How to wean 11 month old DD - not taking bottles and not too keen on sippy cups...

[eskimomama]

Hello,

I've been BFing DD until now (she's 11 months old), and she never had a bottle of expressed milk after 5 months and doesn't take them anymore at all. I've been trying hard to introduce sippy cups, doidy cups, hard teat, soft teats, so far she likes her soft teat sippy cup a lot, but she plays with it and most of the liquid (water + juice) comes out (everywhere).

If I want to wean her from the breast, how should I proceed, to make sure she's getting enough formula inside her, not just outside??!

Also she's still nursing at night times quite a lot, especially these days that we moved home and she's nursing, I suppose the night feeds should be the last ones to go?

thanks for any advice!

Is she eating solids?

yes quite well, as in 3 to 4 times a day.

anyone?

If she is having several breastfeeds in the night plus 3 to 4 solids in the day she doesn't need any formula, so its not a surprise she is playing with it. She has no incentive to drink it.

Both of my DC refused to drink any cow's milk at all whilst still being bf and only started to drink it a few weeks after bfing had stopped completely.

Why would she want formula when she can have you?

Offer her the water with each meal and see how she goes.

Do you really want to give up?

Well DD is allergic to dairy, she can't have cows milk as a calcium intake, so I've been BFing up to now to avoid the alternatives (soy or neocate).

I don't really want to give up, but to slowly transfer to soy formula, at least during the day. I've lost a lot of weight and I'm kind of exhausted with all the night feedings... not a valid reason, I know, but I am a bit clueless on how to wean her at this stage...

My DS2 is the same.

BF and dairy intolerant.

I found the only other milk he would drink are the alpro soya strawberry flavour cartons, the ones you drink with a little straw!

Poor you. I haven't got any advice on switching to formula sorry, hopefully there will be somebody along soon who can help you.

Think though that you really need to concentrate on yourself for a bit first. Get some sleep, if you can, and build yourself up a bit. I lost a lot of weight and was sleep deprived in the first few months of feeding DS so you have my sympathy.

have you tried a doidy or other un-lidded beaker? You would have to hold it for her but ds took to drinking from his very quickly (at 5.5 months though). Maybe just try taking the lid off your sippy cup. We only put a bit in and top it up as we go along incase ds sends it off course. We hold the bottom and let him grab the handles. I think he likes that he gets a satisfying gulp. Heard somewhere that bf babies prefer open cups... Hth.

Perhaps aproaching it from the other side, and trying to night-wean while feeding her at other times if you can.
Once she's used to not feeding at night, she might be more likely to accept a milk substitute during the day.

It might be hard to start on neocate at this age as apparently it doesn't taste nice so if she is having solids and some BM little incentive to drink it. The people I know who gave neocate started it before they weaned onto solids so babies were hungry and had to drink it.

SIL ended up feeding DN until 18 months for reasons you describe as after 18 months they don't really need milk. She went back to work at 12 months but fed morning and night (and during night). She gave oat milk on cereal & during day as she hated expressing.

Thanks all - indeed Neocate is not an option anymore. I might do the same and BF until 18 months with soy formula or oat milk (or both) as I think I need a little rest now. I'm not too keen on soy formula but I was thinking after 1 year of breastfeeding exclusively it would be fine.
Anyway, will give another chance to the Doidy!

I just stopped BF due to teeth and boy was i going through it i believe i should of introduced a bottle from before but oh well! he refuse every bottle and teat i bought - nam, tt, avent, dr brown,breastflow 1st years!blahhhhhhhhhh
I had to go out and leave expressed milk i couldnt bear the crying and him seeing and looking at me like to say "why you doing this to me mummy!"all day i was out breasts like rocks! but he got hungry and gulped 4oz down and slept,this continued until my milk ran out and my DH made up a formula bottle and he gulped it down and that was it the release i needed and now im not looking back and mummy and baby r well and happy! it took 4 days for boobs to go from large painful rocks to rocks without pain and although im still leaking i dont mind!im using cow and gate weaning milk!

Good luck.

SIL ended up feeding DN until 18 months for reasons you describe as after 18 months they don't really need milk.

Intersteing comment the WHO actualy recomends BF untill 2years at lest (and no that doesn't just apply to thired would countries). So where you'd get that idea from I've no idea.

I agree with OP who said that if she's taking soldis and getting 3-4 BF from you then she doesn't need formula. If she wount' take a bottle then I wouldn't force it at this age as they are supposed to be off bottles by 12months anyway. Your probably better persavering with the cups.

This is quite random but worked for my friend's baby...

My DS (10 months) will take water/formula from a sippy cup but my friend's (11 months) wouldn't. We got them together and her DS watched mine with interest and curiosity before grabbing the cup off mine and having a go. He's been happy to drink from a sippy cup ever since! Bizarre but true! Both are still BF too, so are pretty versatile when they come to getting fluids. You could have a go!

thanks pinkdaisies it sounds like a brilliant idea! I only have one friend who hasn't bottle fed her baby at some stage, but def a good reason to meet up now ;)