Hi i've been breast feeding since my son was born and only exspected to do that for 7 months but it turned out longer he is now 18 months old he does eat alot of foods but is not liking the cow milk ...any help to try and get him off the breast feeding would greatly help . Thx
2007-02-22 11:29:46 · 8 answers · asked by Michele S 1 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Toddler & Preschooler
Much of the world breast feeds longer than 18 months, so just realize that it is you who is going against natural instinct here, not your child.
Having said that, I would encourage you to do as the other person said (pump your breast milk) but I would recommend that you mix it gradually with soy milk, or soy formula fortified for toddlers.
Would you consider it natural if a monkey breast fed off of a dog?
Or a cat breast fed off of your girlfriend?
Then don't replace human milk with cow's milk. Your child will thank you when they grow up.
G.E.T. RN
Registered Nurse (retired)
2007-02-22 11:40:37 · answer #1 · answered by gordios_thomas_icxc 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
well 7 months is usually way to early to wean a child from nursing. The AAP recomends for 1 year minnimum and then however long after that you want and La Leche Leauge International and WHO (the world health organization) recommend 2-3 years.
A lot of children just stop nursing on their own or the mothers milk dries up naturaly so the children stop. However 18 months isn't really an unreasonable time now to start weaning if you really just do not want to nurse anymore.
Going cold turkey for anyone to quit something is hard. And the reason toddlers are recommended to nurse so long is, because as you mentioned with your son, there are some things they just don't like that they need.
A lot of toddlers eat diets that don't have a lot of varriety, so nursing ensures they get any vitamins and minerals they may be missing.
At this point though he should be primarily eatting solids as his main source of nurition and nursing should be secondary.
Thats how you should make each meal. Feed him solid food first and as much as possible until hes full. Then, if he still wants to nurse, do so after he finishes what you offered him. always try and offer solid food first though.
After that slowly replace nursing with food only and just keep offering him food. Start by replacing only a snack or lunch time. Then remove nursing from another meal, and then another, making bed time the last meals you remove nursing from.
Also here is The LLL's page for help with weaning. They cover all sorts of frequently asked questions as well as tips to get your child to wean.
They also have local support group meetings which are free and kids are allowed, run by a trained nursing professional, which covers everything from latching on to weening and they could always help you also, all while meeting some new mommy friends. Hope it helps
http://www.lalecheleague.org/NB/NBweaning.html
2007-02-22 12:26:42 · answer #2 · answered by slawsayssss 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Wow, I just have to say. You've done an INCREDIBLE job. You should really be proud of yourself. You have given your son an excellent start to life by breastfeeding him! GOOD JOB!
He really doesn't NEED cows milk. If he's eating a wide variety of foods, yogurt and cheese, nothing much to worry about. I would give him a sippy cup or two of soy milk or rice milk and not even worry about the cows milk.
When I weaned my youngest son at 14 1/2 months I used the "don't offer don't refuse" weaning technique.
2007-02-23 05:12:35 · answer #3 · answered by Angela G 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
www.kellymom.com is a great resource for breastfeeding questions. Dont feel like what you are doing is wrong, its actually suggested these days to nurse until the age of 2.
Pumping and putting your milk in a cup might be a gradual way to get him off the breast. I have a 13 month old and am wondering how long she will nurse as well. She drinks milk from a cup though for each meal and does great. Good Luck!
2007-02-22 11:35:23 · answer #4 · answered by banderson 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I weaned my son at 18 months because I "needed" to for myself. He would have continued probably up to now of he could (he's 2). I just gradually removed feedings. I'd stop one feeding, let him get used to that for about 3 weeks or so and then stop another. The last one I took away was the night feedings, that was the hardest part. He would cry and reach out for it which was heart-breaking but I think the most important part was to be consistant with it. Good Luck!
2007-02-22 14:32:58 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
pump your milk and give it to him that way the gradually add alittle cows milk and eventually he will be drinking cows milk and wont know the difference
2007-02-22 11:32:40 · answer #6 · answered by miraclebaby_2006 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Buy some sippy cups. Do NOT nurse him anymore! You're just as much to blame for this - because you find it easier to give in than to be the parent............................
He will drink, from the cups, when he finally discovers he can't have his way anymore.
2007-02-22 14:33:32 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋
Leave your son with your mom for a while. Have your mom to babysit your son for a while. Like about a week. Don't let him see you.
2007-02-22 11:37:11 · answer #8 · answered by carmen111 2 · 0⤊ 4⤋