Weaning a 10-month-old to formula

[countrygirl]

I am 18 weeks pregnant and have been trying to continue nursing DS until he is 12 mos. My milk supply has gradually been getting lower the further along I get. He is not gaining weight as quickly as he should and seems to be hungry all of the time. He is eating 5 meals of solids a day in addition to nursing 4 times a day and nursing every hour at night. I am only producing around 10 oz of BM a day. I know he is not getting the amount of milk he needs, and I am getting very worried that it will effect his brain growth. Though I am very reluctant to do so, I think I need to wean him to formula (or at least supplement). Does anyone have any ideas on how to get a 10 month old to switch to formula? Mixing the formula with BM is difficult because my supply is so low (I get around 1/2 to 1 oz when I pump every 4 hours).
He absolutely refuses the formula right now. He will drink from a sippy, a regular cup or a straw, but he would rather eat more solids that have to drink the formula. I tried goat's milk, but it is the same story. I am really stressed out about it, but am not sure what to do other than quit letting him nurse cold turkey and hope that he gets hungry enough to take the formula. Sorry this is so long. Any advice would be appreciated.

[Jacksmommy]

Does he like yogurt? Will he drink kefir or drinkable yogurt and eat yogurt? At 10 months he's too young fow cow's milk, but I'm pretty sure he's old enough for cultured milk products (assuming he's not allergic). Maybe that could work. Formula just tastes bad if a baby isn't used to it, and for as short a time as he would need to drink it, this solution might work better for you.
I wouldn't wean him cold turkey if you don't have to. That almost never makes a baby want a bottle of something he doesn't want.

[countrygirl]

He does like yogurt and I have been feeding it to him. I hadn't thought about the drinkable variety. I'll see if he'll take it.

[Nipple_nectar]

I wouldn't wean him cold turkey either, it could lead to a breast infection for you, weaning needs to be done gradually, even if your supply is low. Have you tried simple tricks like eating oatmeal?

My supply disappeared by 15 weeks into pregnancy, so you have a valid concern. However, some babies will nurse entirely through your pregnancy and an excellent read for you would be The adventures in tandem nursing by Hilary Flower:)

Just count your wet diapers, you need to see a minimum of six wet in a 24 hour period, if you are reaching that, there is no need for a supplement, let the output be your guide and congrats on your pregnancy!

[countrygirl]

I know that some women successfully BF through pregnancy, but I am obviously not able to do so. He is not having the amount of wet diapers he should and not gaining the weight he should. I can literally go 12 hours without him nursing (had to once while working) and never feel "full" at all. I do not want to wean him suddenly, hence why I am asking for advice on this forum.
I found the drinkable yogurt today and he seems to like it. I could not find the plain kind however. I just found the kids with DHA added and lower sugar.

[Shaunsmom]

I know that some women successfully BF through pregnancy, but I am obviously not able to do so. He is not having the amount of wet diapers he should and not gaining the weight he should. I can literally go 12 hours without him nursing (had to once while working) and never feel "full" at all. I do not want to wean him suddenly, hence why I am asking for advice on this forum.
I found the drinkable yogurt today and he seems to like it. I could not find the plain kind however. I just found the kids with DHA added and lower sugar.

Are you open to the idea of receiving another mama's donated breastmilk for your LO once your milk supply is gone with your pregnancy?

If you're open to the idea of searching for a human milk donor, I'd suggest Milkshare...you can find more information at www.milkshare.com. I'm a donor there and if you had any questions, you can ask me. Another poster here that has been on the receiving end of milk from Milkshare is Kerry.

Good luck mama:)

[Jacksmommy]

I found the drinkable yogurt today and he seems to like it. I could not find the plain kind however. I just found the kids with DHA added and lower sugar.


Plain drinkable yogurt (or kefir - same thing basically) is going to be sour. I use it to make ranch dressing. I find it at Kroger btw. You can also find it at Whole Foods I'm sure. Some babies like it, but others will prefer something sweeter. Does your baby drink water at all? Breastmilk contains a lot of water. Drinkable yogurt is good but maybe not so hydrating. You might want to make sure baby gets water as well.

[countrygirl]

Yes, he drinks around 12 oz of water a day.
I might check on getting milk from a donor. I am just trying to figure out how big of a deal to make of this. Thanks for all of the advice.

[Jacksmommy]

You want him to continue to produce 6 wet diapers a day. I don't remember how many ounces of milk is recommended for his age, but I'm sure that wouldn't be too hard to find out. Yogurt is, I'm sure, an equal substitute for cow's milk. I know if he was still nursing, he'd get all he needs from nursing 4 times a day. I'm not sure how that translates to yogurt products.

[madelsmama]

I would check into the donor milk as well, if just for the next 2 months.

[kutty]

I would like to introduce formula to my 10-month-old exclusively breastfed baby. I've never had much luck with expressing and my husband and I would like to try for another baby (still no period). My little one still feeds 2-3 times at night and about 3-4 times during the day. I'm happy to continue for a few more weeks but would like to find a way of gradually weaning him onto formula. He absolutely refuses to drink the stuff - have tried a few brands but not interested. He also no longer takes the bottle (used to when he was younger) but I figure it's better to wean him onto the cup anyway. Little one is very insistent and nurses to sleep for naps and bedtime - we have tried pick up/put down from the Babywhisper to get him to sleep without a feed but it just leads to lots of tears and no sleep. I want to make this as gentle as possible - the last thing I want is for him to wonder why mummy's suddenly decided to withold breastmilk. Any advice very welcome!

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