Weaning One Year Old

My little one skipped the bottle and sippy cup and started using those disposable cups with a straw that you see sold next to the other bottles and sippy cups. I think it was the novelty of a straw that did it for her. Good Luck.
M.

Hi Tricia,

While I don't know if I can actually help with this, I wanted you to know I am in a similar boat. I have a 15 month old boy and while I have him down to 1 feeding a day and he has always taken a sippy cup (Gave it to him when he was 5 months) I can't for the life of me get him to give up that first AM feeding. When he gets up he is MISERABLE if I don't nurse him. Forget getting out the door, I can't even go to the bathroom.

What I can say is that I started by not REPLACING feedings, but moving them. Bedtime became a ritual of bath, story, water in the cup, a song or two and some rocking, and bed. BEFORE the bath and after dinner, I nursed him. The naps were harder to wean, but he will now nap without nursing too, but I do let him have a sippy cup of water in the crib. Again, stick to a strict routine, and nurse when they get up, that way they don't feel cheated, its just at a different time. That way if they miss it, sometimes they don't notice.

Thats how I got him off it anyway, one feeding at a time, started with moving the bedtime one to earlier, then switched naps from before to after (cried for about a week but then was ok), then started eliminating feedings. Like I said, he is now down to the one a day, when I figure that one out I will let you know.

J.

I chose not to wean my daughter at one, and to let her self-wean, but I did cut down on some of her feedings. I joined La Leche League and they advice from the other mothers there was always helpful, supportive and positive for me. I suggest you find a local group if possible.
My tactics were to not sit in the "nursing areas" of the house if I could avoid it... this meant not sitting in my comfy leather recliner! I would stand a lot, so she didn't have access to pull on my shirt, etc.
I would also distract her if she DID want to nurse.. bring out a new (cheap) toy or engage her in an activity, etc. Since it sounds like you have an older child, enlist this child in helping you distract the one you are trying to wean.

Also, in reference to the sippy cup issue.. often it is better to not offer this YOURSELF.. but to get your husband or another caregiver to introduce it. I know that babies can smell breastmilk and she will just "know" that if she doesn't take the cup, you can nurse her.

My tactic was to let her know that #1- there would be no nursing in public anymore #2- phase out only a nursing session or so at a time... it is slow-going, but worth it (child is less fussy and going slowly means they don't notice quite as much!)
#3- keep the "comfort nursing" (when they get hurt and bedtime nursing)
#4- My daughter had a pacifier, so I kept that and used it at night to replace middle-of-the-night-nursing sessions

There are also cups available (Avent, and I think Medela may make some as well) for children who won't take the traditional sippy cups (shaped more like nipple spouts.)

Hope this helps. Feel free to contact me if you want. Also, my daughter weaned to one nursing session at bedtime by 2 and then weaned entirely at 3.5 when she said, "Mommy, I'm done with nursing. I can go to sleep without it. I'm a big girl now." I wouldn't trade that time for anything, but I *DO* know how exhausting it is!!!

-Amanda (____@____.com)

Tricia,
Don't be concerned alot of kids do this. My grand kids did the same thing.
Just try to supplement other calcium products for the milk. Yogurt, cheese,
and any thing else. if you continue to nurse her she'll never make the transition. I also do daycare and have had a few who went thru the same thing.
Trust me it does get better. Just keep trying when you give your older one milk offer it to her and make a big deal out of it by saying what a big girl you are to drink milk out of a cup like sissy.It will take time but she'll get it.
C.

My third will be one at the end of the month and I will be transitioning her to a sippy cup. She has already been practicing with water in a sippy. I did this with the other two. Soon after turning one, I took away the bottle. There was no choice, #1, a girl, took to it immediately. #2, a boy, hated it. Although it only took one night because I didn't have a bottle to give him. He played with the sippy, got frustrated, finally fell asleep, woke up hungry and drank from the sippy. The next night, drank from the sippy. He never saw a bottle again. It's only easy when it's someone elses story. You and your daughter will accomplish this. You are exhausted and your not seeing this clearly. She will take a sippy if you gently and calmly ofter it to her enough. If she doesn't want it, take it away. Comfort her if she needs it and offer it again a little later. Keep calm and relaxed, even if she is not. She will pick up signals from you, so keep the sippy experience as positive and natural as you can.

Hi Tricia:

I just went through this over the last 2 weeks. My son is 9 months old. I also didn't want to replace every feeding - I only wanted to drop 1 every 4-5 days. It was hard b/c he did NOT want to take the bottle. But after the 4th or 5th day of dropping the first feeding he finally got hungry enough and he will now take his bottle.

I have actually had this problem with 2 of my 6 kids. This one & my first absolutley refused the bottle, probably b/c they never had any supplements, but they are fine now.

I'm sure you two will figure it out together. It won't hurt them to miss a feeding, their little bodies will make it up later. I think it is actually harder on us to hear them cry and know that we have what they want - but that we can't give it to them b/c we are trying to teach them new things.

I hope this helps. Feel free to contact me - I'm in Willowbrook too.

Take care,
J.
Mom to a bunch of kids, 8,7,6,4,2 & 9 months.

Hi!,
Boy do I know what you are going through!!!. My third child would not be weaned for anything!!! She was 16 months and she was about to send me to the crazy house!!! I saw how she was running the show when I went to my sister's house. That night she wanted to nurse all night long, when I just about got her to sleep the slightest noise would wake her. This started about 10:00 p.m., and now it was about 2:00 a.m. She was crying so much she woke up my niece. I realized that I had to gain control back. I realized that I had to set definate ground rules that I was not willing to budge on. In the following weeks it was hard, but I did it. I noticed that she would cuddle up to me when I was on the phone before I knew it I was nursing again. As soon as I realized it, I would stop, and give her a cup, as no, no. Mommy loves you, give her a hug. It may seem like you are being the worst mommy in the world, and sometimes it may feel like it, but hang in there!!.. No sippy cups!!! Believe it or not, your child does not need it. Give your child a regular cup. Teach them how to hold it. Teach them how to drink out of it by standing right there with them. Keep on introducing them with milk a little at a time. Water down juices 50/50. You can do it!!! Feel free to email me anytime!!!

Hi Tricia,

Fear not, you and I have a lot in common. My daughter never took a bottle...I nursed until she was a year old. She would also only take water from a sippy cup. My doctor said that is absoulutely fine as long as I'm supplementing with things like yogurt and cheese. If she's eating solids, try that...my kid will eat cheese day and night if I let her. I guess it's not as important that they drink MILK as it is they get the calcium. I am an adult who never drank milk...I just don't like it. My mom gave me lots of yogurt and cheese...my bones and health are excellent. I hope this helps.

My son refused to latch so I was sort of lucky not to have this problem (I pumped breastmilk and he drank it from a bottle).

The La Leche League (internationally recognized experts & advocates of breastfeeding) has a section on their site about how to wean children off of the breast which you may find helpful.

http://www.lalecheleague.org/FAQ/weanhowto.html

You might also want to go to different magazine sites (such as the sites for Parents, Parenting, American Baby, etc) and use their search feature to search their archives for articles on weaning babies from breastfeeding. A general internet search may yield some useful info, too.

Good Luck!

Hi. Have your ever pumped your breastmilk? If so, what I did was put breast milk into the sippy cup. Then, I gradually began to add more and more milk to the breast milk, until it was all milk.

HTH

R.