Breastfeeding/Weaning at 6 months

[ZoeRuth]

My baby is just over 6 months and I'm having problems weaning him off breastfeeding. Wondered if anyone can help with either of these two issues.

1. I've always had a painful side but baby's started biting and it's so painful that I now can't feed him. My nipple is bleeding looks like there's a blister. Consequently, I'm getting engorged which is adding to the pain.

1. DD has never had a bottle so I'm unsure how to move him onto formula. He can drink from a cup but it's only sips. He gets very hungry and upset and so it's just easier to go back to breastfeeding. Not sure how to crack it.

Sorry if this is a stupid question, but why do you want to wean him? I mean, are you going back to work?

I'm not gearing up to be judgemental, I'm just wondering if you have a timeline, and whether you're going to continue to be there all the time.

Have you tried him with a bottle at all?

Do you know why feeding from one side has been painful?

Yes have to go back to work virtually full time. Not til new year but just worried as I can't ever see him not wanting breast feeding.
To answer the other q, I have no idea why its painful apart from the fact that he's much stronger now.

So he'll be 8-9months when you go back to work. You could try going down the cup route rather then a bottle then. If you keep offering the cup he should be able to drink much more from it by then, so don't panic to much about bottle's. and off course he'll be eating more solids to.

As for the pain I recomend getting some RL help with feeding, ringing one of the BF helplines. If you can't feed off that side can you express, hand expressing mite be less painfull then trying a pump if your nipples are damaged. If you don't you could end up with mastitus.

You don't have to wean him off BF if you don't want to. At 8 - 9 months you could offer formula + solids during the day, then BF morning, evenings and weekends. Lots of mums do this and find it really helpful to ease the transition to work (for themselves and baby).