cutting the last breastfeeds

[SassySpain]

I'm sure this has been asked before in one of the many threads but... my 15 month old ds is down to a morning and bedtime breastfeed (and occasionally one if he wakes between bedtime and midnight). I've started giving him a bit of milk in a Anywayupcup beaker before his breakfast (a couple of hours after his morning feed) and with his tea (about an hour and a half before bed). I usually heat it slightly but have also tried it cold once.
He doesn't seem keen in the slightest. He has milk with Weetabix and loves it and loves yoghurt too but drinking milk just makes him wrinkle his nose up.
I wanted to get him used to having milk in the beaker before replacing the final breastfeeds. He's been drinking from a cup/beaker for ages now so it's not that that's bothering him and I don't want him to have it from a bottle because that seems crazy when he's NEVER used a bottle before.
Any ideas for how to get him onto cow's milk before I stop breastfeeding?

Sarah & Leo

PS I think it's time to stop because I'm sure he's not getting enough breastmilk now and he weaned himself happily from his daytime feed. I just need to show him there's a good alternative.

[MadameButterfly]

Hi there,

Firstly well done for Breasfeeding so long.

I am not a quaklified councillor, so i can only tell you what worked for me.

I breastfed my DD until her 2nd Birthday. The way we did it was starting to give her warm milk in a bearker at bedtime and telling her that after her birthday ther would be no more "nummies" (that was her word). We had a few tears the 1st night, but she seemed to be fine after that.

I hope this helps you.

Good Luck

[NotQuiteCockney]

He may well be getting enough with just two feeds - they can be very efficient. And with milk on cereal, and yoghurt, he's probably fine for calcium. (Not that there's anything wrong with stopping at 15 months!)

I fed DS1 to 18 months, we were down to one feed a day by the end, and he never really drank cow's milk, just had it with cereal. It was only after I stopped breastfeeding entirely that he got interested in cow's milk as a beverage, and if anything, tends to have too much.

(As we were only feeding once per day, in the morning, I just stopped taking him to bed with me in the morning, for about a week - I just took him straight to breakfast instead. He didn't seem to notice, frankly.)

You can keep offering, but he may only get interested in cow's milk in a beaker when his usual milk is removed.

[notsosure]

Hi Sarah

My daughter is also 15 months.
I mixed breastmilk with Organic Hipp Follow-on formula half-and-half to get her used to drinking formula for 1 or 2 feeds when she was about 9 months This worked.

She did drink from a bottle then, (9 or 10 months) which was what she was used to, but now I have been told by Health visitors etc they should be drinking from beakers now anyway.
So - it doesn't matter if your toddler doesn't drink from a bottle, does it? (You've just graduated to the "deluxe version" beaker.)

I now give my daughter just one breastfeed a day (last thing before going to bed). This is followed by Hipp formula. She needs this "top-up" to last all night asleep. Bliss!


During the day she has organic cows milk as follows: (organic is hardly any more expensive than normal milk and so much better for you - you can freeze it too!)

She has cows milk with her weetabix.
Then mixed half and half with formula milk at her 10.30am and 3pm feed.
The last feed of the day I prefer to give her breast and then 100% formula as I don't like the idea of her having cows milk before bed, as I don't know that it's that easy to digest (just me being fussy)

I'm happy doing the above and I think most of the time mums just do what they feel comfortable with.

I hope this helps.

(I saw your problem whilst searching for help with a problem that I have... doesn't time fly??)



notsosure

[moondog]

My dd (now 4) has never drunk cows' milk. I tried but she didn't want it. She has managed fine without it-like yours,has milk on cereal,eats chees and so on.Only ever drunk my milk.

I think it's a Western thing to be fixated on dairy products. Bear in mind that many Asians never touch them.