Hi everyone,
I'm starting the process of weaning my 5 month old. I have about a month's worth of milk frozen so she'll get breastmilk until she's a little over 6 months. Weaning my first one was not an issue because she wasn't a big eater and she gradually lost interest in it at about 5 months, so I don't really have a frame of reference to know how to do this. What advice do you have to make the weaning process easier, especially at night? My daughter really enjoys the night nursing...it seems to really relax her and helps her fall asleep. She sometimes falls asleep while nursing but mostly goes to bed happy once I lay her down. I recently started giving her a pacifier but don't want to make her dependant on it to fall asleep.
Hi again! I am updating my 'So What Happened' post because I realized I didn't share that I am open to only nursing at night. My dd only nurses one side at a time. If I wean her to only nurse at night, how does it work to nurse one side one night and one side the next night without pumping...does your supply maintain itself with 48 hrs in between? How does one not get engorged, get plugged ducts, etc?
Here's the original text to my original response to you all... = )
So many of you have asked why I'm choosing to wean even though bf'ing is recommended for the first year of life. Thanks for all of your concern. I'm choosing to do so after much consideration for several reasons.
Juggling work and pumping is not an easy task...I have a big project kicking up with big deliverables/deadlines and a very short timeline (8 weeks for something that really needs 10-12). Taking time to pump twice a day every day will eat into the litle precious time we have for this project. Every minute counts on this project and I'm sure there will be many days where I'll need to go in early and work late and pumping will just take away time from the project and take away from my sleep! I do have understanding co-workers, but when there's a deadline, there's a deadline! = ) I also don't want to carry around my pump back and forth from building to building on our corporate campus (I'll have a satellite office in one of our other buildings during this time...too much to carry!). I guess this reason can be summed up as pumping is incredibly inconvenient. I guess the better way to say it is that pumping doesn't fit into the demands with my work.
Another reason is that I'm not anti-formula except for the fact that it costs an arm and a leg!
And last reason, my first daughter started on formula at about 5 1/2 months (she was done with me before I was done with her!) and she was and is totally fine...no allergies that we've come across yet (and we eat all sorts of stuff) and she rarely gets sick (when she does, she's a very happy sick child).
So hopefully that sheds some light on why I'm weaning...so any words of wisdom out there to make it easier, especially for my dd would be awesome! = )
Waiting until they wean on their own is healthier and easier for mom and baby. Most babies have an easy time weaning once solid foods make up the bulk of their diet, usually anywhere from 12-18 months. Both of my kids gave up breastfeeding on their own, my first at 12months and my second at 15 months. If you need more info on why breastfeeding for at least a year is so good for baby, let me know! : ) good luck!
you don't say why you are weaning at 5 months ... I only offer this in case it's because of a cultural assumption you have not examined ... waiting until the baby is ready to wean, if your circumstances allow, is the easiest way.
I weaned my first too early for her at about 20 months ... partly I think because ... well, anyhow, none of my others went so long. They went about 14 months, 18 months, and 14 months ... I think ... anyhow, way less than two years ... before they were Just No Longer Interested.
When I was first pregnant, the WHO statistic was that the average age for weaning, worldwide was (wait for it, wait for it) 4.25(!!!!!). Now, I have NO idea how WHO decided what was "average," but that was a number designed to shock American sensibilities for sure ;)! And that was when the American Pediatricians Association (or whatever that big AMA-affiliated group is) came out with their "6 months exclusive, 2 years still nursing" ideal (which being the alterna-mommy I am, I laughed each time one of my babies weaned THEMSELF before the two-year guideline ... ;) ).
Anyhow, not trying to pour out a judgement or anything, certainly my choices about my kids have had me hearing all sorts of interesting opinions ;) ...
Whatever route you end up choosing, I trust blessing will pour on you and your daughter :).
It is sad that you are choosing to wean so early. The American Pediatric Association suggests breastfeeding for at least 2 years. The World Health Organization recommends 3 years, which may be too long for some, but there is TONS of research on the health benefits of breastfeeding. If you can, I would highly encourage you to continue.
Can we ask why you are weaning? What are you switching to? I assume formula. Babies are still fully dependant on breastmilk or formula until they are well established on table food which isn't until 9 months or later. Sometimes over a yr for some babies and even then breastmilk/formula are very very important to their diet.
I wonder why you are weaning so early. It's recommended for at least a year if not 2 years and even shows benefits after that. I'm not suggesting how long anyone should nurse, just curious.
Breatfed babies at that age often still need to eat at night..
Hi K.,
I know you posted this awhile ago but I currently am going to try and wean my 5 month old.And from the responses that you had got it seemed everyone was telling you to wait till she was older.
I know for sure I am going to wean. My son has two teeth, and we are starting him on solids. I don't want him to have all the conflicting foods (breast-milk, formula, and solids).
I was just wondering if you had found anything out about weaning.. My oldest only lasted 3 weeks with breast-feeding, so I have no clue how to go about it.
Every child is different, so it's hard to judge timeline. I didn't wean my child until she was over one year, but it took a few months. You'll need to cut down feeding times and frequencies, and doing this gradually causes less complaints. Nighttime and first morning feedings are the hardest to stop usually. The pacifier will definitely be your friend in this process, so don't worry about it. My daughter was very orally fixated, and had hers all the time for sleeping until she was about two. Then we talked about how she was too big for it, and it went away. No damage to her or her teeth.
