My daughter will be 11 months old on the 31st of Dec. Yesterday, she decided after her morning feeding that she wasn't going to nurse anymore. I offered her numerous times yesterday and have tried today but she just wont nurse. She arches back and screams when I try. My husband and I are going to start trying to get pregnant again so I was going to be done nursing in a month. This morning I tried formula and breastmilk in variety of different ways;cup or bottle, hot or cold. She really likes water so she will drink that. Should I keep trying, keep pumping or just be done? I wasn't quite ready to be done but I've decided that if she is ready to be done than I'm ok with it. Im also wondering what should I be giving her to drink? Is just water ok for the next month?
Thanks for the advice! I've decided that she is done. Tonight I tried to feed her after she fell asleep to see if it was something else and she wouldnt take. I called the doctor and she said to start her on milk slowly and just to watch her calorie intake. Im not sure she is drinking enough but before she was nursing 3-4x/day plus drinking water so she could have been drinking a lot before. The doctor also said she might be crabby while going transitioning which she is. I think this is harder on me. I do daycare so the few minutes I had to nurse her was so relaxing and I think I will miss it. Hopefully, I will get pregnant soon and then I will have something new to focus on.
She should have formula or breast milk until she's one year old. You did well to make it this far, so you should have no guilt about not pumping. Whether you choose to pump or not is completely up to what works for you.
It could just be a nursing strike. But if you were almost done then I wouldn't worry about it. My 15 month old is still nurse with no light at the end of tunnel so to speak. And at this point you can probably just start giving her whole milk.
HTH's
M.
My daughter finished nursing at 11 months. Turns out it was probably related to an ear infection, but I didn't realize it at the time. She would drink from a cup, so we switched to that. My advice? If you want to be done in a month anyway, and SHE'S done (and it's not an ear infection), consider yourself lucky! You have a "window," I believe, with most kids, in which it's fairly easy to wean (it was HARD when I had to wean my 18-mo. old). Otherwise, you'll get her back to nursing, and then be working on cutting down fairly soon thereafter.
If you're willing to pump for a month, great, then you don't have to use formula. Check with your doctor, but no, water isn't going to give her the calories, nutrients and fats provided by breastmilk (would be hard to make it up with food at this age). You can switch to whole milk at 1 year or when your doctor gives you the ok.
If she suddenly stopped it was a nursing strike, so I'd wait it out. She still needs those nutrients and antibodies, especially now as we enter flu season. Suddenly refusing is usually signal of something else going on, like sore ears, teeth coming in, a cold coming on, etc. I would just keep offering ot her once or twice a day at her favorite times, like before bed, before nap, upon waking in th morning, etc.
I know you said yo uwere ready to stop, but she really does need the breastmilk right now, I'm willing to bet she has teeth coming in or has a cold coming on ,or even an ear infection.
Yep, I'd say she's done. My second son pretty much weaned himself at 11 months. I don't remember formula so I'm pretty sure we just went to whole milk until he was 2 and then switched to 1%.
I think you should be happy she weaned herself especially if you are trying to get pregnant again.
If she wants to be done I would go with that she is old enough to take a sippy cup. She does need some sort of formula or milk. I have a cannister of enfamil next step (9-24 months) that you can have to hold you off until her birthday or regular enfamil. My son will be one this week & he has been drinking cows milk because the formula did not agree with him. I had to try several cups with my son before he figured out what he liked. But I think it just took him a little bit to figure out that is how he will be getting his milk from now on.
Also, she may have just had an off day & still want to nurse. Maybe try at night when she is relaxed it will be easier on you too. The transition can be a bit painful cold turkey.
Gool luck! Let me know if you want that formula.
I'd be done!
Typically at 11mos. most start the transition from formula to Whole Milk anyways so you might try that now.
Oh, I'd let her go with it. Weaning was tough for us; if she's ready to be done a month before you were planning to be done, I'd say "close enough"!
She definitely needs nutrients; I'd check with your Doc and see about formula, milk, soy, etc. You may just have to keep trying things. Yogurt and cheese are good, too. My son was a tough case to drink milk--cow or soy. We kept at it and now he gets plenty. My nephew went on a formula strike at about 10 months and they just switched him to regular milk, and everyone was happy. Good luck!
Your child really needs either formula or breastmilk. Did sheever take a bottle or formula before? Some kids just have a hard time taking formula or breastmilk from a cup. If she has not had formula, I suggest pumping and giving her a bottle. Just water is not enough nutrition.
