Please help me wean!

[Mum2SweetCs]

Hi all
Dd2 is nearly 11 months and I need to go back to work in 1 month time.

Expressing is not an option as i will be away from home for at least 12 hrs a day and do not have facilities to express.

DD has been exclusively breastfed and at 11 months refuses to eat solids. Only has a bite here and there bur nothing substantial to fill her up. We are doing bls here.

Ok so she drinks water from sipper and cup fine.

As soon as there is formula or ebm in there she gags and voms and outright refuses.

At times snatches the sipper cup and bangs it on the floor.

How can i get her off the breast? She rather starve than drink anything.

I have tried various formula.

Please help!!! Im getting worried here!!!!

Whats your tips??

Thanks

[Frangipani Lou]

Is it an option for you to continue to bf in the morning and at night? The transition may be a little easier instead of weaning completely. I'm sure some experienced mumma's will have some more ideas. Have you through about calling the ABA or speaking with your MCHN?

[Mum2SweetCs]

I will be gone from 6 am till 7pm
Will she starve?

I was thinking of ringing karitane?

[OceanPrincess]

Who is karitane?

The short answer is no, she won't starve. She's 11mths, she is capable (even if not willing!) to go long stretches without bf. She will have water and food - even if it isn't a lot, they don't need three square meals at this age. Many mums find when they return to work they are able to continue bf, feeding right before they leave, as soon as they get home and then overnight.

She may decide to feed lots overnight to make up for it! Are you working 5 days?

Don't stress. It is going to be ok

[sloane]

I think babies/kids are pretty clever and in most circumstances won't let themselves starve. I'm guessing when she realises you just aren't there she'll adapt. shew may not drink formula or cows milk but she may start eating more. my personal preference (if it was me) would be to feed before and after work still.

ignoring the fact that they really do have to provide facilities for you to express, you may need to hand express at first for your own comfort. you may want to drop a feed each week from more until you go back to work as well.

sorry, I'm not an expert but that's just my suggestion! barb or someone else will have better suggestions!

[HotI]

my dd wouldn't take ebm, and so when I returned to work at 9 months, she would just take water and minimal solid until I got home. initially, she came to me at lunch, but she was getting distracted so it didn't really work. I did need to take the pump for my own comfort, but after awhile I was fine to go all day and dd just fed before I left and had a big feed when I got home. on non work days, I had enough milk for her.

[*beannaithe*]

I am in a similar situation but I have been back at work for two weeks and am out if the house from 7am - 6.30pm. My girls seem to be doing fine with morning, evening and a night feed with water and solids during the day but I do find I'm needing to have a quick hand express around lunchtime to stop the explodey boob feeling.

I'm torn between wanting to just letting them feed on demand on the days I'm not working and cutting back to just morning and night all the time. I think it's because on the whole, I've really enjoyed bf and it makes me sad to think of it ending, especially cos my boobs feel so soft and empty these days

Any who, good luck

[Mum2SweetCs]

Thanks ladies

Karitane is a nsw help house run by the govt i think. Helps parents with issues such as sleep and behavioural. Ive just looked at their website, cant find anything on weaning support though. Doh!!

I will be working full time

I need to fully wean her as i have D-MER as well so dont want that to affect work as i have multiple letdowns a day when im not feeding.

I hope she will be ok. She is a stubborn kid snd my mum who will be looking after her cannot bear to see her cry. It breaks her heart which is why i need to make sure she is ok before i start work.

[LuluHB]

Just wanted to say I was in a similar sort of position re wondering whether or not to wean. I've only just gone back to work - DD3 was a smidge over 12 months and her solids eating is far more miss than hit too. I feed her around 5.30-6am and then not again until 7.30 pm when I'm home and she's about to go to bed. I do find she usually has an extra feed that night, but she seems pretty happy with it and Mum (who she stays with while I'm working) has said she's been fine and is drinking a fair bit of water throughout the day.

ETA: Sorry - just saw your post about the D-MER. If she is taking water from a sipping cup can you try mixing formula and/or cow's (or any other kind) milk in slowly with her water until you build up the amount? I really don't think you need to worry about her starving. Good luck.

[OceanPrincess]

Hun, are you sure the DMER will affect your work? I don't know too much about it sorry. But if that's the case, then that's understandable. Weaning can be tricky - you want to do it as slowly as you can. Drop one feed, then another, then another. At 12 months, which she will be when you go back to work, I'd say you don't need to introduce formula, she can go straight onto cows milk.

[Barb Glare]

No healthy child ever starved themselves in the presence of food! I concur with what many of the others have said. Feed her when you are home - she will work it out when you are not - for a bit of personal experience I expressed for full time time work from when my son was 6 weeks old until he was 10 mnths old - then I was *over it*. He just had water and a cut lunch when I was away and fed when I was home. As your supply naturally reduces you will not have as many let downs. it’s got to be a compromise between you and your little one. Fully weaning is unlikely to solve all your problems - just give you a whole set of other ones!