Weaning

[cheese]

We are rapidly approaching my son's first birthday. Right now he nurses in the morning and before bed and receives 3 bottles at daycare. I would like to start weaning him and I don't know where to start. For those of you that nursed into the first year, how did you start the process and how long did it take?

[Deleted]

I'm not weaning, but if you want to, I'd wean the pump first and switch him to WCM at daycare. Then if you still want to wean, you can work at dropping the morning feed first (easier to distract in the am), then the bed time feed. Or you might find that breastfeeding is tolerable if you're not pumping.

[Deleted]

I stopped pumping. Then we dropped nap time boob. Then night time boob. Then lastly morning boob. It took a while, but it was more that he wasn't interested any more. He was weaned completely at 15 months.

[slug*bug]

W/DS, I stopped pumping at work at 1 year (WCM during the day.) I continued to nurse before and after work and on weekends until 13 mos. when he self-weaned.

It was very gradual until one evening, I sat down to nurse him before bed and he just gave me this, "Really? Cuz I'm okay to go to bed on my own, mom..." kind of look and that was it. I was okay with being done then and so was he, so while it was a little bittersweet, the transition was far less emotional than I feared because it was very gradual.

[cheese]

Another question...when weaning did anyone have problems with clogged ducts or pain?

[slug*bug]

I didn't: I chalk it up to my supply naturally diminishing over time (I had a noticeable dip in supply at 7-8 mos., and I'm sure it went down again when I stopped pumping at 12 before we were totally done a month later.)

[bunch]

How funny, I was just thinking about asking this today. Dd is already rapidly spacing her feedings, so hope I can just follow her lead. We'll see.

[bunch]

May 22, 2012 12:29:47 GMT -5 slug*bug said:

I didn't: I chalk it up to my supply naturally diminishing over time (I had a noticeable dip in supply at 7-8 mos., and I'm sure it went down again when I stopped pumping at 12 before we were totally done a month later.)

I'm glad to know this is normal. Mine recently tanked. I used to have to pump before going to bed and now I've dropped that and am not even slightly engorged in the am.

[slug*bug]

May 22, 2012 12:35:16 GMT -5 bunch said:

May 22, 2012 12:29:47 GMT -5 slug*bug said:

I didn't: I chalk it up to my supply naturally diminishing over time (I had a noticeable dip in supply at 7-8 mos., and I'm sure it went down again when I stopped pumping at 12 before we were totally done a month later.)

I'm glad to know this is normal. Mine recently tanked. I used to have to pump before going to bed and now I've dropped that and am not even slightly engorged in the am.

I think it's pretty common: my BFF's daughter is almost exactly 1 year younger than my son, and she called me at 7 mos. with supply stress: she was going through almost the identical drop at about the same time that I did, so I think it's fairly normal.

[nonsenseabound]

I completely weaned by 15 months. We slowed down after 12 months. Then it was just nap and bedtime. Then just bedtime nurse. Finally dropped that.

I did use cabbage leaves in my bra and it really helped drop supply without clogs. Try it!

[lishie]

I nursed mine until a little after a year. I started by cutting down pumping sessions, and blending BM with milk to get DS used to the taste. Once that was done, I nursed in the morning and before bed. Slowly, DS began to have less interest in nursing (particularly after he started walking) and he gave up the morning and evening sessions by 14 months. I would have nursed a little longer.

[Deleted]

weaning was surprisingly easy for us. I just replaced nursing sessions with bottles. She was weaned by 13/14 months.

Now, weaning off the bottle was damn near impossible.

[auberge]

I ended up nursing for 17 months but I starting weaning at 13/14 months. First, I stopped pumping then I stopped all the feeding except the before bed nursing at 15 months. I nursed before bed for a little while longer and by that time I was done weaning was really easy.
No pain or clogged ducts because I did it slowly.

[pierogigirl]

I introduced WCM with meals, then I stopped nursing during the day, then dropped the am feeding, and the last nursing session to go was at bedtime.

ETA: It took about 2 months. I introduced WCM gradually (mixed with BM because he didn't like it right away) at 12 months, and dropped the last nursing session by 14 months.