Want to Wean 9Mo Old from Breast to Bottle.

Here is some advice from one of my peers:

There are a few tricks that you can try. Do not make your breasts accessible; wear a non-nursing bra and hard to access shirt. (ALL GONE) Do not sit in your normal bfdg seat, try a straight backed chair or the floor. Try to anticipate Marin’s feeding times and offer her a snack and some water/juice/milk before she gets to the demanding stage. Keep MOVING!! I have always found that diversion works well; read a book, go for a quick walk, play w/toys….etc.

Eliminating nighttime feeds can be very difficult. Enlist dads help, if possible. Have her dad develop a "new" bedtime routine with her. Let him give your daughter a warm bath, feed her a snack and read to her. Sometimes it is helpful if moms leave the house for several nights while this new routine is being established.

Some toddlers sleep better in their own bed. You may find that if your daughter has her own bed, she may not wake as often. Try placing a mattress on the floor in your room. Make sure that she is dressed warmly so she won't wake up because she is cold. If she cries or wants to be fed, go to her, rub her back, sing softly…etc. Leave once you have put her back to sleep. Tuck her in with older siblings. Sometimes they are just looking for a warm body to snuggle up next to.

There are no set rules to eliminating nighttime feeds, so feel free to be creative. Wear a long nightgown (ALL GONE). With patience and consistency, you should be able to find a comfortable balance between your needs and your child's needs.

I would recommend reading, "The Nursing Mother's Guide to Weaning," by Kathleen Huggins and Linda Ziedrich. I would also recommend “Nighttime Parenting,” by William Sears. These books may provide additional tips and strategies for weaning that might be helpful to you.

Ellen Penchuk, IBCLC, RLC
“Wean from the breast, not from the mommy!!”

Hope that helps!
C. M.
Doula & Childbirth Educator
The Westside Birth Connection
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A lot of times when a child hasn't taken a bottle it will come down to which bottle nipple she will actually be more comfortable on. My daughter was only brest fed for a month due to me not producing enough milk so the switch may have been easier but we still had to go thru about 5 or so different bottle nipples before she finally took to the playtex brown nipples that are most like a real breast! Once you find the one she likes best it should take her a few times to get used to it but eventually she will. Try having someone besides you feed her so she will know that it is the only option. Its just like anything with a smaller child just wait until they start coming into your bed at night.. yikes thats a hard one to break.. :)

Hi, I would first find someone who will be willing to watch your child for a few hours while you go to a book store, or someplace where you can "loose" yourself (do not make a fuss about leaving, do not even say good bye, just pretend ou are going to the bathroom and then just go). During the time that you are gone, the caregiver can then introduce the bottle to your child. Not only is it a new situation for your child, but I have learned that when I want my 3 year old to try something new and I have introduced the idea and she is not accepting it, having someone she barely knows offering it makes her try it, at least once or twice. Do not worry about your child being upset or crying. That is their way of telling you that they do not like what you want them to do. Kind of like a challenge out there in the wild. Now if you give up, your child knows that if they keep up the same response, they will get what they want. If you leave, and allow someone else to try, then you are taken out of the equation, and your child has to come up with new tactics to get your friend to breast feed her. And if your child uses you as a pacifier, then you need to take it away as soon as she starts. For her it will be a wake up call. The link below is a great source.

http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/growth/feeding/weaning.html

when i was weening my son off the bottle to sippy cup i had the same problem. i have two older sisters who have kids and my mom had five girls. so i take their advice alot and they are usually right. as well as i have read many books on baby and toddler care. the only way to ween a baby or child off of something is to just do it. you may feel bad because your baby cries but believe me its not harmful to her. it may be ten mins to an hour before she excepts the change. it took my son two hours of crying to realize "hmm mom isn't giving in this time, i guess i have to drink from the sippy cup" and he did. just be patient. when shes hungry she will eat and she will learn to accept the bottle. if you need any other advice i know alot about infant girls i helped raise my sisters child.