Breastfeeding!!!?

Question

Help me please! I am breastfeeding and I need to start weaning her. Can a mother who breastfeed her baby tell me what do I need to do? Thanks!

She's 5 months, and I need to wean because I want to go back to work and I can't get a baby sitter.

Answer 1

Younger babies can be weaned to the bottle; if you wish to continue pumping breastmilk for a while and tapering off your milk production slowly, this will also give the benefit of the baby getting breastmilk a little longer, besides being gentler on your body. If you need to dry up pretty quickly and don't wish to/can't pump long-term, you can start by switching one breastfeed for a formula feed, preferably at the same time every day for several days, until you feel your milk supply has adjusted and you're no longer producting tons of milk during that feeding time. Replace feedings from the breast with feedings from the bottle, one at a time, in this manner, until you are no longer breastfeeding. You may still experience some engorgement, but it will probably be much milder than if you just quit cold-turkey, which is not recommended for the sake of either the baby *or* the mom. It can cause engorgement, plugged milk ducts, and breast infection in the mother, and serious digestive upset in the baby from the sudden, complete switch.

If your baby is older (6-12 months), you may choose to introduce a sippy cup instead of the bottle. Most babies still have a strong need to suckle until 18-24 months or so, though, so a bedtime bottle and daytime cups may be a good compromise if your child loves to suck still. Just be sure to wean her off of actually having milk in the bottle when her teeth start to come in, or ensure that she doesn't lie down to sleep, still suckling on her bottle.

If there is a dire need for sudden weaning, please contact your doctor. They can prescribe medications to help dry your milk up so you might be less uncomfortable during the process.

You can also choose to re-evaluate your nursing relationship after eliminating the most problematic feedings. For instance, say you're frustrated with nursing mainly because you have older kids who need your attention, and cooking supper every night is utter chaos with a needy nursling plus the other kiddos underfoot (BTDT!). You might eliminate that feeding first, or even the majority of evening feeds, and then decide that breastfeeding through the rest of the day is manageable once that stress is gone. Or it might be night feedings driving you nuts and robbing you of sleep (BTDT too!). So hubby takes over feeding formula during the night (or you split it 50/50) and suddenly the daytime nursing sessions aren't such a bad thing, when you're more well rested. If you're returning to work outside the home, you can feed formula while you're away, and continue to nurse whenever you and baby are together. You can breastfeed part-time, and formula feed part-time, as long as you wish to, and as long as your milk supply continues to cooperate. To be fair and honest, while some women's bodies have no trouble with adjusting to partail breastfeeding, others' breasts will be ok for a time, but will slowly decrease milk production (usually requiring more formula supplementation) without the full-time stimulation, which can eventually mean that weaning happens, ready or not.

However you choose to wean, please remember that feeding is an important social and bonding time for the baby, and formula should be given with the same amount of cuddling and attention that breastfeeding offered. Older babies and toddlers will probably require some extra special comforting and cuddling, perhaps a story time, to make up for the closeness they're so used to sharing with mama.

Oh, and you probably already know the deal about babies under 12 months being weaned to formula, and older than 12 months can go straight to whole cow's milk (barring dairy allergy of course).

Either way, I just wanted to let you know that it doesn't have to be all-or-nothing. You can have your cake and eat it too!

Best of luck. Enjoy that baby girl!

Answer 2

It will take you roughly 2 weeks to wean your baby. You need to start by deciding which feeding is least important to your baby and then start by replacing that feeding with a bottle of formula. Do that for 2-3 days so that you won't get engorged and for your baby to adapt to the change Then continue to replace a feeding every 2-3 days. Be sure to take the most important feeding away last, ususally the morning or night feeding. Remember also, you can still work and breastfeed in the morning and at night if that is important to you. It is just a matter of taking the feedings away in between to train your body.

Good luck!

Answer 3

I am not breast feeding now, but I did breast feed 4 babies. There is no set way that you have to wean, so do what works best for you, your baby, and your schedule. You will want to pick one nursing per day that you can most easily eliminate and replace it with a bottle feeding. I am going to assume you are weaning to formula. Pumping and feeding breast milk in a bottle is not really weaning since you will continue to produce the same amount of breast milk. When you have picked one feeding a day to eliminate you will probably experience some degree of engorgement and discomfort. When this happens, you can hand express or pump a small amount of breast milk out, just enough to relieve the discomfort. You can also try cold compresses on your breasts. It sounds odd, but it works very well to put a cabbage in the refrigerator, when it is cold, peel off leaves and put them around your breasts inside your bra. Replace when they become warm. When you have successfully eliminated one nursing per day and replaced it with a bottle of formula, then choose another nursing per day. You can do this as gradually or as quick as you feel comfortable doing. The quicker you eliminate feedings, the more engorgement and discomfort you will have. You can continue with a combination of formula and nursing for quite some time and it is perfectly healthy for the baby. The one thing to remember is that your breasts produce milk on a supply and demand basis. If your baby needs more than your breasts will produce more. If your baby uses less milk than your body will also adjust and produce less milk. During the weaning process it is quite common to have a lot of leaking so have lots of breast pads with you. Even after your baby is not breast feeding at all, your body will continue to produce milk for a little while and you may have to wear breast pads for several weeks. I was fortunate enough with my last 2 babies to be able to nurse until they self-weaned. They just gradually began drinking less and less as they began solids and drinking from a cup. One daughter lost interest at 11 months and the other at 14 months. I wasn't ready to stop, but they were.

Answer 4

I weaned my son at age of 5 months. Start by pumping your breastmilk and giving it to her by bottle. Try a bottle made to be more like your breast, they make all kinds. You may have to buy 2 or 3 brandes to find out what works the best. If you plan on only feeding her breastmilk, pump alot and freeze it. If you plan on going to formula start by mixing a little at a time in the breastmilk untill it is finally all formula. Also start by cutting out one feeding a day at the same time for a couple of days, then cut out another and another following the same pattern. Good Luck

Answer 5

I have breastfeed both of my children. (2 1/2 and 14 months) I breastfed my oldest until he was about 16 months old. I had to stop because I was 6 months prego with my second child and it was giving me contractions. I just had to cold turkey him. His crying only lasted at night for about a week. He did not like bottles and would not drink milk for a long time. He would drink from a regular, or sippy cup all day long. With my daughter I had to stop breastfeeding about a month ago because I was sick with a lung infection and couldn't breastfeed with the meds. So she was weaned cold turkey and her crying only lasted about 2 days. She however does take a bottle of milk. I however do not giver her anything but water in the bottle when it is time to sleep because of the chance of tooth decay.

I would suggest breastfeeding less and less during the day and substitute with a bottle. (Depending on the babies age:under a year needs formula, over a year needs vitamin D milk.) Then, once you decide to completely stop breastfeeding, you need to cold turkey, and not give in. The minute you give in, the process will have to be started over. Good luck! Be strong. It is not always easy, but the fits and crying will only last for a week at most.

Answer 6

Please join a La Leche League (ask your local hospital) for help -

Using your own milk, start giving her a bottle with "your "(expressed) milk. After she gets used to the different nipple, you can start on one of the formulas that your pediatrician recommends. DON'T GO STRAIGHT TO COW'S MILK! basic cow's milk is perfect for baby cows. Human babies do better with formula (breast is best - if you can continue to pump your own milk and store it for her feedings that would be BEST) if they can't get mommy.

Hang in there - you gave your daughter the best start!

P.S. Don't prop the bottle up to feed her...continue to hold her and cuddle her and look her in the eyes as you give her the bottle.
Ask any caregiver to do the same. It's the closeness she will miss more than your breast.

Answer 7

How old is she?

Why do you need to wean?

ETA:
If you can't get a babysitter, what does that have to do with weaning?

If you don't want to pump at work (although, I'd highly suggest it) you can just give formula while youre at work and continue to nurse when you are home. Your body will adjust to making milk when you are home and not making it when youre at work.

Answer 8

You can pump your own milk, it's better for her. I'm assuming you're wanting to wean because you need to be away from her. There are all kinds of systems you can use.

Answer 9

My baby naturally weaned when i started giving her bottles.. You should still try breast milk for her though, it will help with all kinds of illness and infections.

Answer 10

I suggest pump your milk. and put it into bottles. If you have a husband ask him to feed her(with the bottles) while your at work. Hope I helped.