How do I wean my 12 month old if he won't drink any other milk?

[LittleMissPear]

My DH is one next week. He still has at least 4 breastfeeds each day and often more overnight if he's having a bad night. I've been trying over the past few weeks to get him to take a bottle/ beaker of milk in the afternoon but he won't really take any other milk in any great quantity. He spits out formula and only takes an oz or so of cows milk. I want to stop Breastfeeding but I can't see it happening soon, any tips?

[Milkyway1304]

I have no tips but have a very determined breast loving 15 month old who refuses all milk, formula, yoghurt and cheese. I think if he drinks plenty water he can get enough calcium via food.

[Spotsondots]

Will he take your expressed milk from a cup/bottle? If so you could maybe gradually sneak him over to cows milk by gradually adding it say an ounce at a time. It would involve you expression for a bit, not sure if that's feasible for you?

[Famousfor5]

When I weaned mine off the breast they just got all their calories from food instead. Neither drank any more than a few sips of milk. They were absolutely fine. After 1 they don't need milk to drink as long as they have calcium from other dairy products.

[NoParking]

Mine never drank much milk. I made sure they had milk in their cereal and something dairy at at least one other meal and they were fine.

If you want to stop feeding, then do. At that age I was doing first thing and last thing, with perhaps a mid afternoon feed if they seemed to want it and I was there. I went down to just night / morning (one liked the morning feed best and one the night feed) and then carried on happily for ages as it was so easy by that point.

[DenzelDog]

When DS1 turned 1, I had a plan to wean him off bf (4 a day) onto sippy cups of cows milk. He spat the milk out and threw the cups on the floor...

I gave up and made sure he got enough calcium from other sources (cheese, yoghurt, Readybrek) and just put water in his sippy cup.

Then when he was 18 months old he suddenly demanded a cup of milk and now he drinks gallons of the stuff!

Try not to stress out, Babybel is your friend!

[BeautifulBatman]

Offer water in a zippy cup for thirst, but other than that just make sure there's plenty of calcium in his solid diet instead.

[MissMuffetisin]

He is a baby human, not a baby cow I don't get this obsession with cow's milk water for thirst and a good balanced diet should be fine.

[Milkyway1304]

MissMuffetisin I would like my DD to drink milk as she is a picky eater with a tiny appetite, and it's a convenient way of giving fat, protein and calories when I am not around. However she seems to share your viewpoint and point blank refuses milk from any source but a human breast!

[GiddyOnZackHunt]

DD never drank cows' milk when she stopped bf. She would eat cheese, cream, cereal with milk and yoghurt. She's not suffered at all and is tall and sturdy.

[LittleMissPear]

Thanks ladies, that has really reassured me. DS eating loads of dairy, cheese, yoghurt, milk in porridge etc so that's not a concern. I think that it's just as lots of my friends babies still seem to be taking a lot of formula during the day and my DS just won't!
I might just carry on until his birthday and then try and wean him off.
Tips for that? Just distraction and snacks?

[DenzelDog]

I replaced the day time feeds with snacks, for the first thing in the morning one I took him straight downstairs for breakfast as soon as he woke up, for the bed time feed I introduced a small supper with a cup of water and got daddy to put him to bed for a week or so. Drop feeds gradually so your boobs have time to reduce supply and I found Sudafed, ibuprofen and sage tea helped.