How do I ween my 11 month old son from the boobs?

Question

P.S. he eats really good but he wants to have the breast milk when he goes to bed. That is the only time he wants it. Other than that he is drinking juice, gatorade, formula, and water, out of a sippy cup. He never uses a bottle any more.

Answer 1

Why would you breastmilk provides optimal nutrition and protection from illness during the second year of life. Also breastfeeding for an additional year will cut your chances of getting breast cancer by 4% and cut the risk of other reproductive cancers as well.

"If the child is younger than two years of age, the child is at increased risk of illness if weaned"
American Academy of Family Physicians
http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/policy/policies/b/breastfeedingpositionpaper.html

Extended Breastfeeding Fact Sheet
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/bfextended/ebf-benefits.html

Why Mothers Nurse Their Children into Toddlerhood
http://naturalchild.com/guest/norma_jane_bumgarner.html

Extended breastfeeding: Are there still health benefits?
http://parenting.ivillage.com/tp/tpweaning/0,,3x5j,00.html

Breastfeed a Toddler—Why on Earth?
http://www.kellymom.com/newman/21bf_toddler.html

Are You Still Doing That?
http://www.mothersover40.com/extendedbreastfeeding.html

Breastfeeding Cuts Breast Cancer Risk
"The new study shows that women who first gave birth after age 25 were about twice as likely to have either type of breast cancer as women who never gave birth.

Breastfeeding protected against both types of breast tumors regardless of when a woman first gave birth, Ursin says."
http://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/news/20070417/breastfeeding-cuts-breast-cancer-risk

The longer women breastfeed and the more children they have, the less likely they are to develop breast cancer, a UK study has confirmed.

'The relative risk of breast cancer is reduced by 4.3 per cent for each year that a woman breastfeeds, in addition to a reduction of 7 per cent for each birth,' the researchers wrote in The Lancet (2002; 360: 187-95).
http://www.mydr.com.au/default.asp?article=3720

"Breastfeeding is not just great for babies, it is good for their mothers too. There is a growing body of research evidence clearly showing that breastfeeding protects women against breast cancer", Ms Fallon said.

This research is especially apt at this time as October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, she added. As well as this, breastfeeding is also known to offer some protection against ovarian cancer."
http://www.irishhealth.com/index.html?level=4&id=4284

Answer 2

Ingnore the person who said why would you. What you do is start with every other feeding give milk in a bottle. Gradually (over a week not a year) increase the number of bottles until the baby is completely off the breast. Babies are remarkably adaptable however he may not take to the bottle the first time but under NO circumstances give in and give him the breast when it is bottle time otherwise you will have a 4 year old still breast feeding . At 11 months old he/she should be eating solid food as well as drinking milk and a feeding or two where he refuses to eat because you wont give him a breast will not do any harm. Eventually he will get hungry and drink from a bottle although once his teeth start to come in you should switch to a sippy cup then a regular cup.

Answer 3

First, your son needs to be drinking out of a cup well before you start weaning (or whatever he drinks out of). Then start by eliminating the feeding he is least attached too. Gradually, keep eliminating feedings a week or two at a time until he is down to his last feeding. That should be the one he is most attached to, so it may take a little longer for him to give it up.

It is important not to go cold turkey because it can cause difficulties for you. Gradually weaning is the most ideal. Good luck.

Just to add in response to some other posts: Yes, extended nursing is optimal WHEN both mother and child are up for it. Do not let anyone make you feel bad for being ready to wean, but do consider all of your options.

Answer 4

Well in one more month you'll be able to start giving him cow's milk i would continue to feed him till he hits 12 months then just stop i wouldn't start giving him bottles now cause the doctors want babies to get off bottles at 12 months. So when hits 12 months interdouce him to a sippy cup with cow's milk that's what i did with my son.

Answer 5

I am so there with you. I too am in the process of weaning. I am finding it very hard but I was able to obtain lots of helpful information.
1st - decide do you want to wean him to a bottle or a sippy cup. Whatever your choice is begin to get them comfortable with it.
2nd- eliminate snacking on the breast. encourage finger foods or a favourite food your baby enjoys snacking on (other than the breast).
3rd- the hardest. Wean from night time feeding if already haven't done (good luck)
4th- eliminate one feeding at a time. The least favourite. Mine happened to be supper feeding because he was already eating with us. Also something that I learned.....don't place baby in familiar nursing positions as this causes many many tear from both of us.
5th- Stick with it (definitely hard). Ask for support from family and friends.

I wish you lots of luck. It is hard thing to do. Try and view it as a positive experience so it helps the transition.

Answer 6

I eliminated the bedtime nursing by replacing it with a Nuby cup of milk at bedtime. Then after a month of that, I switched it to water. The Nuby is a sippy cup with a bottle-like nipple. You can get them at Wal-Mart, Target, Toys R Us, etc. If my son wakes in the night, he gets another Nuby cup of water. That's what worked for me. Hope it helps.

Answer 7

those little critters are smarter than you think of. he's coaching you. you assert you have not any decision than to offer him extra bottles. he's conserving out for them because's what he needs. in case you decrease returned the bottles to the place you need to, I wager he will initiate ingesting extra....yet not and not utilising a combat. a doctor as quickly as advised me that an quite youthful newborn can carry out for a cookie, understanding that if he does not consume the different nutrition his mommy will finally supply him the cookie and he will study that this habit works. Your little guy is probable purely fairly sensible. The question is who's extra obdurate, you or the newborn.

Answer 8

Consider not weaning him at this point. Babies should still have some breast milk until atleast 12 months if it is healthy for the mother to continue, and it is recommend to keep them on some until 18 months to avoid gastrointestinal problems later in life. the best solution is to continue until the child is atleast 24 months. Just a thought, in case you didn't know. :)

Answer 9

I wouldn't--breastmilk continues to be extremely valuable in the second year of life. Picky toddler won't eat much solid food? If he's still nursing, at least you know he's getting good nutrition! Your child gets sick and is having a hard time keeping much down, or little appetite? Nursing is comfort, hydration, and nutrition all in one!

If you really have to, do it gently and slowly, but there's no reason to wean just because of a date on a calendar. The WHO suggests nursing until at least 2 and as long thereafter as mother and child wish.

Answer 10

First eliminate one feeding, give him baby food and either a bottle or a sippy cup. A week later eliminate another feeding. By eliminating one feeding per week, you will prevent engorgement and your baby will react better. Usually the nighttime feeding is the last one to be stopped.

Answer 11

express some breast milk and put it in a sippy cup. when he figures out that he can drink out of it, start to introduce juices and water.