Hi everyone,
My dd is almost 11 months old and I would like to start introducing whole milk and start weaning from breastfeeding. I'm hoping to wean dd by the end of the year. I know breastfeeding is recommended for AT LEAST a year and should continue for longer, but I'm pretty sure I've taken it for as long as I can and dd is super healthy. I've actually already given some milk to dd with her cheerios (no allergy reaction) and she seems to love it. Since I don't use formula, I can't make a sippy cup with half formula and half milk. Do I just give her straight milk in her sippy cup during meals? I've got some frozen breast milk in the deep freeZe that I may be able to use, it's been in the freezer since February, is it still good? I suppose I can mix some breast milk with whole milk, I just thought of that. I also give her eggs with no reaction so I don't think she's gong to have a protein/allergic reaction if I give her whole milk. thanks.
I have always put the milk in sippy cups at meals. Then when ever they seem ready to nurse give the cup and then nurse as needed. I have four little ones and it went fairly easy. The only set backs were if they got sick and needed the comfort of nursing. Just trust yourself, sounds like it is the right time. Good luck.
If she'll drink "straight" milk right now from a sippy cup, great. My girls wouldn't + had to mix w/ formula (both adopted as infants, so no breastfeeding involved). W/ my now-6yo, I had to start w/ 1oz of milk in 6oz of formula. I tried 1/2 and 1/2 w/ no success and then 1/4 milk to 3/4 formula, still no joy. My now 4yo was much easier -- since she would sometimes grab her sister's sippy cup + think it was great fun to "steal" her milk. My 4yo still has warm (in sippy cup) milk every morning + night. Just this year, my 6yo took herself off the morning/night warm milk, but still asks on rare occasions.
J.,
When I switched my daugher over, I just slowly added cow's milk to the breast milk. I added an additional ounce over each week. I want really slowly, because she was not quite a year. My daughter still nurses at night and in the morning, but during the day she gets mostly cows milk (she is now 13 mo old). That's what worked for me, but if she will drink the cow's milk, you may not need to mix it. Good luck!
J.
I first want to say congratulations on being able to breastfeed for this L.! That's an awesome accomplishment in and of itself. I had to stop breastfeeding my son when he was just over 2 months because of some medical problems he was having.
You really aren't supposed to introduce milk until after the 1st birthday. Milk products are fine after 9 mos (yogurt, etc) but milk itself should wait until after the birthday. My son's pediatrician told us that milk, eggs, peanuts and shelfish need to wait until after the 1st birthday.
If your daughter will drink it without a problem, then there is no need to mix it. Some children will refuse and that's when its recommended to mix it with breastmilk over time, slowly increasing the milk and decreasing the breastmilk. Some children are also picky about the temperature of it. If she's not having any of those issues, I say there is no need to mix (but it wouldn't hurt if you wanted to mix it to use the milk that you have frozen, which by the way, in a deep freezer remains good for 12 mos).
