Help!

[samoa]

Since dd was 6mth old we have tried to wean dd off bf, but without success. We have tried different types of milk, bottles, cups, putting different things in the milk (banana, sugar, jam, and even nesquik). But she would not take any of them, so I kept on bf. Dd is now 14mth old and I was still bfing until last Friday. We decided that the only way to wean dd off bfing was to stop completely. So on Friday I breastfed dd for the last time.

It has been 4 days now and dd is not drinking any milk. We have tried everything. I don't know what to do anymore. Do any of you have suggestions?

Thanks

Firstly I will say that I am not medically trained and that this is only my personal experience. In saying that, my advice is to try and disguise the way you get milk into her by, say, giving her yoghurts for desserts, or trying a bowl of custard, and giving her weetabix for breakfast-both of which you should use full cream milk for.
Good luck, and I hope you manage to crack the problem soon!

I think you're aiming for about 350ml of milk a day after 12 months, but as redwiner says this can be dairy products in food. How about things like smoothies and milkshakes too? I'd keep offering a cup of milk once or twice a day with no pressure, and maybe one day she'll drink some.

Hi

It depends on what she eats- if she takes cereal with milk, yoghurt and some cheese, every day, then I wouldn't worry.

Just stopped feeding dd (15mo) 10 days ago. Tried stopping bf at 6 mo like you and just couldn't get her to stop (am glad she didn't now!). She drinks a wee bit of cows milk but have been offering it since 12mo at bfast and snack time and she takes a bit but not much. HV advised not to worry as she has a balanced diet with lots of dairy/ calcium rich alternatives to milk. She is getting better with the milk, I just think that it tastes so different.

HTH. Good luck!

Thank you for your advice. I give dd porridge in the morning with full fat milk. She also has yoghurt after lunch, sometimes a really small yoghurt for afternoon tea, and then always some kind of cheese with her dinner. She absolutely loves yoghurt.

We have tried to disguise the milk by giving her a smoothie or milkshake and that has not worked either. We really have tried not to put too much pressure on her. But as soon as she sees a cup o milk she goes absolutely crazy, crying etc. It has been like this everytime I have tried to stop breastfeeding.

I used to breastfeed her first thing in the morning and just going to bed. So we have tried to give her full fat milk then. But she is resisting and it does not seem to bother her. She goes to sleep without any problems even without drinking milk before going to bed.

So does dd really still need to drink two bottle of milk a day or if she is living without out is that ok?

As long as she's getting lots of dairy in her food she doesn't need two bottles of milk a day. Some children just don't like cow's milk.

I weaned dd off bf gradually since her first birthday, stopping the am feed first (she eats a weetabix and fruit pot at home and then has more weetabix and toast at nursery!!), then gradually stopped the evening feed too. I also felt the need to replace these feeds with a cup of cows milk, particularly the evening feed, but she does not want it. I cannot ever see her tanking a cup of milk the way I have seen bottle fed babies do it! DD also loves yoghurt and also laughing cow cheese which has a lot of calcium in it. So we give her 100g natural yogurt mixed with a little full fat strawberry yoghurt (to keep the sugar levels down), once or twice a day, usually 2 laughing cow triangles and the milk she gets in her cereal, with a cup of milk in the morning (she drinks an oz if we are lucky). She also has her other meals which often have cheese sauce or fish etc.

If she is taking all that dairy then I would just go with the flow and try to encourage more milk as a drink through the day without putting pressure on. Also you could try rice pudding, custard and also salmon, and some green veggies have lots of calcium. ]

Go with your instincts- if she is happy to sleep at night without the milk, I wouldn't push it then, just encourage in the daytime!
Good luck! Maybe our dd's will like milk someday?

Ok thanks. Will get a list of calcium rich foods and keep on trying with milk, but without pressure.

I never thought it was going to be so hard!

Hoorah! Dd drank 80ml of milk tonight, all by herself without forcing!