Help! I've got a month to wean DS and I've not a clue how to go about it

[MrsChemist]

Not sUre if this is the right topic for this, because it's mostly to do with sleep, but feeding is a big part of the issue.

DS (10mo) is bf and co-sleeps. I'm away for a week in July and he'll need to be in his own bed by then and being bottle fed.

I've not a clue where to start really. Currently, he feeds before bed (sometimes he falls asleep, sometimes he doesn't) at about seven-ish amd goes down in his cot. He'll wake up about half 11, and as I'm usually in bed by then, I bring him into our bed and feed him back to sleep. He'll wake up for a few more feeds during the night (never very sure when these are as he barely wakes me. He just latches on by himself and dozes off almost instantly) and then he wakes at about half 8 (if his brother doesn't wake him before then)

DH is too much of a heavy sleeper to really co-sleep safely with him on his own, and he obviously can't feed him to sleep.

Am I just going to have to grit my teeth and bare a few very bad nights giving him a bottle (formula, I struggle to express) ?

Also, he can drink from a bottle, but he messes with it a lot, and it's not tremendously efficient. again, do I just persevere?

Feeling a bit down about it all to be honest :(

no chance of taking him with you?

also, if you're happy to express while you're away you could continue to breastfeed on your return, if that's something you;d like to do

i think you need to get DH on-board now though with helping to settle DS so that he is used to it before you go, if taking him with you is not possible.

i would maybe start by feeding him and then giving him to DH to settle down.
when that is sorted then work on the night feeds.. jsut see what happens if DH gives him a bottle and tries to settle him

i had to go away overnight when DS1 was 14 months and DP said he was ok when he woke in the night. He did cry, but DP made him a warm oat milk drink and apparently he cried a bit more, but did snuggle up and have his milk in bed with DP before going back in his cot- i was so relieved!

do you have room to put the cot up next to your bed? if so you could do that before you go away too that way he would still be right next to you/DH and it wouldn't be such a big change

Unfortunately it's a field trip for uni and there's just no way I can take him with me.

The cot is at the end of our bed already, as our house is tiny and there's no where else for it to go.

I'll talk to DH when he gets in later, I think your right that I can't do this alone. Especially because I can imagine that he'll get pretty distressed when I'm not feeding him.

Thanks for taking the trouble to reply.