I breastfeed her 4-5 times a day and give her solids for breakfast, lunch and dinner plus snack. She isn't all that interested in breastfeeding anymore, but I continue to because she needs the nourishment. Some days she hardly wants to nurse at all. I'm not supplementing with formula.. she is purely breastfed, besides her solid meals. I'm thinking I won't be able to breastfed her much longer, how would I go about weaning her? I want to do it gradually, as I introduce her more to table foods, and possibly extend the weaning process after her first birthday. But I'm not quite sure where I cut out feedings. What are the signs a baby is self weaning? I just want her to be nourished.. as I'm sure every mom feels. I've been dreading the time she would start losing interest in breastfeeding.. I just didn't expect it so soon. Have any of your children had a lack of interest in breastfeeding at this age?
2007-10-08 04:49:31 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Newborn & Baby
Although there are babies that self wean on the early side, I wouldn't assume that yours is, actually. I would think that she's more interested in exploring right now than nursing. It's pretty common for babies to be distractable at different ages. If you are interested in preserving your nursing relationship, continue offering 4-5 times a day. If she doesn't want to nurse, don't worry, she may decide she wants to later. As long as she's not on a nursing strike (sudden pat refusal to nurse) it may just be an ebb in the tide.
Many children will stick with a 3 to 4 times a day pattern for months or even years. We've been doing the morning wake-up nurse, nurse for nap, nurse for bed routine for half a year with no sign of stopping. So don't fret, you probably have a good long time to go before the nursing relationship ends! :)
mystic_eye posted all the links I would post -
2007-10-08 05:27:06 · answer #1 · answered by Evin 5 · 4⤊ 0⤋
My middle daughter weaned herself at 11 months and my youngest weaned herself at 14 months. Both showed signs of self-weaning by simply not wanting to nurse or nursing a few minutes and then wanting to get down. Our pediatrician said it was fine to offer whole cow's milk at 11 months for our middle daughter. I was reluctant to go with formula for just a month then have to switch again, but he said there was no need to do that since she was eating a well balanced diet of table foods and was healthy and growing well. You can check with your daughter's doctor to see if that is an option. Both my daughters could drink water and juice from a cup so I just began offering whole cow's milk at meal times. During the day, I left breast feeding up to them. If they asked, we nursed. If they didn't ask, I might offer especially if I was feeling full. Sometimes they were interested, sometimes not. The weaning was gradual, just eliminating one nursing at a time. The bedtime nursing was the last to be eliminated for both. One daughter was a thumb-sucker and had a comfort blanket. The other had an attachment to her pacifier and a stuffed kitty. Both started to begin preferring those over the breast for comfort.
2007-10-08 05:31:35 · answer #2 · answered by sevenofus 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most babies go on a 'nursing strike' around 11 months of age. They're so interested in the world around them, they can't stand to sit still long enough to nurse! My son did this, and after a week or two of disinterest was happily back at the breast. Self-weaning usually doesn't happen until they're at least 2.5 years old.
2007-10-08 05:13:01 · answer #3 · answered by xxunloved_little_angelxx 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Not mine. They would have nursed until kindergarten if I had let them. In order to wean, pick a feeding and eliminate it. Then pick another one. I would leave the last one at night and the first one in the morning for last. Then eliminate those, substituting cow's milk (or soy milk if baby's allergic) for the feedings you eliminate. By the time your baby's a year old, she should have milk with every meal and water in between. Juice maybe once a day.
2007-10-08 04:59:31 · answer #4 · answered by Sharon M 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i think of that at 11 months previous a million or 2 oz. of finished milk is superb as long because it somewhat is blended consisting of your breastmilk. maximum pediatricians propose beginning finished milk at 365 days, and with purely one month left to circulate I dont think of it would be an argument. and you're good, as long as you have not have been given a extreme danger being pregnant, breastfeeding throughout the time of your finished being pregnant is definitely superb. i in my view think of you may detect a sparkling pediatrician. Why might any surgeon propose to surrender breastfeeding your new child until eventually there replaced into severe scientific issues? best for you for persevering with to breastfeed, and congrats on your new infant!
2016-10-06 07:41:32 · answer #5 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Do babies under 12 months self-wean?
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/weaning/babyselfwean.html
Introduction
True SELF-weaning before a baby is a year old is very uncommon. In fact, it is unusual for a baby to wean before 18-24 months unless mom is encouraging weaning. However, it is very common to hear a mother say that her baby self-weaned at 9 or 10 months old, or even earlier. How do we reconcile these statements?
What is self-weaning?
A baby who is weaning on his own:
* is typically well over a year old (more commonly over 2 years)
* is at the point where he gets most of his nutrition from solids
* drinks well from a cup
* cuts down on nursing gradually
Child-led weaning occurs when a child no longer has a need to nurse - nutritionally or emotionally. The solids part should rule out self-weaning in babies under a year since, for optimum health and brain development, babies under a year should be getting most of their nutrition from breastmilk.
What is weaning? When is it time to wean?
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/weaning/weaning_intro.html
Weaning: How does it happen?
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/weaning/how_weaning_happens.html
2007-10-08 04:58:14 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 1⤋
well the first step is to get her to drink form sippy cup if you haven't already. you said that she doesn't really seem interested in it anymore you just do it anyways. i would nurse her only when she want to. in a month she will be old enough for cow's milk. in the end they tend to just do it for comfort i found with my children they would do it before naps and bedtime. try to change up your naptime/bedtime routine find something else to comfort her, or give her a sippy instead
2007-10-08 06:39:48 · answer #7 · answered by carly sue 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If she is losing interest in breastfeeding she is weening herself. let her take the lead. just feed her more cereal of fruit during a regular feeding. She will be okay.
2007-10-08 04:59:40 · answer #8 · answered by crazeemama 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Mix your milk half and half with whole milk till she gets used to it, She is probably old enough to be weaned.
2007-10-08 04:55:05 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋