Weaning @ 1 year

[@llli*newmommy5-13-13]

I plan on starting to wean my baby at a year... Right now he is 10months old and BFeeding 4-6x a day. He eats TONS of solids (it's as if they're they best things ever, unless he wants to go to sleep)... Anyway... I was just wondering where to start.... Hes my first.

[@llli*djs.mom]

So usually at the year point weaning has already begun because of the introduction of solids. Which it sounds like you already have begun. At the year point I began Don't offer Don't refuse. Which meant that I no longer offered it, I just didn't refuse. But at the year point my child was eating 3 solid meals a day and 2 snacks. Where are you with Solids?

[@llli*mommal]

Don't offer, don't refuse is the perfect next step in the weaning process. Starting solids is, of course, the first.

Do you have a goal in mind, when it comes to how fast you want to get to complete weaning? And how are you feeling about nursing in general? Ready to be done? Still enjoying it? Are there specific concerns you have about nursing at this point, or after a year?

[@llli*newmommy5-13-13]

I love nursing, however, I am getting ready to start working and would like to be able to leave my baby without worrying if I'll be able to be back in time to feed him again (He refuses a pumped bottle and daddy and I have only had a handful of dates/alone times since he was born.). He eats solids three times a day and snacks in between. Most recently, I've been limiting his solids (down to 2 "meals") because I want to nurse him all the way to a year... and well, If he eats as much solids as he wants... He'll go without nursing all day (he'll still nurse once at night). So, I guess, when it's time, I can just up his solids like he would like and go with the don't offer, don't refuse?

[@llli*amypo28]

Just thought I would throw in my two cents, for what it's worth... My baby is almost fifteen months old, and I work full time and only nurse him at night and on days off. It has worked really well! I stopped pumping at work once he turned one. I nurse him in the morning before we leave the house, once when we get home and then when I rock him to sleep. Sometimes once in the middle of the night, too. Just wanted to say that you don't have to wean just because you're going back to work... I think stopping nursing altogether would be more stressful than just nursing a couple times a day. Good luck and congrats on getting to a year!!!

[@llli*mommal]

Just thought I would throw in my two cents, for what it's worth... My baby is almost fifteen months old, and I work full time and only nurse him at night and on days off. It has worked really well! I stopped pumping at work once he turned one. I nurse him in the morning before we leave the house, once when we get home and then when I rock him to sleep. Sometimes once in the middle of the night, too. Just wanted to say that you don't have to wean just because you're going back to work... I think stopping nursing altogether would be more stressful than just nursing a couple times a day. Good luck and congrats on getting to a year!!!

Working and toddler nursing can be very compatible. You can nurse when you're with the baby, using your ultimate mommy superpower to soothe your baby to sleep and make him happy when he's cranky and feed him when he's sick and won't eat anything but your milk. And when you're not there- well, a year-old baby is smart! He knows that nursing is something only MOM can do, and he will find other ways to get his needs met from his not-mom caregivers.

BTW,don't be too shocked if your enthusiastic eater suddenly turns into a picky eater at around a year. Toddlers are growing slower than babies and they often seem to need less food at 1 than they did before their first birthday.

[@llli*djs.mom]

As long as you really step up your solids game this should be a non issue. I went back at 14months after being home and nursing on demand the whole time. At 14 month I went back to work full time. 40-45 hours a week. So away from him 9-10hours a day 5 days a week. I never pumped at all and He ate solids and drank water out of a sippy while away from me and we nursed when I got home or when we got home from daycare, at bedtime and in the morning. We still nursed up and down for naps on my off days. It was never a problem. And as long as you are still nursing 3-5 times in a 24hour period there is no urgency or pressure about needing to replace your milk with cow's milk. Because your milk will still be higher in fat content.

[@llli*cosmicbabe]

Can I jump in too? I am supplying 5oz bottles for daycare 4 times a week. Can I start dropping these after a year as I also don't want to keep pumping? Will I need to replace these with water ect? He is allergic to cows milk so will have to go without milk all day? Is this OK? He is on 3 meals a day xx

[@llli*mommal]

Yes, you can stop sending the bottles as you stop pumping. As long as you continue to nurse at least 3-5 times a day, you're going to meet most or all of your baby's "dairy" requirements yourself. The more you can nurse, the more likely it is that your baby won't require additional dairy in his diet. But you should probably talk to your pediatrician about your baby's allergy and the impact on his diet. Let's say he self-weans early, or you can't or don't want to nurse as much as suggested above- what should you feed him to cover the fat/calcium that would otherwise come from cow's milk/cheese/yogurt?

[@llli*cosmicbabe]

Yes, you can stop sending the bottles as you stop pumping. As long as you continue to nurse at least 3-5 times a day, you're going to meet most or all of your baby's "dairy" requirements yourself. The more you can nurse, the more likely it is that your baby won't require additional dairy in his diet. But you should probably talk to your pediatrician about your baby's allergy and the impact on his diet. Let's say he self-weans early, or you can't or don't want to nurse as much as suggested above- what should you feed him to cover the fat/calcium that would otherwise come from cow's milk/cheese/yogurt?

Thank you x