weaning off the breast (onto cow's milk) around 12 months

[soundbites]

Hello, wonder if someone could advise?

I am still breastfeeding my 11 mo dd and she is on 3 feeds a day now - morning, ±2.30pm and evening . I have always thought I would stop when she was around 12 months and could move safely onto cows milk, but now that we are almost at that stage I haven't a clue how to go about it! Do I start putting cows milk in her (doidy) cup for her at those times instead? I don't mind keeping going for longer, and I imagine the next step is to drop the afternoon feed, but any advice very welcome ...

Thanks in anticipation

Yes you are on the right lines! gradualy stop. Still give morning feed then just gradualy stop, same with next and you will find that you will just stop making milk. Well done for doing it for so long my daughter started to bite me so i stopped! Good Luck

Yes soundbites, that's the right idea. Most people just keep morning and bedtime for bit it seems (I still do these at 21 months) and then give cow's milk in between.

That said, DD2 doesn't drink much other milk at all apart from bmilk. When I am away for a couple of days she drinks more cow's milk so guess she still gets lots from me.

BTW if you are happy to carry on bfing then just give her cow's milk in a cup a couple of times a day anyway. That way, when you're not there she'll be OK.

I did exactly the same as you with dd1 and am planning same with dd2 - now seven months. At about 11 months dd1 just didn't need the 2.30 feed, we had a long car journey one afternoon at that time and she didn't shout for it so we just left it from that day on. At 12 months I one morning just stopped the morning feed and gave her a cup of cows milk which she downed in one virtually and about two weeks later I just stopped the evening feed one night and gave her cows milk again in a cup. Doing it like this, having carried on so long, you should feel very little discomfort, my boobs were a bit sore the day I dropped the morning feed but by the second day they were fine and dropping the evening feed I felt nothing, Wear a tight sports bra and look forward to going back to underwired, now you've served your time! Well done x

Mrs S I must admit to being back in underwires already even tho still bfeeding - I just lift the cup up and pop 'em out!!

you could even start now if you wanted to by say not giving the afternoon feed if you are out and about

My dd2 would not drink cow's milk after she was weaned from the breast at 12 months. She ate other dairy products, and has always been a reasonable, but not a big eater. She is still not keen on cow's milk and will only have a tiny amount on cereal (and she doesn't have that every day). She is tall for her age (11), healthy and has a mouth full of perfect teeth. I wouldn't say her diet is exceptional. Too much fuss is made about getting children to drink milk after age 1 in my opinion.

I think I agree elastic. My DD1 drinks pints of milk but is a rubbish eater, DD2 eats like a horse but isn't bothered so much about milk. Both look pretty healthy to me.