How to Wean My Baby

what's the rush? sounds like neither you or your son are ready to wean. looking back, i wish i had breast fed my kids longer (i did for 10mo, 8mo, and 10mo). i plan to breastfeed this one for at least a year and am open to breastfeed until the baby's ready to quit. the average age of weaning internationally is 5-7 years!!! that doesn't mean you have to breastfeed that long, but you can pump and provide milk for him. north america has some of the healthiest kids in the world. and one of the lowest lengths of breastfeeding. think how much healthier our kids would be if we all breastfeed longer.

you did mention wanting to quit by October. was there a particular reason why? whatever you choose, i'm sure it's for the best for you and your family.

but here are a few sites that might help you in your decision.

normalfed.com --there is advise on when to wean here too.
http://www.drjaygordon.com/development/ap/sleep.asp --this website has good info on sleep patterns and comfort needs. with regards to night time feeds too.

good luck with everything. and be confident in the choice you make. i'm here, as well as others i'm sure, to support you with whatever you choose.

My son is 9 months and I am still breastfeeding part of the time and bottle feeding the others. I try to bf after he eats his solids so he's not so hungry. this seems to be curbing his need to bf. it seems like he is naturally tapering off. my husband also gives him a bottle in the early am and at night before bed.

Soy milk has naturally occurring estrogens in it... if taken in a lot....it can imbalance a child's/or adults hormone balance. (you can research it online).

For example: A family friend I know, whose children were exclusively on soy milk after 1 year old, developed extremely early menstruating & other "puberty" symptoms... once they stopped the soy milk, their bodies normalized.

For me, I let my kids 'self-wean'.... so that has been my experience. BUT, perhaps try offering your son a sippy cup, or straw cup??? He may enjoy that better than a bottle... he's 10 month's old and he can probably use a cup by now.... you can put breastmilk in it too... .

You can also try tweaking the times that your nurse him... thereby giving you a "window" of time that you can perhaps go out at night for a break... and then by the time you come home it can be his next nursing.... he only nurses 3 times/day and twice in the middle of the night.. so it may not be too bad to adjust his nursing times....

Just be sure that you DO want to wean him and are committed to it... sometimes a baby/child does not transition to weaning very well. Or, substitute water in a bottle....

What a good eater/nurser your son is! How lucky!
All the best,
~Susan

I am also a big fan on self-weaning, extended breastfeeding has great benefits.
I am giving my daughter fresh carrot juice and mixed vegetables that are high in calcium, such as kale, chard along with apples for good flavor. This has lots of easily digestible calcium and believe it or not, carrot juice has lots of protien. I started giving her a little bit of goats milk because it is the closest thing to breast milk. If you research weaning, carrot juice and barley juice are excellent foods to add into a weaning babies diet along with fruits, veggies, whole grains, beans, etc. Also, adding flax oil into thier food helps provide that good fat for their brain. My daughter has a little of this juice every day and I am confident that when she is fully weaned, she will get the vitamins she really needs. She is 12 months and still nursing, but is cutting herself off very slowly. After reading about the benefits of extended breastfeeding and an article in the Mothering Magazine, I changed my mind to stop breastfeeding after 1 year. I am now open to continue breastfeeding another year. Anyway, letting it happen naturally is how I am going. Also, I make fresh almond milk. It is very easy. Buy raw almonds, yes, they are pricy right now, blend them with water, cinnamon, a little agave nectar and strain with a cheese cloth or fine strainer and you can store that for 3 days in the fridge, it is delicious. You can also use coconut juice instead of water. I have read that soy is not a good recommendation for babies or adults.
Cows milk is very hard to digest too. Fresh juice is packed with vitamins for baby.
Look for high calcium veggies and fruits. Best of luck, all will go well, follow your instincts, you know when to wean and you baby knows when he is ready too. His body will tell you when he is ready to move on.
E.