Need HELP weaning from nights n mornings - Weaning - Parenting Forums - Madmums

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sunflowers00
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Joined: 29 September 2008

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Posted: 29 September 2008 at 5:58pm \| IP Logged

Hi everyone! I have a 13 month-old whom has already weaned from her late morning and early afternoon nursings. I'm having trouble weaning her from her nighttime (7p.m.) and morning feedings (5a.m.). Now, all I have done so far is tried the sippy cup and bottle with both cold and warm milk and added a hint of choc pediasure to it.My husband has tried to help too. At first she took the bottle a little at night, but I had to keep nursing as well. Also, in the morning, she wouldn't even dare take the bottle or sippy. Just the boob is all she wanted.

This was a couple of months ago, and now she will take the sippy cup with cold milk and a hint of choc pediasure. She'll only take maybe 4 sips and then just wants the boob. This is at nighttime now. I find that both nursing sessions are difficult to wean from, so I'm just going with the flow with the nighttime nursing since she's taking a little cold milk from the sippy cup.

My question is should I just give her the sippy cup with the cold milk (or warm) and put her down in her crib with no breast feeding? I tried this for just a couple of minutes and gave her the boob b/c she was crying a lot. Do you think she's really hungry for the boob? She gets dinner just before this and I make sure she eats too. I breastfeed her for about 10-20 mins at night and I feel most of the time it is just for comfort, especially when she's only on for ten minutes.

Are there any other things that I can do to help her wean easily from these two nursings? I'm willing to try anything. Should I just keep her up at 5a.m. and put her in her highchair and give her breakfast? Gosh, that's so early though. After she BF at 5a.m., she will go back to sleep for like 1.5-2 hrs. I know if I get her up at 5am and giver her breakfast, she won't go back down. However, I have a feeling that this will wean her from her morning feeding. HELP!

My thing is this: she already knows where my boob is and that's where the milk comes from. She gives me the milk sign too and I know that if I don't take care of this weaning now, she's going to be asking me verbally for it sooner than later! I'm not the type that wants a 2 year old attached to breast, so I really want to wean her sooner than soon. While I do enjoy nursing her, I feel this is a good time to wean her. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated?

Thanks,
Patsy

Edited by sunflowers00 on 29 September 2008 at 5:58pm

zanynut
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Posted: 29 September 2008 at 6:37pm \| IP Logged

Hi hun welcome to madmums..... i unfortunaltely never had this problem.... i dried up so my son's didn't have much choice.

Does she understand pics? could you possibly do a chart (saw it on super nanny) where she had a pic of morning and night, night then nothing and the kid understood.... ok she was 3.... either that or though love for a night or 2.

sorry not much help but it's all i can think of at the moment i'll have another think and get back to you if i have anymore idea's...

Good luck

Madzwalker
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Posted: 29 September 2008 at 8:14pm \| IP Logged

My opinion is she doesnt need your breast for food but for comfort. The night feed is definately one where babies/toddlers like to cuddle up and snuggle with mummy before bed. Breastmilk and the cuddles seem to help with the sleeping.

Have you tried expressing so it tastes the same - even if its only to begin with and once shes used to taking it then you can use cows milk. I wouldnt recommend putting flavours in milk as it encourages a sweet tooth which can lead to later problems but that is just my opinion. Breastmilk in particular is already very sweet.

Well done btw - I breastfed my son until 11 months and would have gone longer but he self weaned - I was only on morning feeds by then and he just decided he didnt want much anymore but when I offered a bottle he guzzled. I weaned night times just before 6 months to give me some freedom and also because he didnt take to weaning, didnt like 'food' so was hungry so I put him on hungry baby formula. It was hard - he hated the bottle/cup so perseverance was the key. The moment you give in and offer the breast they know if they cry they will get it so its worth crying for ages. If its really what you want then it may be a couple of nights of having her crying for a couple of hours.

My advice would be this - give her a special cuddly toy that you have had in bed with you for a week so it smells of mummy. Explain to her that mummys milk now has to go to babies but she is a big girl now but the milk angel (or similar) has sent her a special teddy for being such a clever girl. Tell her night time milk will now be in her special cup (take her out to choose it or get her one with her favorite character on it or that is really sparkly and give it to her with the bear). Once you do this you cannot give it and you may have tantrums for up to a week but one night she'll try it and think - well that wasnt too bad.

As I said that is just how I would tackle this issue and you dont have to do it but good luck either way.

Welcome Patsy, by the way, I'm Maddy - mad mum to 3 year old Edward. Look forward to chatting to you more.

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