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Weaning

Find weaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Weaning forum. Use our child development calendar for more information.

Original poster

7.5 month breastfed DD. Cows milk question

27 replies

FoeGlassSlipper · 22/07/2007 21:23

Hi everyone,

I know this has been done a few times but I'd just like some specific advice/tips.

DD is breastfed. She has about 5 breastfeeds a day. She is also having 3 solids meals a day. She loves her food and has a mixture of fingers foods (eg toast, broccoli, banana), pureed foods (7mth + lumpy jars, yoghurts and fruit pots.

She happily drinks water from a cup.

However......

I have tried giving 3 types of formula from the same cup and she slurps it up and then opens her mouth and spits it out. IE - she doesnt like the taste of formula.

MIL suggested cow's milk as she weaned all her children from breast to cows milk between 6 months and 1 year.

I know the advice is now 12 months. But as my DD has a well balanced diet, would that advice still apply if I was hoping to replace just ONE-TWO of the current 5 breastfeeds a day with a cup of milk for my nearly 8 month old?

OP posts:
Original poster
FoeGlassSlipper · 22/07/2007 21:24

PS. Forgot to say, DH tried to give DD a few sips of cows milk today as an experiment and she drank it...

OP posts:
RBH · 22/07/2007 21:26

Can you not just start to drop some of the feeds and not replace them? At 8 months DD1 only had 3 bfs along with 3 meals.

Original poster
FoeGlassSlipper · 22/07/2007 21:28

I've tried that RBH and she gets really grumpy and/or wakes in the night (she normally sleeps through).

OP posts:
funnypeevesculiar · 22/07/2007 21:30

fwiw, my friend who's an ABM bf counciller recommended I use cows milk rather than ff for my dd in a similar situation at a slightly younger age.
HV recommended against as ff has longer amino acid chains. Allegedly.

moondog · 22/07/2007 21:30

I'd give her cows' milk over formual any day. But,why do yuo have to give her any milk but your own??

moondog · 22/07/2007 21:31

Funny,I'd go with the ABM counsellor who has done a long and taxing course of study anyday.

HV probably had 90 mins. on breastfeeding in 1973.

Original poster
FoeGlassSlipper · 22/07/2007 21:42

Thanks funnypeevesculiar and moondog.

I'm enjoying breastfeeding. I'd already started weaning DD1 onto formula at this stage and stopped by 8 months. I dont plan to stop bf completely for some time, however, from a purely selfish point of view I want to be able to take a break.

I have a problem with my wrist which means I cant express effectively (not intending to by electric pump this late in the day) and so formula or cow's milk are the options I'm considering.

OP posts:
Original poster
FoeGlassSlipper · 22/07/2007 21:44

monndog. My HV isnt so bad but she's so keen on letting people make their own minds up about things "do what you think is best" it's quite difficult to get actual advice.

OP posts:
Original poster
FoeGlassSlipper · 22/07/2007 21:44

must learn to spell sorry moondog

OP posts:
SpacePuppy · 22/07/2007 21:45

express your own milk and give it to her in a cup.

funnypeevesculiar · 22/07/2007 21:46

Absolutely moondog

Original poster
FoeGlassSlipper · 22/07/2007 21:47

Thanks Spacepuppy. X-posted with you though that expressing is not an option for me unfortunately.

OP posts:
moondog · 22/07/2007 21:58

You can have a break.
I was working f/t when dd was 8 mths and she happily went all day with no formula,breastmilk or EBM.

Original poster
FoeGlassSlipper · 23/07/2007 12:18

I keep trying to stretch out feeds and she just becomes so miserable

OP posts:
ruddynorah · 23/07/2007 12:24

she will probably be miserable if you try to stretch out feeds but you are with her all the time, so she doesn't understand why she can't have a feed. if you aren't there she understands you aren't there so no feed. lots of older babies are fine like this. big feed in morning, no feeds while at nursery, big feed at home in the evening.

MrsBadger · 23/07/2007 12:29

But are you trying to stretch out feeds while you're still there? Not surprised if she gets frustrated if you are there and refuse to feed her when she's hungry.

When she's at nursery /with DH or wherever, gets hungry and you're not about she'll be more likely to accept solids or cows' milk because she knows there's no chanec of a bf.

MrsBadger · 23/07/2007 12:29

(xp with Norah )

Tapster · 23/07/2007 14:16

Try substituting a BF with a snack - rice cake/cheese/rusk, thats what I did. Tried it at 7 months didn't work but at 7.5months it did. But I never refuse if she wants a feed - so normally feeds 3 times a day but can be 5-6. My DD now 8.5 months and I dread finishing BF, she also hates cows milk on anything so doesn't make it easier.

Original poster
FoeGlassSlipper · 23/07/2007 15:18

Thanks all. I'm not desperate to wean so not totally stressed by this but I guess it is catch 22. I dont want to leave her with DH when I think she'll be stressed without milk, but then I dont want to not give it a try if she might not mind....

I could never withhold feeds anyway as I'm too soft

OP posts:
terramum · 23/07/2007 19:57

I've read of Mums having a trial run when leaving babies for the first time...basically go somewhere quite close - neighbour, local shops, library etc & plan to be out for a while...but have your mobile handy & get whoever is looking after your baby to call as soon as its obvious that the substitute snack of water & food or milk/formula etc isn't going to work & they become distressed. That way you can try different things out until something works & then enjoy your planned "me" time properly.

mears · 23/07/2007 20:01

Why don't you leave DH with water or juice? When i dropped B/F, I substituted juice with meals or for drink inbetween. I didn't use formula and only one of my children drank milk (I have 4) when I stopped breastfeeding. Their teeth are fine by the way. Keep cow's milk for cooking until 1 year. No need to substitute breastfeeds with anything else TBH

Original poster
FoeGlassSlipper · 23/07/2007 20:37

Thanks terramum and mears. DH had DD2 when I went out briefly at the weekend. I was held up and he gave her water to keep her going and then tried formula which she rejected and then got stressed about. I guess it could have been that the formula reminded her she wasnt getting breastmilk. I'll try again with instructions of just water and see what happens

OP posts:
terramum · 23/07/2007 21:07

I'd be inclined to think that she simply doesn't like formula - it tastes very different from bm so can see why tbh

Original poster
FoeGlassSlipper · 24/07/2007 09:41

That's what I think terramum. can't say I blame her.

OP posts:
mears · 24/07/2007 11:52

A 7 1/2 month old can go for a while without milk, as long as they have something to nibble and drink they are fine.

I certainly wouldn't introduce formula at this stage, especially as your initial post said you still planned to breastfeed at least 3 or 4 times a day.