DD is almost a year old and is still nursing every couple of hours during the day and once or twice at night (or almost hourly when she's sick or teething).  She has solids about 4 times a day, too (3 "meals" and 1 snack).  I want to VERY SLOWLY start weaning her - my question is what replaces breastmilk?  Formula?  Whole milk? More solids?  I'll be asking these questions to her ped during her 1-year check-up, but would like to hear your suggestions.  I've read that whole milk can be introduced at 1 year, but TBH, am not very comfortable with giving her a lot of that.  Also want to make sure she's getting enough nutrients - she already hasn't grown much at all in the past 6 months.

Any suggestions?

TIA!

Lorilee

Since she is almost a year you could replace some breast milk with a "next step" formula. Most brands have a toddler formula made for babies 9-24 months. Your ped should be able to tell you whether this is the best option or whole milk. It depends too on how much nutrition she is getting from table food. If she's not eating a whole lot, the formula is probably the better option. Good luck! 

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Blythe
Mom to Luke & Karli

I would ask your pediatrician what options would be good for you since you are thinking about weaning.  If you want to do it before the appointment, it wouldn't hurt to call your doctor's office to get some advice!  I think it's pretty normal for babies to slow down after the first 6 months, we just kept offering Brady as much food as he would take and he FINALLY made it to 20lbs at his 1 year visit (he hates riding in the car so we couldn't wait to turn his car seat around!).  He was 18lbs at his 6 month visit and then at his next appointment he had lost weight.  Our pediatrician was concerned and strongly urged me to wean but I did what was right for us, Brady just has high metabolism!  Good luck!

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Angie

Mom to Brady (4.04) and another little bun in the oven EDD 9.14.06

You know, I didn't realize there were different "stages" of formula.  It makes sense that there would be though.  I do feel uncomfortable replacing breast milk with formula or whole milk - I have to admit that.  But, DD is nursing so often.  Do babies really get the nutrition they need from solids?

Maybe my goal is to reduce the frequency of nursing and I'm just misusing the term "weaning". 

DD hates sitting in her carseat as well.  But she's not even 18 lbs yet (she only gained about half a pound between her 6 mo. and 9 mo. appts. - not sure how much she's gained in the 3 mo. since then).  We can't wait to get that carseat turned around, too!

Thanks for your replies, ladies!

Hi Lorilee!

I think the answer to your question, if I'm understanding the context correctly, is that solids replace breastmilk as your baby gets older. I would probably start offering solids before nursing and see where she goes with it from there. Jeremiah is almost 14 months old, and he *must* nurse in the morning. He'll eat breakfast first sometimes, but he's always still "hungry" for mama. We don't really have a set schedule, but I offer solids every 2-3 hours, and nurse whenever he wants to. Lately he's been asking to nurse when specifically when he's sleepy. I'd say that he's nursing 4-6 times during the day and 1-3 times at night.

He has a huge appetite, and frequently is very urgent about nursing when he can't possibly be hungry. I suspect that developmentally he's in a place where nursing has more to do with comfort than with nutrition.  

Whole milk (which can be introduced at this age) can be a convenient source of nutrients, but is not required as long as she's still nursing 3-4 times a day. Jeremiah gets about 4oz of whole milk over the course of the day (either cow or goat), and he really likes soymilk too. There are times when I just don't want to nurse Jeremiah at all and I give him a cup of milk instead, but this is the exception rather than the rule. I like having the option of giving him non-mommy milk occasionally, but I wouldn't say that I'm trying to wean him (others may rightfully disagree, but this is all my own perspective. ;)) I'm just trying to take a balanced approach.

Have you visited www.kellymom.com? It's my favorite resource for nursing questions. ^_^

Good luck! ^_^

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Jame, mama to Jeremiah the Bullfrog, 01/03/05

enfpea wrote:

Hi Lorilee!

I think the answer to your question, if I'm understanding the context correctly, is that solids replace breastmilk as your baby gets older. I would probably start offering solids before nursing and see where she goes with it from there. Jeremiah is almost 14 months old, and he *must* nurse in the morning. He'll eat breakfast first sometimes, but he's always still "hungry" for mama. We don't really have a set schedule, but I offer solids every 2-3 hours, and nurse whenever he wants to. Lately he's been asking to nurse when specifically when he's sleepy. I'd say that he's nursing 4-6 times during the day and 1-3 times at night.

He has a huge appetite, and frequently is very urgent about nursing when he can't possibly be hungry. I suspect that developmentally he's in a place where nursing has more to do with comfort than with nutrition.  

Whole milk (which can be introduced at this age) can be a convenient source of nutrients, but is not required as long as she's still nursing 3-4 times a day. Jeremiah gets about 4oz of whole milk over the course of the day (either cow or goat), and he really likes soymilk too. There are times when I just don't want to nurse Jeremiah at all and I give him a cup of milk instead, but this is the exception rather than the rule. I like having the option of giving him non-mommy milk occasionally, but I wouldn't say that I'm trying to wean him (others may rightfully disagree, but this is all my own perspective. ;)) I'm just trying to take a balanced approach.

Have you visited www.kellymom.com? It's my favorite resource for nursing questions. ^_^

Good luck! ^_^

Thanks for your response.  I would say that DD is nursing about as much as your Jeremiah, and that she also is nursing often times more for comfort than hunger.  She almost always has to nurse to sleep, as well.  I guess I was just hoping that by this age, she'd be nursing less frequently. 

I believe she has probably just gone through a growth spurt - it's about time, too, because from about 6 mo. to about 11 mo. she gained very little (probably close to 1 lb), but seems to have gained some weight the past few weeks.  Maybe that's why she's always hungry and nursing frequently.

We don't have a set nursing schedule, so it's difficult to just eliminate 1 nursing session at a time as many seem to do.  I'll check out that site - Thanks again!

Lorilee

I would have trouble trying to eliminate any specific feeding, but I do make an effort to keep the "girls" stowed when not in use, and if I'm sure he's nursing for comfort rather than nutrition (which, honestly, the line is probably fuzzing a lot these days -- I'd say first thing in the morning and often after naps he's legitimately hungry, and if he really doesn't like whatever solids I've offered, which is rare), I really don't hesitate to offer myself in other ways, rather than boobage. I reason that Daddy can get him to sleep without the girls -- I'd like to work up to equal treatment. ^_^

I don't push it too hard (he can be pretty stubborn), and I do find that if I drop everything when I do feed him, make it special, and offer him lots of solids, the frequency does go down a bit. I'm (not intentionally) practicing "don't offer, don't refuse."

Jeremiah gained between 3 and 4lbs between 6mos and his check-up last month. He's still a bit of a peanut in weight -- 20lbs at 14months, but I think he just came off/is coming off a major growth spurt too.

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Jame, mama to Jeremiah the Bullfrog, 01/03/05