How to get my 12 month old to nurse less and drink more whole milk?

Question

My 12 month old son nurses about every 4 hours (about 4 times a day), but I am trying to get him down to nursing at just morning and night. However, I have tried everything--cold and warm milk, in a sippy cup and bottle, having my hubbie and friend try giving it to him and he almost always rejects it and I end up nursing. In a weeks period he accepted the bottle twice so I know that he likes the taste, he would just rather nurse. The reason that I am concerned is that he is at the bottom of the growth curve and needs as many calories as he can get. He does not eat very good at mealtime either. Does anyone know if there are more calories in breastmilk or whole milk? Any info would be helpful, Thanks

Answer 1

Not sure which has more calories, but all my kids filled out more after breastfeeding. YOU really do have control of weening him to just am and pm feedings. They are great to keep, so keep trying. Those moments are special and you can keep those 2 feedings as long as you BOTH want to. Be sure you want to drop the daytime feedings, and just do it. If you are on the fence, he will be too. Try not to let your maternal heart give in if it is what you really want to do. Try using ovaltine in the bottle, just a little. It's vitamins and minerals not junk. Put just enough to make him want to drink it. You can always ween him from the flavoring. My kids all still love ovaltine. It is great when they don't feel good and you want to be sure they are getting something in them.

Answer 2

Whole milk isn't better for him than breastmilk, so I'm not sure why you think that switching him to whole milk is going to improve. Breastmilk is something like 50% of the calories are from fat.

If you really feel the need/desire to reduce your nursing now, it'd be best to switch him to formula instead of whole milk. There are formulas out there that say up to 18 months or up to 24 months. This is not just a marketing gimic--it's after researching that babies really do better having the first 2 years of nutrient-dense stuff, be it formula or breastmilk. I'm not sure you'll be able to find a formula that he'll like, but formula is more nutrient-packed than whole milk.

One more thing to consider: every single time you give in to breastfeeding when you want him to have something else, he's learning that he just has to hold out. If you really want to cut back on a nursing, you need to stay strong--even LEAVE for a few hours, when you'd normally nurse him. He will not starve himself to death.

Answer 3

my girl is 17m and I have breastfeed her since birth(still breastfeeding her) there were times when I have tried to give her "the bottle" but she rejected them every time. I feed her food too but, she is also a picky eater. Just like you said she too just wants to nurse. After she turned a year old I wanted to start trying whole milk. Well with her absolutely refusing the bottle I tried those sippy cups but, she refuses to drink from those too. So what I did and it works to this day is I buy those little plastic bathroom cups and fill it with milk and let her sip from that. Of course I have to hold it or she'll spill it but she really seems to like it and she drinks the milk.

Answer 4

Do you have some older kids that you can bring into the picture. Peer pressure is wonderful!
As a rule I never gave anything in the bottle except breast milk or (for my first child) formula. Sometimes they get hungry enough and decide to let you win. You can also try the sippy cups that have a straw then it looks more like what you drink.

Answer 5

At 12 mos. she should be drinking about 24 oz. of whole milk a day. Does she prefer baby food? She is petite, but so is my son. As long as the doctor says she's fine, she is. The whole milk might help put a little meat on her bones, but she should be getting most of her nutrition from baby food or mashed table food.

Answer 6

I'm not sure about the calories but many 1 year olds still nurse frequently and some kids are not big and fat ....I'm sure he will be a lot better off if he can go to the bottle or cup when he is ready it may help him to transition without trauma he's still a baby mom shera o is right just one example
http://www.notmilk.com

Answer 7

I would think there would be more fat in whole milk. Have you tried putting the whole milk in a bottle and holding him really close like he is nursing. Try tricking him so he thinks he's nursing. If not, you may have to let him cry until he realizes it's time for milk in a bottle. Then you could give him a sippy cup when he's not going down for a nap. Good luck!

Answer 8

my son was small as a baby, so health visitor said to give a bottle of formula once a day, it made no difference and he is still small for his age now he is 7, wears 3-4 clothes.
to break breast you have to stick with it and be strong it may take several Weeks, if you keep refusing he will eventually get the message.
no he wont go hungry, he will eat as much as is needed.
I know its hard but you have to be strong and determined or carry on the choice is yours, I know been through it twice

Answer 9

Every child grows at their own rate, not according to growth charts or curves. He does not have to be at the middle or top, he needs to be where he is. Some kids are just skinny and lanky and weenie. Its their genetic make up. A child will not starve themselves, they will eat all they need.

That said, you have two choices:

Allow him to go without eating a couple meals until he's hungry enough for solids and milk.

Or

Keep breast feeding him until he gains enough weight to make you happy.

Answer 10

your child hasn't suddenly turned into a calf!

your child needs Human milk.....not cow milk

cow's milk is incredibly harmful to humans.....please do some research on this and you will be appalled that this beverage touted as essential to our diets is actually the cause of many diseases

keep nursing him.....why stop??