Trying to Wean to Formula

Don't ever feel bad for doing the best you can! I've been there, I tried breastfeeding my daughter and it was a complete nightmare for 10 days. She is now 16 years old, was in daycare since age 3 months and somehow survived quite healthy so far! I made the decision not to breastfeed my 8 month old son and he is also doing just fine!

Doing it for 2 months is great, especially when you have a 2 year old as well! Give yourself a pat on the back!!!

As far as weaning to formula, I would call the pediatrician and ask the nurses for their typical weaning plan and go by that.

Good luck and hang in there!

You sound like me when my youngest was that age I did wean her to a bottle. I bottle fed my two oldest and decided to try the breast feeding thing and although it was cool, I never did figure out how to do it gracefully. And I ended up with a plugged/infected duct as well. My husband gave our daughter a bottle every day. I took that time to take long showers, do laundry, take a walk, or hide and read a book. Anything to be out of sight and hearing. Do this at the same time every night. At first you might want to take the hot shower to help with your breasts getting used to missing the feed time. But that only lasts a couple of days. Once she is used to it then you can start giving it to her and then just increas the number of bottles vs nursing every few days until your done. At first I alternated nurse bottle nurse. It really didn't take long once she started to realize that she could eat faster with a bottle. LOL hang in there!!

Hi J.,

Good for you for doing it as long as you have. As far as the clogged duct, I ran into that same thing about 2 months after I stopped nursing completely so go figure. When I weaned my girls, I was back working so I started by doing away w/one of my pumping sessions, then about a week to ten days later I did away w/the other session, etc. the first thing in the morning nursing was the last to go. I will admit I had it easier since both my kids were over a year old and getting food as well as nursing and getting bottles while I was at work. Since you probably have the most milk first thing in the am I would save that for the last feeding to be done with. Pick one feeding a day and replace that w/a bottle and then after a week I would pick another and so on so your body gets used to the change and the baby does too.

Good Luck, hope this helps.

S.

Congrats on your breastfeeding for 2 months. I really feel that breastfeeding in the first few weeks is one of the hardest things I have evern done. I don't have experience weaning to formula, but wanted to add that the plugged duct may not have anything to do with your offering the bottles. When my daughter was about that age I had one too and I think it was from being too active (I mowed the lawn using a push mower). There are many other causes of plugged ducts and some people seem to get them more often. Have you tried a warm compress to get the plug out? Good luck.

Plugged ducts occur even to moms who only breastfeed. I really don't think the one bottle a week really did it.

My sons both needed to be supplemented with formula. It made the process really simple. You can try this... Breastfeed but when your baby usually switches breast, give the baby 2 ounce bottle instead. The next time you breast feed, start with the other breast. If you are having problems with fullness in your breast, then try pumping as needed. Not emptying the breasts at each feeding will slowly decrease your milk supply and it allows your baby to get acclimated to the formula. You can slowly increase the amount they get at each feeding. You may find that after about a week, the baby only wants the bottle since it is easier to feed from a bottle than the breast.

Please note that with the formula comes a couple of changes... Bowels movements tend to be less frequent, the need to burp increases slightly, and the look/consistency of the stool will change as well.

Good luck! Remember that breastfeeding may be totes as what is best for babies but it is not always the case. In my case, I wanted nothing more than to breastfeed my first son. Unfortunately, with only my breast milk he was not thriving. He needed the extra calories to thrive. The best way of feeding a baby depends on both Mom and Baby. If breastfeeding is not best for you, then it probably is not best for your baby, either, and you have nothing to feel guilty about. Babies can feel when Mom's are uncomfortable or stressed. If you are uncomfortable with breastfeeding, then your baby may actually do better on a bottle. Do what is best for your family not what anyone pressures you to do. That's what I'm doing for my 3 month old (who is bottle fed even though I really wanted to breastfeed but refused the breast after he had to be supplemented for jaundice). Good luck.

i don't really know the answer but from a weaning perspective I would not cut out one feeding from breast cold turkey or you will get many more duct problems - especially at your stage when your milk is most plentiful. I would just suggest that whatever feeding you are replacing with formula to get there gradually - a week of letting her nurse 5 min and then give bottle so your body has time to adjust and make less milk.

hang in there

I stopped breast feeding both my children around 5 months. The key to keeping you breast from feeling like they are on fire is to empty them evenly when he does nurse, (if you have large breasts you have to lift it up and help the milk flow out) and cut out 1 feeding per week so your body has time to adjust without your breasts getting really full. For clogged ducts letting hot water in a shower beat on your breast and massaging it (even though it hurts) should bring you relief. Good Luck

Congratulations for making it this far! I just had my 3rd child in June. I bottle fed my other two kids but I decided to try breastfeeding with this one. At first, it was the hardest thing but then I got used to it. I went back to work when she was 2 1/2 months. I planned on pumping and still breastfeeding but it didn't work. I actually felt guilty when I "gave up". I weaned her for almost a week. I took one feeding away a day.

I think you did a wonderful job for breastfeeding 2 months.

I think the best thing to do is get in touch with your local La Lache League. You can easily find them on-line. Best of luck. And don't beat yourself up about the breastfeeding. Your baby will be much happier with a happy mom.