I have started to wean my 6 1/2 month old onto formula. I am a full time working mom and it's getting harder to keep pumping at work. He has been exclusively breastfed up until about 2 weeks ago (besides cereal and baby food - just no formula.) My son does NOT enjoy the taste of the formula (and I don't blame him) but he is starting to get used to it. I mixed it with breastmilk for a while. I did one bottle/wk of formula, and now we're up to 2 bottles of formula this week. During the day with the nanny he takes it, but on the weekends he refuses to take a bottle from me! I mean, he threw his first temper tantrum last weekend and I didn't even know little babies could do that yet :-) I literally had to hide so that my husband could give him the bottle and of course it just breaks my heart. I still want to be able to feed him a bottle. I'm going to try giving him a bottle of breastmilk this weekend and see if he'll take that. I'm still pumping and freezing milk so that he can benefit for a while after he is weaned. Also, I will state that I plan to keep the morning feeding for a while since that seems to be his favorite. I appreciate any advice or helpful tips to make this an easy transition for my baby.
he wasn't having a temper tantrum, he's confused because with you he breastfeeds... You're just going to have to let someone else give him the bottle for awhile while he gets used to the transition from breastfeeding to bottle feeding - don't worry, it'll happen...
why dont you continue to nurse him morning & night and stop pumping during day white at work? Your milk supply will adjust to accomadate just a few feedings a day. You can even nurse him on the weekend, our bodies have an amazing way of figuring it all out. If you are still set in weaning, in time time he will adjust to you giving him the bottle but I found if someone else can it to them in the transtion period, everyone benefits and is less stressed out.
When I weaned my daughter she got formula during the day. I breastfed her in the morning before I left for work and at night when I got home. This worked well untill she was 10 months old and she didn't want to nurse any longer. Pumping at work is hard. I now have a 4 month old and when he turns 6 months I will do the same.
Have you tried the liquid concentrate formula in the same or a different brand? My twins went from breastmilk at 5.5 months to powder formula at 6 months to liquid concentrate formula at 6.5 months. The liquid is not only easier to mix for you, but the consistency is smoother and there is no foam, like with breastmilk. It tastes somewhat like evaporated milk. We had to mix prepared powdered formula with reconstituted liquid concentrate formula for about a week, so that the babies could get used to the new consistency.
Just a note, the sterilization process of the liquid formula makes the liquid slightly tan/brown and it can cause more spit-up stains than powder formula does--use an enzymatic detergent or OxyClean with presoaking to get it out.
I found that it took me 20 minutes to mix enough powdered formula for my twins each day, and it was still foaming and sometimes lumpy. I can mix liquid formula for both babies for a day in 2 minutes. We are using Enfamil Lipil.
Good luck!
Hang in there. :) I wish I had great solutions, but my little one still wants to nurse all the time (I have been down to the night and morning feedings for about a month now.) Just be careful he doesn't start waking more at night to nurse b/c he knows you come in there and you are gone during the day.
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Although I did not breastfeed, one of my best friends (along with many other friends)did. I have heard that babies can smell the breastmilk on you or associate your smell with it. This is probably what's going on. It may be that your husband has to feed the baby on the weekend until you can make the transition.
Good Luck!
Well....ok, here is my advice....I personally feel that if you are able to breast feed your son than continue to do so. I'm not sure what kind of job you have, but you should know that pumping and being allowed to pump at work is and should not be a problem. There are laws that will allow you, especially if your employer is not fond of you pumping, that you can present to him/her saying that you are allowed to do such. Contact LLL (La Leche League) for more information about this.
Why is your son not liking the formula? Well duh, it's not you! He's had the luxury of having his mommy give him the best stuff in the world for him, and now you're taking it away from him. You tried to give him a bottle and he refused, well, probably because he could smell you and wanted you instead.
Also think supply and demand, as you start to give him formula instead of you, your supply will decrease.
I personally am against formula, unless your supply is less than adequate for him, but choosing to give him formula instead of what you naturally can give your son, and what is the BEST for him confuses me. Keep trying, keeping pumping, keep giving him the very best you can. It may be hard, but you've made it 6 months, keep going, at least till a year. Good luck.
A.
When I went to work, I didn't pump. The important thing is to have a good nursing relationship firmly developed before going back to work, which it sounds like you have already done, so you're already past that hurdle! Your breasts are very adaptable, working on the supply and demand system. They can tell the difference between a baby and a pump. So, as they know your baby is not nursing as much as he used to, they will gradually decrease milk production to match. It took my breasts only one week to get used to the new schedule of nursing on and off for 14 hrs, then no stim for 10, and back on again. During the day while I was at work, the babysitter just gave bottles of water, or sometimes watered down apple, white grape or pear juice. Never formula. We did this from 6 mo. to 18 mo. when he finally weaned himself. This was with my first, with all my other kids, I had a job with more less & flexible hours, where I could often work with a baby packed on my back, so I didn't need to leave them on such a regular basis. They were all weaned at 3 yrs. I never bought formula, or baby food. When they were old enough and ready, (which came at a different age for each of them)I used a baby food grinder to puree whatever food we were eating.
Good luck, God bless & happy nursing
This was a natural response. He's used to you breastfeeding him while you're holding him. He's confused; doesn't understand why you're trying to give him a bottle and not the breast, no matter what's in the bottle. If you wanna feed him a bottle, put him in a bouncy chair or high chair with him facing you and talk to him or sing to him. It's good that you're keeping the morning feeding, that way you can have bonding time. You're not cofusing him by doing this, you're reinforcing the bond you two have and telling him he can still have the breast as well as the bottle. He just wants mommy's milk when he's with mommy is all. You may have to have your husband continue to feed him the bottle but see if he will still take it with you sitting next to them. And hopefully he will become accustomed to getting the bottle even with you holding him. Good luck!!
good morning, I would like to say that baby's aren't usually weaned until about 9mo. at least that was for me. he nursed up until a full year. I agree with you when you say he desires no other milk taste. my now 11yr. old after breast feeding did not drink milk again until he was 4 going on 5. the doctors said to just give calcium suppliments and juices with calcium, today he still prefers his cereal with no milk. sometimes I think he is just so cute. also he is a mama boy. GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!!!
