Weaning

[Trix]

I hope i'm in the right thread.

I'm having an awful time trying to breastfeed my baby (she's 1 week old).

I was wondering if any bottle feeders out there tried breastfeeding first and then started bottle feeding. How do you wean them off the breast? Is it best to reduce your breast feeding and top up with formula gradually until she's off the breast? Or go cold turkey even with the engorgement issues??? Would that cause mastitis?

Yes i've tried everything, yes i've seen professionals, yes yes yes, please please no anti -bottle feeding/formula feeding people to respond to this.

[pinkandblue]

Hi

I am starting to wean my 4 month old son. I am starting with 1 bottle a day and gradually increasing it because I dont want my breasts to become engorged or to get mastitis. I am also doing it slowly to see if he reacts to the formula or becomes constipated.

Good luck with it
Natalie

[Foxy]

Hi trix,

Slow and steady is definatley the way to go, I think that going cold turkey will make it very hard on both of you.

Like MLN, I started with one bottle per day - I found the best feed for us to do this was the 9pm ish - so I b/f around 6pm, bottle around 9pm, then b/f for middle of the night and 1st morning feed.

After a week, I then subsituted a mid-morning b/f with bottle, and so on, until DS was weaned.

My DS has been bottle fed from 6 months and he is a happy and very healthy boy.

A great advantage of bottle feeding is that your partner, mum etc can do some feeds and you can have a break!

Good luck :)

[ETsMum]

I gave up on day 4. I switched cold turkey - no probs for either of us. (But I leaked for 3 weeks - sorry TMI :o )

[Baby Girl]

I switched cold turkey both tiems and had no problems at all. After DD1 my milk took about 2 weeks to 'dry'up and it was about a week after DD2.

[Briswegian]

I went cold turkey. I expressed a little milk off for comfort a couple of times a day in the shower for a few days and then just once a day for a couple of days until I noticed that my breasts looked like they used to do and then I just wore breast pads a another week for the few drips. Completely dry by two weeks.

I believe that the expressing (not to feed just a little for comfort) helps prevent engorgement and mastitis? I noticed some blocked ducts appearing which I just massaged in a circular motion from the breast toward the nipple.

If you start feeling flu like and have red lumps/lines on your breast then you need to go to the docs asap for antibiotics.

I got mastitis with my first baby but not with the second using this technique.


Good Luck!
Danielle

[lukaelmo]

Hi Trix, I can't help with the weaning, but I just wanted to say what a cute bubba you have! She is the ant's pants :D .

[kuz78au]

I went cold turkey. I expressed a little milk off for comfort a couple of times a day in the shower for a few days and then just once a day for a couple of days until I noticed that my breasts looked like they used to do and then I just wore breast pads a another week for the few drips. Completely dry by two weeks.

I believe that the expressing (not to feed just a little for comfort) helps prevent engorgement and mastitis? I noticed some blocked ducts appearing which I just massaged in a circular motion from the breast toward the nipple.Good Luck!
Danielle

Howdy, I did the exact same thing and had no problems. I was expressing just for comfort and they leaked for about a week but that was it. I didn't have much milk anyway so I think this made it easier! Good luck and don't feel bad about your decision, you do what's best for you and the baby! PM me if you want to chat. Take care :hugs: