Not sure how to start weaning Todd Jr.... (EBF mom's come in!) !

off the breast, I want to start next month he will be (11 months) like I did with Julia, but it was a piece of cake with her because she got an ear infection and just didn't want the breast anymore, so I pumped a few times to release some pressure and had no problems drying up, Julia also co-slept with us so it was so easy to give her a sippy at night in bed with us, she also had no problems taking a sippy at 8 months, Todd Jr has no clue how to use one yet......

Todd Jr is a total boob man! I swear I can yell across the room, want breasties and the kid will come crawling in full speed--lol

My question I'm not sure how to start cutting out feedings when he can't take the sippy or a bottle, he is on all table foods, he's a eating machine!! lol What do I do at bed time?, right now I BF him and rock him to sleep, what will I do once I start to wean him? Do I give him a sippy and lay him in his crib with it? I swear I'm so clueless now, Julia made is way to easy for me!

TIA!!

Re: Not sure how to start weaning Todd Jr.... (EBF mom's come in!) !

DD was easy to cut off except for her morning feeding. It was like her morning cup of coffee and she was not happy if she didn't get it! Don't know if you have this luxury but they way I cut out her bedtime feeding was to have DH put her to bed the first few nights with a sippy cup and once he had this routine down packed I just followed his lead and she never gave me a problem. The morning feeding I just kept cutting down her nursing time and replacing with a sippy cup. It was a slow process and she finally accepted it after a month! Hope things go smoother with you!

Re: Not sure how to start weaning Todd Jr.... (EBF mom's come in!) !

DD didn't like sippies at 13 months when I weaned her. So I started using the soft spouts that coordinated with our bottles (Born Free) and she took to it! So I started phasing out the feedings that she really didn't need/show interest in anymore. We took it very slowly but eventually she adjusted! GL!

Re: Not sure how to start weaning Todd Jr.... (EBF mom's come in!) !

Thanks girls!

Todd Jr shows no signs of giving it up--lol Hopefully he will take to the sippy soon, I keep giving it to him but he uses it more as a teether. I was just so lucky with Julia, that now I'm stressing about having weaning problems with my son.

I'm sure it will all work out.....

Re: Not sure how to start weaning Todd Jr.... (EBF mom's come in!) !

I would really start to get him used to some kind of liquid in a sippy. Don't force it, but just leave it out and let him explore and play with it on his own.

I've heard a few wives tales that they've given their children sippies in the bathtub and they've gotten the hang of it then.

I EBF for 16 months and I started weaning those in between feedings not associated with sleep (naptime and bedtime and wake up)....When DD would ask I consistently said..."Not now. Not now....it's not time" Give youself a little catch phrase to say over and over.

Eventually she got the hint.

Then I gave up nap times. That was hard...but I just kept saying.."Not now" It took maybe one or two days of whining, but she eventually just forgot.

DH and I went away for a night and my parents took care of her, so that began the end of the nightime and 1st thing in the morning. I didn't even offer when we came home...I had DH put her to bed the few nights after we came home.

It's a SLOW process and I would just eliminate one or two feedings at a time. Give each time at least one week to get through.

This will also help regulate your hormones.

Good luck!!

I know it's harder for us!

Re: Not sure how to start weaning Todd Jr.... (EBF mom's come in!) !

I will share my experience, I am not sure if it will help or not
DS is also a big fan of nursing, he was nursing about 5 times a day (around 11-12 months old)---AM, before AM nap, before PM nap, late afternoon & before bed.
I started by first eliminating the late afternoon, as long as we were busy, he hardly missed it at all, this one was the easiest. Instead I would offer a small snack. Next we worked on naps---we have always had a routine---read 2 books, rock/nurse & to the crib, I started with the AM nap and just eliminated the nursing part. After about 2 weeks, we did the afternoon nap. That is as far as I have gotten----next up is night time, but DS has been sick so we haven't moved forward. I am trying to be as laid back about it as possible, not forcing it (or don't offer, don't refuse as they say)
I honestly think it will be easier on both of you if he is able to take a sippy---keep trying, I used to offer it at every meal for practice. He will get it! GL!!

Re: Not sure how to start weaning Todd Jr.... (EBF mom's come in!) !

Wow, I'm going to try this and hopefully it will work!!

I do give him a sippy everyday and just leave it around the house, he does go to it, but just bites on it then drops it and crawls away. I do feel it will be much easier once he gets the hang of the sippy, I will try it in the bath tub too! lol

I guess its me too that can't wait to be done with it, I don't know what it is to have my breast to myself--lol but I'm sure I'll miss it too since he's my last baby. :(

Thanks so much for the help!

Re: Not sure how to start weaning Todd Jr.... (EBF mom's come in!) !

I haven't began to wean Ryan yet. But I have been trying to plan it out in my head.

Ryan is pretty much on a nursing schedule now that his naps and meals are more defined.

Ryan does take a sippy. And now will take any kind. But to initially get him into it I kept offering different ones each time he sat in the booster to have a snack or meal. He really "played" with it for a while. But now he'll drink (on his terms).

Anyway, back to weaning. My plan is to slowly substitute nursing with books He typically nurses once in the morning when he wakes up. Before AM and PM naps. At 6pm. And then again before bed.

I plan on dropping the naps first. Instead of nursing I will read him 1 or 2 books.

Then I will drop the morning. Instead I will just give him a sippy with milk.

Then will be the 6 pm. I'll just give him dinner. (now he eats dinner around 7).

And finally will be bedtime. That one is going to be the hardest for me. I really love that last session. I get one last time to say I Love You and it's just me and him. But anyway, I plan on substituting it again with a book.