Talk to me about weaning... (SUPER LONG!)

Okay, I'm really sad about it - but for a couple of different reasons I need to start weaning. I want Loey to be completely finished BFing by the end of the year.

Right now he goes to daycare on Mon/Tues/Thurs from 8-4. I BF him at 6, pump once during that time period, then work from 4-7:30 and BF again when I get home around 8. On Wed/Fri/Sat/Sun, I BF at 6, 11, 4, and 8.

Starting on Monday, I'm going to be working full-time. With the commute, I'll be out of the house:

Mondays - 7am - 4 pm
Tuesdays- 7am - 8pm
Wednesdays- 7am - 4 pm
Thursdays- 7 am - 8pm
Fridays 7am - 4pm

How can I do this? I don't want to pump while I'm working anymore.. it's going to be too crazy. I'm working at a few different preschools and I'll be traveling between them throughout the day and seeing kids during the other times.

I want to CRY thinking about weaning him, but it's what is best for our family right now.

Also, Loey LOVES to BF! I am nervous he's not going to transition well. When I'm not around, he barely drinks any BM from his sippy... maybe 4 ounces/feeding at most... usually more like 2 ounces... and sometimes none at all. He hated the bottle so we got rid of it completely. He uses regular sippy cups (doesn't get how to use the straw one yet... basically drowns himself using a regular cup)

HELP!

Re: Talk to me about weaning... (SUPER LONG!)

He'll be OK. Promise.

I felt like you do with Ryan. I thought there was no way he could do without the breast - apparently, he can. And when I'm ready, Colin will do without too.

But it feels like the end of the world. Like you're taking away their security blanket. You'll be amazed - he will transition fine. Sometimes it takes time, but he'll be fine

Have you introduced whole milk yet? I'd start mixing it with BM? They need time with the sippy. Ryan only would take an ounce or two in the beginning - then he was sucking down so much I had to cut him back.

FM me if you want

Re: Talk to me about weaning... (SUPER LONG!)

Posted by SweetCaroline

He'll be OK. Promise.

I felt like you do with Ryan. I thought there was no way he could do without the breast - apparently, he can. And when I'm ready, Colin will do without too.

But it feels like the end of the world. Like you're taking away their security blanket. You'll be amazed - he will transition fine. Sometimes it takes time, but he'll be fine

Have you introduced whole milk yet? I'd start mixing it with BM? They need time with the sippy. Ryan only would take an ounce or two in the beginning - then he was sucking down so much I had to cut him back.

FM me if you want

Re: Talk to me about weaning... (SUPER LONG!)

Posted by maybeamommy

Posted by SweetCaroline

He'll be OK. Promise.

I felt like you do with Ryan. I thought there was no way he could do without the breast - apparently, he can. And when I'm ready, Colin will do without too.

But it feels like the end of the world. Like you're taking away their security blanket. You'll be amazed - he will transition fine. Sometimes it takes time, but he'll be fine

Have you introduced whole milk yet? I'd start mixing it with BM? They need time with the sippy. Ryan only would take an ounce or two in the beginning - then he was sucking down so much I had to cut him back.

FM me if you want

Thanks Jessee.

He's been using a sippy cup since August! He gets one at daycare with BM in it, but he HATES it.... seriously hates it! At home with Steve, he won't take the sippy at all (even though I'm not there). He's at daycare 8-4 and will take a total of maybe 4 ounces the whole day!

We haven't started whole milk yet. I have a TON of frozen BM that we want to use up before the transition... is that okay to do that??

Re: Talk to me about weaning... (SUPER LONG!)

it took me 3-4 months to wean Mady. I started around 18.5 months. we were both not ready but i knew the longer i waited to wean, the harder it would be for the both of us.
when she hit the one year mark, i quit pumping at work b.c she could start whole milk. at that point, i think i would just bf in the am when she woke up (6:30), when i came home from work ( 6:30p) and then again right before bed (9pm). that went on for many months. i think on the weekends i would add another bf session in there... we just loved it and it worked for us.

so keep in mind that even if you stop pumping you can still bf... at least it is one step in the direction of weaning...

i remember trying to wean around 18 months. i dont remember if at that time i was still bfing her when she woke up or not.... i think by 18 months i would just give her some milk in the bottle and we all cuddle in bed before i got ready for work.

i think it was around 19 months i cut out the bf session right before bed . i would just bf when i got home from work and when it was time for bed, i rocked her. of course she fought me and tried to get to my boobs but i did my best to distract her and eventually she fell asleep in my arms. i would say it took about 4 days for her to take to that transition.

at that point i was down to one time a day and that was when i came home from work. - that was the hardest to cut out. we were both not ready , so i stretched that out for another 2 months.. eventually , when i cut that feeding out, i made sure to replace it with a fun activity. i would come home and normally bf was the first thing she wanted to do, so i would say, " let's go outside for a walk" and that really helped. she would fight a little but eventually got used to it..

and then we would cheat from time to time- like a good 2-3 times a week she would sneak in one quick bf session -like right before bed or something.. i dont recmd it, but it worked for us.
mady is now 22 months and we haven't cheated in 3 weeks.
it was a slow process but i wouldnt do it any other way. we both had to make the slow transition.. and it worked for us.

good luck!! i know this is hard!!

Re: Talk to me about weaning... (SUPER LONG!)

I am sort of in the same boat.

this week is my last week of pumping at work.

I just can't do it. I am frozen.

I decided to continue nursing through the new year. seems stupid for me to stop when he could use my antibodies against all the germs running around during the winter.

but really, I am just so not ready for it to end. NOT one bit.

I am afraid to stop pumping b/c I am terrified my milk will dry up before I am ready.

but I need to do it.

luce LOVES nursing. I love nursing.

so, no more pumping but those morning and night sessions will be cherished for at least a few more months.



ETA: I want HIM to decide when he's done with the morning and night sessions. I am hoping though, that we are looking at the same calendar

Message edited 11/23/2010 2:44:47 PM.

Re: Talk to me about weaning... (SUPER LONG!)

Just wanted to give you some because I know how hard this is for you sweetie!!!

Re: Talk to me about weaning... (SUPER LONG!)

Ugh! I am going through the same!! I also want to stop soon...but for a number of reasons I just can't seem to stop!!!


1. When I'm with Lexi she nurses 4 times a day. Its usually when she wakes up...and then everytime she wants to sleep. So twice for naps and at bedtime. I am afraid that once I stop....she wont sleep for me anymore and she will become miss crabby pants.

2. Its just sooooo easy!!!!! Giving her sippy cups or bottles is so annoying for me.

3. I love nursing her....she loves it too! Its the only time she's calm and quiet and not all over the place.

4. She is teething...and its the only thing that will soothe her. I think she has molars breaking through and she is so uncomfortable.

I don't know when to start!!!

FYI-I stopped pumping at work probably two months ago. It was the greatest thing EVER! That dam n pump is in STORAGE!!!!

I think you should definitely stop pumping. When I stopped pumping I nursed her in the AM....didn't at all during work....and rushed home to nurse her. I made sure my mom didn't giver any bottles so she wouldn't be full.

Good luck. I'll let you know how we do.

Re: Talk to me about weaning... (SUPER LONG!)

Thanks ladies. I'm so glad that people understand what I'm going through. I NEVER EVER imagined that it would be this way! I was the kind of person who said "Oh, I'll give BFing a try and if it works then great... if not, oh well." And now here I am at almost 1 year and I am so sad to stop!

One of the reasons for us to stop is to try to get pregnant again in the near future. To do that, we need to be COMPLETELY 100% done BFing for 2 months (for fertility treatments). It just seems so final!

The other thing is that I don't know how to actually stop. Which feedings do I cut out first? Do I replace them with sippy cups of BM? How does this work? What happens when he wakes up in the morning? (No more cuddling in bed with mommy during BFing? Does he get a BM sippy instead? He'll FLIP!)

Any more advice for me on how to actually stop??

Re: Talk to me about weaning... (SUPER LONG!)

Message edited 11/24/2010 10:05:13 AM.

Re: Talk to me about weaning... (SUPER LONG!)

Posted by SweetCaroline

Posted by maybeamommy

Thanks ladies. I'm so glad that people understand what I'm going through. I NEVER EVER imagined that it would be this way! I was the kind of person who said "Oh, I'll give BFing a try and if it works then great... if not, oh well." And now here I am at almost 1 year and I am so sad to stop!

One of the reasons for us to stop is to try to get pregnant again in the near future. To do that, we need to be COMPLETELY 100% done BFing for 2 months (for fertility treatments). It just seems so final!

The other thing is that I don't know how to actually stop. Which feedings do I cut out first? Do I replace them with sippy cups of BM? How does this work? What happens when he wakes up in the morning? (No more cuddling in bed with mommy during BFing? Does he get a BM sippy instead? He'll FLIP!)

Any more advice for me on how to actually stop??

I was so nervous Ryan wouldn't go for weaning. He used to pull my shirt down at that age and scream "MILLLLKKKKK". But sure enough, one more he was just distracted, and I took it as an opportunity to just not nurse that day. Sad b/c I never knew that the day before was our last time but I knew it was coming (I was already 4 months along with Colin and wanted to wean well before I was nursing the next). Does he like characters? That's how I "tricked" Ryan out of the boob - bought him a few fun sippy cups and went in with those in the morning.
Now Colin, if I don't nurse him right away he yell EAT at me. Little booger. I will probably wean him in the next couple of months so I'll have to find a trick for him.

Re: Talk to me about weaning... (SUPER LONG!)

i'm not weaning yet with DD but i would cut out your pumping sessions at work the days you will get home a 4. if you can go 12 hours without pumping (i know i can) then i would cut out pumping at work all together. if this was me the first session i would cut out would be the one when you get home from work. then i would flip a coin for the morning or night session LOL