I want to wean my baby completely by her 1st year, she’s 7 months right now and I want for her to stop BF by November, when has the dr. recomended anyone to start weaning your baby?
My doctor never gave a recommended age for me, but my son started weaning himself at 6 months and by 7 months was down to formula during the day and breastfeeding right before bed. I wish he would have gone on until he was a year old.
With this one, I am planning on breastfeeding until he is a year old, and just switching him straight to cow’s milk. I don’t want to mess with formula again.
At what age should I start weaning my baby?
This entry was posted in weaning baby. Bookmark the permalink. Post a comment or leave a trackback: Trackback URL.
9 Comments
My doctor never gave a recommended age for me, but my son started weaning himself at 6 months and by 7 months was down to formula during the day and breastfeeding right before bed. I wish he would have gone on until he was a year old.
With this one, I am planning on breastfeeding until he is a year old, and just switching him straight to cow’s milk. I don’t want to mess with formula again.
References :
I started weaning at 4 months because my baby was ready for it, but all babies are different so its hard to recommend for someone elses baby. I think you’ll know when your baby is ready. I am still breastfeeding aswell as feeding solids and like you i hope to stop BF in November when bubs is one year. I think you just knock one feed out at a time until baby is no longer nursing.
EDIT: I mean started weaning onto solids not off boobie!! I dont plan on formula feeding as i want to breastfeed until baby can have cows milk
References :
It is your personal choice as to when. My doc never really recommended to me when to stop, but didn’t ever tell me to stop. I had to stop at six months and my doc was supportive about what other decisions that I had made for feeding. You have to do what is right for you and your baby.
References :
around 3.5 to 4 months talk to your DR and see if they think your baby is ready cos both of my girls were different when they started solids
References :
Doctors recommend breastfeeding for AT LEAST a year, that means they don’t recommend weaning before 1 year old. I plan on breastfeeding for as long as the baby wants to continue (baby led weaning). My mom breastfed me until I was 3, and my sister unti she was 2. My husband was breastfed until he was 4! Do some research on child led weaning at kellymom.com or some other websites to learn more.
*******
It’s a myth that the benefits of breastmilk stop at a certain point. Instead, they continue and are more significant and longer-lasting for both you and your child the longer breastfeeding continues. In fact, the antibodies in human milk are more concentrated the lesser the frequency of breastfeeding is (say with a toddler or older child). If you nurse on into your child’s toddler years he won’t even need cow’s milk as long as he receives other foods rich in protein, calcium, and fats, and nurses at least a couple of times a day. Read more here about the benefits of nursing past a year.
All children reach an age of being ready to wean at different times. While one may be ready – or at least more willing – at 18 months, another may not be ready until closer to 2, 3 or 4 years of age. The word "wean" means a passage from one relationship to another – not a loss or detachment from a relationship.
In ancient writings, the word "wean" meant "to ripen" — like a fruit nourished to readiness, its time to leave the vine… Weaning was a joyous occasion because a weaned child was valued as a fulfilled child; a child was so filled with the basic tools of the earlier stages of development that she graduated to take on the next stage of development more independently.
– from The Baby Book by William Sears. MD and Martha Sears, RN, p. 187
It’s important to be realistic about your expectations for weaning. Stopping breastfeeding does not make mothering any easier or force your child to grow up any faster. Your baby will still demand lots of your attention; supplying this in ways other than nursing can be challenging. Breastfeeding can be a real work saver when you can count on it as a surefire way of getting a baby to quiet down or sleep. Often there are ways other than total weaning to cope with mothers’ feelings of restlessness or being tied down.
If you choose to do so, there are many benefits to continuing to breastfeed as your baby grows into toddlerhood. This is the most natural path to follow. Babies who are allowed to wean at their own pace usually continue to nurse well past their first birthday (though this does not mean that you would be unable to wean later on if that is what you wish). As your baby learns to eat other foods and to drink from a cup, breastfeeding becomes more important for comfort and reassurance than for nourishment. When allowed to do so, children wean gradually, at their own developmental rate and when they are truly ready.
References :
http://www.llli.org/llleaderweb/LV/LVDec00Jan01p112.html
the only way i could do was cold turkey. he turned one and we boxed up all the bottles, etc. i thought it would be really rough on him, but he did remarkably well. from 6 months i’d started feeding him at least 1 full bottle of baby food a day and gradually did more till by 1 year he only had 1 bottle (of feeding for you) a day.
References :
Actually your doctor will most likely recommend that you let the baby self-wean. This will most likely occur as you introduce solid foods into her diet more.
Some babies will self-wean after 12-15 months, others will breastfeed for over 2 years.
Each baby is different.
References :
I nursed both of my babies for a full year. They never went on formula. Although, they did start not wanting to nurse because of disinterest and weaned themselves. When you start to introduce baby food, (by 6 months), and a sippy cup with water in it, this usually happens naturally because it is something new and they get more full. The La Leche League recommends that babies nurse for at least a year. They prefer longer if possible. However, my personal thought is that much after a year, babies seem to be a little to old to nurse – you should continue for as long as you feel comfortable doing so. Babies should never be given cow’s milk until they are 1 year old. If you are having trouble weaning your baby, (especially at nap time), hold a pillow between your chest and baby when cuddling and rocking her.
References :
I had to stop Breastfeeding my daughter due to a terrible infection she was 3 months. When you choose is between you and your child. My sister fed her kids until they were a year old.
References :