When to Ween

If you are having a hard time deciding whether or not to wean, that tells me that you don't feel totally comfortable with the idea. Go with that instinct and continue to nurse your little one. It's so good for both of you on so many levels. A few questions: do you have a good pump? Also, do you have time throughout your day to pump at least twice? That will help with the pain and provide you with extra milk to send to his day-care and use when he starts eating solids. I mixed breast milk with my boys' cereal when they started taking it. It won't take long for your body to adjust to a pumping schedule. I worked full-time when my boys were babies and was able to pump at work. My youngest boy never had to have formula because I was able to keep up with his demand and had plenty of milk stored up for his sitter.

However, if pumping is not convenient for you throughout the day, you can certainly adapt your son to nurse when he's with you and formula when he's not. With my first son, I was rather inexperienced with pumping and had a very difficult time producing enough milk to keep up with his demand. I started buying formula for the day-care and continued to nurse him when we were together. This worked out fine...he adjusted to the switch and so did my body.

I'm a really passionate advocate for breastfeeding, but also for the working mom. I know, from experience, how difficult this can be. I hope you find something that works for both of you! Good luck!

If you can't decide then don't. Forced weaning is a full time job in itself. It can be very stressful for mom and baby, there will be pain involved for you and can be very confusing for baby.

Also, pumping shouldn't be painful. I don't know what kind of pump you are using, is it an electric single or double, manual? I couldn't use the double electric ones because they hurt me when I pumped. I really liked the Medela Harmony manual pump. It was only a single pump but I could pump out more milk faster than I ever could with the double because it didn't hurt. you should also check the size of the breastshield (the part that actually comes in contact with the breast) to see if it is too small or possibly too big. if you use an electric pump check to see if you can adjust the amount of "suck" that it has perhaps it is to high and that is what makes it hurt.

When you pump do you have somewhere you can go, other than a bathroom, that is private? I don't know where you go to school but you might consider talking to someone at nontraditional student services or even your academic adviser to see what services they offer that might be useful.

I would also talk to your daycare provider about not feeding him an hour or so before you pick him up so he will be hungry when you get him. Talk with them about how they do feed him, do they feed all the babies on a schedule, or do they only feed them when they are hungry? Your daycare should be willing to work with you in order to do what you already know is best for your baby. If they don't I would find a new daycare provider (if you can).

Trust me dear you can do it. I worked two jobs and went to school full time and managed to exclusively breast feed my daughter. You have to be strong and confident in your decision to do what is best for your son. Don't let anyone sway you with the misinformation that formula is the answer, it isn't. You can do it!! Good luck with school and continue doing the best for your little boy.

It sounds like you've been putting a lot of effort into providing your milk for your little guy. Good for you! Pumping should not be uncomfortable, so it may be that there's something that's not quite right with the pump that you are using. Are you saying that it hurts when your son nurses or it hurts when you don't pump? As for the not being hungry when you pick your son up, you want to talk to your daycare provider and see if maybe they could feed him a bit earlier so that he is hungry when you pick him up. I think that it would be very beneficial for you to speak with a La Leche League Leader. They could help you figure out what is going on with the pain and if you do want to wean, they have a lot of information on how to do that without causing painful engorgement or stressing you and your son out. You can find a local group or Leader from their website llli.org. Good luck with your journey. You've already gotten off to a great start.

You should wean when your baby is ready and not before. The American Academy of Pediatrician's recomends breastfeeding for at least a year and then for how long after as mutualy desired by mother and baby. The World Health Organization says at least two years. Try another pump. The pain from pumping will go away just like the pain did when you first started breastfeeding. Keep at it! It is the best, most perfect food for your baby. I don't care what the formula companies say, there is no such thing as a "comfort protein", and no "chemical"-formula company can ever duplicate what you make as perfect food for your baby. Why? Because what you make for your baby changes due to her needs, and what you make for your baby is diferent from what I or another mother makes for our babies. Does the chemical make up of the formula change from can to can? No. And no matter what the formula companies want you to believe, it will never be so. I breast fed my 14 yo till she was three and my 12 yo till he was almost three. My two yo is still happily nursing. Join LLL, they can help!

Unfortunately I was forced to wean due to medication and it happened very abruptly and for me, was incredibly uncomfortable. When you decide to wean, your breasts will become very hard and uncomfortable as they 'dry up.' I had a doctors wife give me an 'old wives' hint which incredibly worked. Buy a head of cabbage and keep it refrigerated. Place the leaves in your bra and change them whenever they loose the cooling effect. The cool leaf helps to soothe and there is something in the oils that help to speed up the drying process. I know it sounds crazy, but she has used this method for 4 kids and I used it and she sold me immediately. My OB thought it was hysterical when I came in with cabbage in my bra, but low and behold, they continue to give the hint now to all their patients. Give it a try...........

You can ween when you want, but if it's because it hurts to pump, try another pump first. Have the childcare facility not feed him his last feeding or not feed him as much, and then maybe he'll be hungry when you pick him up and he can BF then. There are different options you can try first if you don't want to ween just yet, but you can also not pump quite as much during the day to adjust your breasts so that they only produce in the evening and morning. Good luck and remember it is your decision.

If you keep up with the nursing in the morning and evening, your body will catch on. I nursed my son for 8 weeks and then had to go back to work. I pumped like a mad woman at work; and that's just how I was "a mad woman." Finally I allowed 2 bottles of formula during the day (while at daycare) and I nursed exclusively otherwise. I nursed my son for 15 months and it was the best experience. My body adjusted to MY schedule. If you want to ween, it will be painful, it's just something you have to go through until your milk dries up. Just know that there are ways to continue nursing and not have to pump. As far as daycare, tell them when to feed so that your baby is hungry when you pick him up.

I recommend trying to pump, if you can. Breast milk is sooooo good for your baby and my doctor & books said try for six months or more if you can......but if you end up wanting to start to wean, just don't pump. The engorgement won't last too long and then your milk supply will probably only slow (instead of stopping) and you could still nurse morning & night.

My advise is to NOT try to wean until after the first birthday. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests breastfeeding for a MINIMUM of one year.

I am a full time student that pumps for my 9-month-old son. He has never had formula and, God willing, never will. It can be done! The health benefits for my son far outweigh the inconvenience. I just think of all the dentist (orthodontist) and doctor's visits later in life I get to miss because I gave my son the best start! Breast is truly best for babies (with the exception of some medications, drugs, and/or diseases the mother may have)!! I wrote a paper on it. Email me and I will send it if you like.

God bless!

Such a hard decision. I BF my first daughter until I went back to school full time but because it was planned and gradual I had little pain. When my second came along, I was so excited because I thought I would be able to BF her longer. But, because she had reflux which wasn't diagnosed until we switched pediatricians at 10 weeks, I ended up putting her on the bottle when she was only a month old. She would spend about 45 minutes eating, then want to eat again an hour after she was done. I was so sore that she would cry to eat and I would cry because I was hurting so bad. Anyway, since it was pretty much cold turkey it was harder. However, my lamaze coach told the class that when we stopped BFing to keep a leaf of cabbage (not lettuce, has to be cabbage) against the breast and because of the enzymes, you will dry faster with less pain. It worked great. I can't tell you whether to stop or not, but don't do it if you're not sure. but this worked for me when I made my decision.

I won't give advice on whether to ween or not, but I will tell you that its painful! I decided to do it cold turkey when my son was about 3 weeks old. I took anti-inflamatories like Advil or Aleve (only use if you have stopped giving your breastmilk to the baby) and would allow myself to pump for 2 minutes max which provided just enough relief for me to be relatively comfortable. Wear a very tight fitting sports bra, the pressure can help a bit. It took me 2-3 days before the swelling and discomfort decreased and well within a week I was back to "normal". I do have a cousin who was able to only nurse before work in the morning and in the evenings until her son was about 9 months old, she did not pump during the day, so it can be done. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

Hi E.! Congrats on your little one and being committed to breastfeeding!!!! It sounds like you have quite a few questions concerning weaning. You may want to tap into the resource of your local La Leche League. They are the world's leading experts on anything breastfeeding related (including weaning). Here's the link to find one close to you: http://www.llli.org//WebUS.html

I promise you that it will be worth it whether you decide to wean now or wait till later. They will give you support, advice, accurate information and best of all a game plan that will work for you and your baby to gently wean without pain or complications. Meetings are free and if you can't find time to go please call a leader close to you!!! La Leche League has helped make my breastfeeding relationship with my son enjoyable and successful. He is now 2 and still nursing a few times a day. When we first started I NEVER thought that I would nurse for even a year, let alone 2!!!!!!
Good Luck,
K.

p.s. Regarding your pain during pumping; you might want to read this article I found on the LLL website:
http://www.llli.org/llleaderweb/LV/LVJunJul04p51.html

If you are worried about the pumping making your body think it needs to produce more milk just don't pump a full session. Only pump enough to fill comfortable. It will take a week or two for your body to adjust but this will help. Good luck!

It has been a long time since I weaned my daughter, 31 years to be exact. And back then they started babies on cereal at 2 weeks of age so by the time she was 4 months old she was eating cereal, fruits, veggies and meats in strained baby food. When she was 4 1/2 months old it was spring and I was tired of BFing and tired feeling like Elsie the cow. (I am well endowed anyway and while nursing I was even bigger) But I swore that I didn't want to wean from the breast to the bottle and then have to go through weaning again to the cup. I started offering her formula from a cup with her solid foods and then offering the breast after she ate the solid food. She gradually was less and less interested in nursing and after about 2 weeks she was no longer interested in nursing and my milk had dried up with no pain. Her pediatrician was fine with my decision but the pediatrician was old school and had been my pediatrician when I was young. We did decide to keep her on formula from a cup until she was about a year old and then switched to 2% milk. I'm sure you will get lots of different advice on this matter but I thought I would share my own experience from 31 years ago. Bottom line is that this is your baby and you have to do what you feel best about doing. I don't think you can just suddenly stop nursing all day without discomfort. I would suggest that you continue to pump but do it a little less each day. That way your body should reduce it's milk production because there is less demand. A friend of mine that had to stop nursing suddenly ended up having to bind her breasts and I think she had some kind of shot from her doctor to help dry up her milk. It was still an uncomfortable experience. I highly recommend a more gradual and natural weaning. Good luck with whatever you decide.

I leaked CONSTANTLY and it was impossible to wait all day so I pumped consistantly for a month and built a supply (the logistics can be overwhelming) for 3 more months and weaned. The LaLeche League is a huge network of very dedicated people and there's no better go-to guy for this!! You can find them in the Yellow Pages or call a hospital even. You can ask them anything and they even make house calls and can shop with you to find the right equipment. Its really easy once you have the tools. Breastfeeding is such a gift to your baby-a true investment in their health....but so is a happy, content, mommy! Do what's best for you but its worth a try! Good luck and congrats on going to school!

Hi E.,
I'm a mother of two, 6yr. son in kindergarten, 3yr. daughter in preschool and a nurse. I breastfed my son until he was 13mos. and daughter until 14mons. It was very diff. to ween, but good transtion with both. I added in bottle feedings gradually, then added a little whole milk mixed with breast milk to the bottle feedings, each time increasing whole and less breastmilk. Within 3 days he was weened. It was harder on me than my son, emotionally. It was easier the second time around. It is painful, but the freedom is so worth, not having to pump any more. I did miss that feeding time bond. When I started to get engorged, I rubbed the knots, it did stimulate the milk to come out, but your less likely to increase in milk production, and I also used heat. It takes a couple of weeks. You'll get through it. Good luck.

To ween it is easier to skip 2 feedings a day and then after your milk supply has lessoned because you aren't feeding or pumping those 2 anymore then you can start skipping another one. Your body will decrease the amount of milk it makes as you decrease the feedings. I went cold turkey with my first child and it was soooo painful, I did this method with 2nd and 3rd child and it was so much easier. I enjoyed bf them so I got to where I just fed them in the morning and before bedtime. They had formula during the day. It is possible to do both. You just have to give your body time to adjust and not do it all at once.
As for relieving the pain. When you get too full just take a warm shower and the heat will release some of the milk or use a warm cloth. You don't want to release too much or it will keep producing more at those times but when you are miserable, that helps. Skipping 1-2 feedings at a time makes it a lot easier where it isn't so painful.

I nursed my daughter until about 8 or so month old. When I weaned her, I talked to her pediatrician about what formula was best for her and I just pumped when I felt full to relieve the milk. Otherwise, if you continue to pump, you continue to produce. (Never ending cycle, just like nursing)La Leche League or your pediatrician can help you figure out the best way for you and your baby.

It is such a hard decision stopping bfeeding. If you can pump while at school, continue to do that, and then mix 1/2 bmilk and 1/2 formula(already made). Then when you are ready to do formula full time, you can bfeed in the AM and PM before bed. Your body will adjust in time to the new schedule, and then dry up when you are ready to stop. If you are uncomfortable during the day, pump while at school. I bfeed my first child till about 10mo, and had to stop my 2nd child at about 7mo (while working ft), due to her bitting while nursing.