Practical advice for weaning my 14month DD off BM

[Tapster]

Come to the decision to wean my DD. Lots of reasons but its the time and I would like some advice. I want/need to do it relatively quickly. On a good day she will feed only 3 times a day but many days 5 times a day - we have already night weaned. She is teething at the moment but I think she will be for weeks as the molars are coming through slowly and no time will be a good time IMO to wean.

I am planning next week to try cut to two feeds morning and night, today I put her down for her lunchtime nap without a BF and she yelled for 5mins and then fell asleep.

The week after my DH is going to give her breakfast as soon as she wakes up and only after then will I feed her if she goes ballastic. Hopefully after a few days she will stop the morning feed although this is ger favourite - should it be the last to go.

After that I will cut the bedtime milk - most scared of in case she wakes up alot!

She doesn't take alot of liquid from a cup and doesn't seem to like cows milk at any temperature in any cup but I'm hoping she will cope and will come to like it. I try to give her yoghurt each day but currently she is not keen on cheese and prefers her breakfast cereal dry. However she is very big and very tall for her age so I know she is not wasting away.

As last resort I plan to send DH and DD to my parents in law for a weekend to cold turkey if after 3 weeks I haven't weaned her.

Any advice? Maybe I'm being too harsh but I've got no choice really.

[absandme]

Good luck with weaning, you may be surprised with a feed or two cut out that she will take other liquids, if she's thirsty & knows there is no bf she'll drink.... or should do!

I know advice out there is to not put lo's on bottle but I'm happy for my dd to be on the bottle & use night time bottle in same position as bf & when she's really quite sleepy & it's worked for us, not sure if this helps but best wished to you..... If dh/dd goes away for few days, book yourself into a spa!!

[Tapster]

Thanks DD has never had a bottle ever so I'm not sure it would be easier?

[whomovedmychocolate]

I'm still bfing DD (15 months) but am pregnant and sometimes I just am too knackered. She too will not drink plain milk but she will drink banana milkshake - just liquidise a banana into milk.

I've also cut out night feeds - I just cuddled her and offered water, it was a nightmare for five nights and now she doesn't ask till morning.

In terms of night feeds, she now feeds for a few minutes before I remove her - she doesn't object, it's really for comfort since she's only had a meal an hour before - and she does settle down now (I'm hugely relieved I thought she'd explode too.)

Having said I have no intention of weaning her yet so I guess you may have a tougher time.