process is a slow go. I do not go cold turkey anything and I do wait on dc to respond in dc's own time. If you want a hurry up process, these tips will only help if dc is ready for the idea.

BTW, congrats and way to go MOM on the 8 month exclusive BF! Pat yourself on the back, twice and good luck with working out the next plan.

Bama

[skinne2]

I'm feeling your need for sleep. My son, now 10 mos, nursed all night, every hour practically, and i've gotten so tired that i'm putting him in his crib to try to sleep on his own a bit. He no longer likes the pacie either... but he does like the Advent sippy cups recommended by another post.

I co-slept with him, which is why he prob nursed all night and now it's a habit! But, i've been kind of letting him cry a bit when he wakes, just to see what he'll do. I donl't think he's hungry every time. He surpsied me by sleeping 6 hours the first night, 8 the second. But still, he likes the 3am feeding :) Maybe try to let your baby fuss a bit and settle themselves down before you offer to nurse? Also, offer something to eat before bed and try to 'top off' before you go to bed so you can sleep longer maybe?

As far as getting down to one nursing time a day, i agree that you should do it slowly, cut out the least favorite time to nurse for a few days, then the second least, and so on until you're at the final night one. This wil be much easier on both of you!

Good luck!

[Jacksmommy]

The problem you face with weaning an 8 month old from the breast isn't just what you choose to try to feed him with - though I agree you'll have more success with a soft spout sippy cup than a bottle. The bigger problem is what you'll put in that cup. He should have breastmilk or formula as his main source of nutrition for his first year. If you're not nursing, you'll need to pump for those feedings, and many women have trouble maintaining their milk supply when they replace nursing with pumping. If you don't do that then there's formula which is expensive and doesn't taste anything like breastmilk. I try to imagine my own baby at that age and me trying to do what you're talking about, and it would just be harder than nursing for another 4 months. Have you considered just night weaning but still nursing your baby at least 4 times a day so he gets enough breastmilk?

[Firemom]

I definitely agree with introducing a sippy cup and not a bottle. Even if your baby took the bottle then you would have to try to wean from that also.

Sleeping through the night. As they get older it is easier to get them to go back to sleep without nursing. When they are younger it is definitely possible but they don't understand as well as say a 2 year old.

My dd got up at night until she was about 3. However i pretty much had her night weaned around 2