Weening from Breast to Milk.

Hi M., my name is J.. I've got 2 children ages (almost 2 and almost 4 :)) I breastfed both of them. The simplest thing I can tell you is....COLD TURKEY!!! With my daughter, she was just over a year. I went to the hospital for 3 days with a very infected spider bite and was on IV antibiotics for 7 days after, my mom kept her.. We had no choice but, to wein her. My son was 14 months.. I knew I wanted to stop, but, I was finding it very difficult. Finally one night, my boyfriend decided to take over. Really at night was the only problem I had, or naptime... so, whenever my son wanted to nurse his dad would take him into the other room with a bottle and just let him cry and console him until he'd take the bottle. Really, its just like smoking.. you know you want to stop, but as much as you want to you just cant.. You've got a bond and you've got to make a choice. do it or not... but dont dance around it.. you just have to stop... thats my advice:) Good Luck!

Ask your pediatrician about cow's milk. I think it is still a little early. You may need to go to formula first or not at all! It will depend on what your little girl wants and THAT is just fine! :o)

Hi M.! Are you just breast feeding or are you pumping as well to feed breast milk by bottle? It was a easy transition for me since I gradually weaned off the breast and on to breast milk in a bottle, and then slowly weaned off of breast milk. Hopefully that helps. J.

M.
They have 2nd stage formula designed for older babies maybe try that in a sippy cup warm or cold for this last month. That way it might be more comfortable on her tummy before the trasition to whole cows milk. There are lots of ways to wean you can skip a nursing session replace w/ sippy cup every few days till you replaced all the feedings. Could take 2 weeks or more. Plus will be nicer on your breast not to be engored. I did that w/ #1, #3 and #4, #2 just stopped nursing at 11 mos on her own. and #3 when we got down to only night time feedings for a week, he just ended up refusing to nurse, so that was easy.

You'll know what direction to go when you start to wean, reading signs from your daughter and your self on wanting to stop cold turkey or over time. Good luck with your process, each child is soo different.
I miss nursing now, I really loved that bonding, mentally it took me a few weeks to get over the fact that it wasn't gonna happen any more, which is totally normal.
anyways good luck to ya
L.

Maybe you could pump some of your milk and give her that from a bottle. Then mix 1/2 of yours and 1/2 formula (or go to cows milk or soy) ADVENT IS A GOOD BOTTLE BRAND.
My daughter started weening herself at about 9 months. I would nurse her in the mornings and at night but she took a bottle during the day. Then she started popping off to look around and I could only take so much, it hurt! Eventually I had to just cut her off completely.