Sam is now 10 months and still breastfeeding. Not exclusively, obviously, as he eats a fair range of food, but he still gets all his milk from me. And I'm starting to reach the point of thinking that I'd quite like to stop now.
The problem is that I am fundamentally idle and therefore can't be bothered to faff about with bottles and formula milk and you aren't supposed to give cows milk until the baby is 12 months. So I find myself in a bit of a juncture. Do I wean him off me and onto formula for the 2 months or so until he is 1? Do I just go 'we were all fed cows milk from 6 weeks and we all turned out fine' and give him the moo stuff a bit earlier than advised? Or do I just um and ah about what to do for another couple of months and by putting off making a decision brilliantly get to the point where there is no longer a decision to make?
Crucially, do any of the alternatives to breast feeding allow me to sit on the sofa with a book, ignoring the chaos erupting around me whilst glaring at my husband and mouthing 'I'm feeding the baby, you sort it out'?
I weaned mine straight onto a cup rather than bottles at that age..think we used 'follow-on' formula milk'. Mine never had bottles after 6 months..and they had only been an occasional thing for water in high summer so he wasn't used to teats. It was a bit messy for a while till he got used to the cup.,,also according to http://www.babycentre.co.uk/baby/formula/stopsterilisingbottlesexpert/ you don't need to sterilise cups as they have less nooks and crannies and can be more easily cleaned.He survived somehow...lol..( and is a father himself now..)
ReplyDeleteI think they can have cows milk before 12 months, just not as main source of milk. By 11 mths both if mine were on 2 breastfeeds a day (first thing & bedtime) but were having cows milk at snack time from a cup. I finally weaned both about 13 months. Never bothered with formula. If they have enough variety in foods there is no need x
ReplyDeleteI've gone with the lazy "put off making a decision" strategy. However, something seems to have gone wrong as he's now 17 months and my nipple is in his mouth as I type (TMI?). No idea how I'll go about stopping as there's currently a serious boob/sleep dependency that could be painful to break. Ho hum.
ReplyDeleteI weaned on to formula at 10 months then got annoyed with the cost, and put her on to cows milk at 11 months. She loves it!! xx
ReplyDeleteI'm too lazy to wean onto anything, and breast milk is still good to fight infections now that she's at nursery. Also, my little one is not good on solids, so at least I know she's getting some. I tried bottles, formula, cow's milk but the only other liquid she'll have is water and with that it doesn't matter what from. Any other milk - oh no.
ReplyDeleteGoat compare!
ReplyDeleteLazy solution at least enables you to do the sofa thing - we waited until 1 year before cows milk but you could use something like oat milk but then have to worry about calcium supplements
ReplyDeleteDo nothing until one year and then take your boobs off on a weekend away and leave them there? That's what we did at 18 months with Littler and she was fine (but she had been having bottles by that stage...)
I would stop if thats what you want. You can buy little cartons of formula and stick the bottles into the dishwasher by this stage so its not too much bother if you dont want it to be...
ReplyDeleteYou know I was wondering the same thing today, BB is coming up 17 months and loves the boob I cant imagine how she will cope if I take them away!
ReplyDeletemy friend used cows milk from ten months, all was well!
xxx
First off, this is the third blog I've commented on this evening and the third where Jane has just commented before me. She's going to think I'm stalking her...
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I went back to work when L was about Sam's age and couldn't be bothered with leaving her with formula and all that nonsense so she went on to cows and sippy cups. Seems to be ok so far... (Although she did go to bed with no supper this evening but that was because she'd emptied the contents of her wardrobe onto the floor and I wasn't in the mood and is unlikely to be related to her consumption of dairy products).
As for the sofa, can't help. I seem to spend a lot of my time sorting out chaos with baby attached to boob, and not much actually sitting on sofa. It's a good look, I know. But very effective for getting rid of Jehovah's Witnesses....
At 10months I was doing a morning and evening breastfeed and giving one bottle of formula in the day. When I first started combination feeding I was loathe to deal with bottles but didn't find it so bad in reality. We then went to cow's milk in a cup at 12 months.
ReplyDeleteI think the reason they say start cow's milk from 12m is because it has less iron, though if Sam is eating a mix of food it would be less of an issue. If you want to stay away from formula I'd be inclined to introduce cow's milk in the day and keep the breastfeeds in the am and pm.
June - good to know that the babies survive our best efforts to become parents themselves! Think I will follow this route.
ReplyDeleteTiddly - I like the idea of cows milk snack and boob first and last thing. Thanks!
Kirsty - never underestimate the lazy strategy. Always my favourite.
Mummys little monkey - I have a problem with the cost of forumula too. Cows milk looking more and more likely!
cartside - I do like that breast milk gives them more protection from teh lurgies. And with older borthers lurgies are aplenty chez pants.
ReplyDeleteOwen - you do make me laugh.
Muddling - Sofa solution so good. Love the sofa.
Zoo - I am starting to have had enough. Only a little bit to do with the sharp teeth he's now grown...
NorthernMum - Cows milk looking likely. but Sam loves the boob too and as he'll be my last baby I'll be sad when it ends.
Plan B - you've ruined her life. You do know that don't you? And the younger siblings never get a calm feed. Sam's clung on as I've climbed the climbing frame to rescue a small child.
ReplyDeleteTanya - Thanks. I like that last idea of breastfeeding am and pm and cows the rest. Then once he's 1 I'll move him over completely