Going from 100% breastfeeding to cows' milk at one year - any tips?

[Miaou]

OK it's a way off yet - ds has just hit 8 months - but I want to be prepared.

I want to cut out b/f when he hits one because we want to ttc no.4 and despite cutting right down on feeding I still haven't got my periods back and suspect they won't come back now until I give up entirely.

He has not had and will not be given a bottle (not that I have anything against them, just chose to do it this way). He will drink water out of a sippy cup quite happily, but has refused expressed b/m in it.

So - will I try him with cows' milk in a sippy cup when it comes to it? Has anyone else not given their baby a bottle when stopping b/fing at this age?

[Gillian76]

I wouldn't bother with a bottle at that stage. Just another hurdle to cross I would think.

About your ttc, have you stopped night feeding?

[Miaou]

Yes, about six weeks ago. Still no sign!

[Gillian76]

Hmm... We are ttc no.4 as well and I was wondering if you'd got pregnant yet!

You couldn't be pregnant without having a period yet?

[Gillian76]

I take it you've read \link{http://www.kellymom.com/bf/normal/fertility.html\kellymom on the subject}?

[Miaou]

Thanks for the link Gillian! Will read tomorrow.

Re being pg, well it's certainly possible, but unlikely. Been trying since December. I usually "feel" pregnant within days.

[fishie]

i'm not going to bother at all with cows milk as a special drink and associated cup business. back to work when ds 1 in a few weeks, will continue bf twice a day, he also eats plenty of yoghurt, cheese, butter. he's very happy with water.

my periods came back after 9.5 months btw.

[lazycow]

I gave ds water in a sippy cup from about 6/7 months old. I tried formula at 9 months and cow milk when he was 12 months. He drinka a bit of either of them but has never taken more than 1-2oz at a time. I gave up and just bfeed 2-3 times a day and give cheese and yoghurt. Once we stop bfeedingI'll up the yoghurt I suppose. My periods came back at 3 months BTW

[Miaou]

If it wasn't for the fact that we want a no. 4 I'd let ds self-wean - but I'm afraid time is against dh on that front (he is 10 years older than me) and we don't want a big age gap, so that's why I will knock b/f on the head at one in the hope my periods will restart.

If by any chance they start whilst I am still b/fing, then I shall cheer and carry on!

[Mamo]

I've just switched to bottle at 8 mths with my third - let the others to over a year. Also looking to number 4!!!

He is great with a Tomee Tippee beaker, they free flow. Refused a bottle continuously until he started crawling about 4 weeks ago and used a Tommee Tippee bottle the teats have little bumps like a nibble, went straight to fast flow!! Has a bottle at night and the beaker the rest of the time!

My problem then was getting him to draw from me to reduce my milk!!

[mcmudda]

Miaou - my periods didn't come back til ds was 14 months if that's any reassurance. With dd they've just come back last week - she's 9 months.

[lahdeedah]

I stopped b/f at 9 months and never bothered with a bottle. DD was already happily drinking water from a Tommee Tippee cup so I just gave her formula in that and she took it without any problems. She is now 1 and has cow's milk from an Avent Magic Cup - she doesn't guzzle it like she used to with b/m and formula, but I just leave her with the cup and she gets through it eventually, sipping here and there.

I just give the milk straight from the fridge, but I know some babies are fussy about the temperature so when you first introduce it you could try watering down the milk with some boiled water - warms up the milk and also thins it out a bit.

HTH

[bourneville]

I wanted to stop b/f at 1 yr and started cutting feeds down at 10 months, without a bottle, so dd was drinking top up formula in a tommee tippee cup too. I can't remember how willingly she got used to that tbh, but once I wanted to wean her off in earnest I do remember struggling and having to literally put her in the buggy with the cup of formula when she usually had a feed and go out. I don't think it was much longer than a week before she got used to not having a particular feed. After 1 yr i had to mix the formula with cow's milk because she wouldn't accept the cow's milk, and gradually increase the amount of cow's milk till she accepted it. It has occurred to me since that it might have been the temperature rather than taste, it never occurred to me to try warming the cow's milk! But, i suppose that's a good thing cos i wouldn't have wanted to have to warm cow's milk every time!
dd was fully weaned off the breast by 14 months, but i don't remember how long it was before she accepted cow's milk on its own...

[Orinoco]

I gave up b/f both of mine at 12 m. I didn't go to bottles - seemed a backwards step. DD1 took about two weeks to get used to the taste of cows milk, but dd2 never took to it at all. So I spoke with hv and we just made sure she had plenty of other dairy to compensate.

hth