How to wean off breast feeding

[minxy1969]

Hi,

I've been breast feeding exclusively for the last year (my daughter is almost 13 months). She has a sippy cup with water at meal times. I'm trying to get her used to cows milk in a sippy cup but have no idea where to start.

She has 3 breast feeds a day so I want to start switching the afternoon breast feed to cows milk - any ideas? I've tried giving her the sippy cup with cows milk in it but she is not interested. I go back to work in 3 weeks so really need to get her onto cows milk as soon as possible for the afternoon. I can continue morning and eve feeds but advice on how to get her to take cows milk for these would be really helpful.

Thank you

[dontevenblink]

I breastfed dc1 and 2 to 13 months and dc3 to 19 months (he was quite obsessed with it!) and when I wanted to change to cows milk in the day, every time my dc came up to me to start pulling at me for a feed I would take them into the kitchen and make a cup of milk for them instead. More often than not they wouldn't drink much of it at all, but it would normally stop them asking for the breast. If they kept asking for the breast I would distract them with another activity. I found I managed to stop pretty quickly like this.

I wouldn't worry too much if she doesn't drink much of the milk in the afternoon, she can still get the nutrients she needs through milk with things like breakfast cereal, yoghurts (which mine love) and cheese.

[fledermaus]

If you're going to continue breastfeeding twice a day I doubt she really needs cow's milk to drink too.

[AnythingNotEverything]

I don't think at 13 months that she needs cows milk in the afternoon. Just drop the feed, and if she's hungry, offer a snack.

[leedy]

Seconding/thirding that she doesn't really need the cow's milk if she doesn't want it - my DS1 never liked cow's milk. He drank enough water while I was away from him and got all the relevant nutrients from other dairy/food.

[minxy1969]

Thank you. However, she will need to be weaned off the breast at some point as I will have to travel with work at some point - I guess if she won't take cows milk it will be formula?

[Chickenschicken]

I'm doing this just now about the same age, and what donteven said is pretty much what I've done. She still goes for my boobs in the afternoon but she now takes the sippy cup.
Also we've had a few mornings where it was necessary to eat breakfast on the go/out, she happily sat and ate dry Cheerios with a sippy cup of milk, she drinks a lot more from it now- she needed it more then iyswim? And wasn't expecting breast milk.
I would persevere with cows milk, I couldn't be bothered with the extra faff of formula unless really necessary, which if she's eating dairy and has bm at other times it shouldn't be.

[Lorelei353]

I'm just about to do this with my 12 month old. He's in nursery now so doesn't take bm during the day (has been taking forumla, but not much) and bfs before bed and once during the night. Going to stop formula now but scared of stopping his before bed bf and during the night! I know he doesn't need the night one but it makes it easier to settle him.

We found for the day feeds that ds takes water from sippy cups but milk he takes better from an open cup (doidy cup or just open bottle).

[AnythingNotEverything]

OP after a year milk is just a drink, not a meal. Nutrition comes from food then. If your worried about calcium then cheese, yoghurts and green leafy veg will suffice.

Formula would be a backward step at 13 months. Does she eat well at meal times and have good snacks?

[fledermaus]

Nutrition comes from milk too Anything. Breastmilk provides 1/3-1/2 of children's requirements in the second year.

[AnythingNotEverything]

Sorry, I meant after a year cows milk is just a drink. I'm still bf at nearly 8 months so I get your point - I should've been more careful with my choice of language.

The OP wants to wean off bm so I was suggesting that she needn't replace this with another type of milk. By all means mothers can continue to offer the magical properties of bm for as long as they choose to and/or their child wants to.

[minxy1969]

Hi, thank you for the posts. She does eat well at meals and has snacks. I suppose I feel she should be drinking milk before her bedtime although the only rationale is to fill her up (t sleep through the night) and to settle her. She has cheese, porridge, so does get some calcium. She won't eat yoghurt and will not take a spoon so can't disguise it with anything easily. I guess I am worried about her calcium intake too.

I will have to stop breast feeding at some point in the next few months as will have to go away with work for several nights. Cows milk is a very different taste from breast milk so may take her a it of time to get used to it. If she doesn't like it then so be it.... I'd rather not go down the formula route.....