Time To Wean
March 2, 2008 by Eliza Ferree
Filed under Breastfeeding
image from SXC.HU, Carin’s pic
As a mother to four children that I have each breastfed I came to the decision that with my last child I’d wean him before he turned a year old. While I know many believe that you wean a child when they decide, sometimes it is just something a mom must do. My youngest’s first birthday will be on the 14th, which means I have less than two weeks left to wean him. Will it happen? I have no clue, but I’ve been trying.
Before slamming me, my son cut his first tooth at a little less than two months old and has just about a full set of teeth. He loves to try biting me anytime he eats and if he falls asleep while feeding those teeth clamp down on me. Now that you’ve got the idea, I want to be able to do this as soon as possible.
I’ve never had success at weaning my children, at least not without getting mastitus (sp) or getting really sick. Any suggestions? From my understanding they no longer have the pill they did ten years ago with my first child and I know that cold turkey isn’t always the best. So how did you do it? I’d love to read comments as I’m sure there are other moms out there looking for ways to wean their child from the breast to a cup.
The countdown has begun…
(For the next two weeks we’ll be talking about breastfeeding and bottle feeding)
HELLO, I am also working on weaning…or will once my little Tulip is well again (she’s sick right now). I am giving myself more than a month so I can go slow and give her time to readjust and me time not to get mastitis (no fun!).
What I’ve heard is to wean a feeding at a time and give about 5 days or more for each feeding. I do 4 feedings a day and I’m starting with her 2nd feeding (first nap feeding) then the 3rd feeding (which is the 2nd nap feeding) and then night time and I’d like the morning feeding to be the last one I wean since it’s my favorite. We’ll see how it goes! If your little one falls asleep at the breast I think there is “sleep training” also that is part of the process. Tulip does fall asleep nursing for her naps but not for bedtime, so I am a little nervous about losing some of her naptimes to weaning and having to work hard at getting them back.
I am going to keep checking back here to see what more gets posted for some good advice!!!
Good luck! *elizabeth
When I weaned Princess Fiona and Miss Kinsley I did it cold turkey BUT I tapered. I went from the regular number of feedings per day down to just decreasing the number of feedings per week. If you do it slowly it won’t hurt at all. At least that is how it worked for me. It got to the point where they were only eating in the morning and then eventually only every other day until we were done to no more breast milk.
I hope that helps somebody out there!
I can’t believe he’s almost a year already!!
I would just cut back a feeding a day until it’s like one or two. Then, you can safely quit without it being a big deal. If he’s sleeping with you, have him sleep in his own bed. I had to do this with Sarah because she would “snack” off and on all night. It was exhausting.
Don’t give yourself too strict of a time frame. Mommy things work best when you allow yourself some flexibility.
Well when I weaned Kole, we went slowly down to just his night feeding, then when I let that one go, I still got mastius, I went to the health food store and they put me on sage pills it naturally dries you up, then I did heating pad for a night or to.