Is there a gentle way to stop breastfeeding my 9 month old?

Question

Hi, my second son just will not stop beastfeeding. he eats 2 puried meals a day, is begining on yogurts and baby biscuits, but the second I approach him with a bottle or cup he has a headfit. He wont even take water properly, although will at least chew at the teat. i am being a bit weedy about it as he nearly died at 2 weeks and as soon as i see him having a fit and going all red when i approach him with the milk i get scared and frightened so i swap to the breast again, he is also feeding 3 times in the night still which with a 2 year old also is proving absolutely exhausting. I stopped with my first son at 6 months and it was so easy...... I would love another child as well so they are all close together. any advice gratefully received

Answer 1

He's making it as clear as can be that he is not ready to stop breastfeeding.

You would probably exhaust yourself far more pushing a baby as young as nine months to wean than you would by letting him continue and wean when he is ready.

Nine month olds still very much need their mothers milk.

Answer 2

Unfortunately, there is no 'gentle' way to make a baby who is very attached to the breast decide that he doesn't want it anymore.

Is there some pressing reason you need to stop nursing this early?  I know you say you want to get pregnant again soon, but is it THAT important?  Medically/nutritionally it's best to breastfeed for a minimum of 1-2 years (as recommended by the AAP, the WHO, UNICEF and most other reliable organizations). And from a practical standpoint, if you wean now you have to wean to formula and a bottle. If you can keep nursing for another 3-6 months, you can wean right to a cup.

Babies and toddlers tend to go through spells where they are very attached to the breast, and other spells where they are more interested in other things.  So watch for one of those later periods, and try beginning to wean at that point. You'll probalby find it easier on both of you.

Answer 3

Instead of giving him the breast at night, try the bottle at night when they are at their hungriest. Try the Playtex drop-in system, those nipples are mad just like a woman's nipples. He shouldn't be able to tell the diffrence or even care if he is hungry enough. Try raking him off the breast several times during the day. Then try bottle at night. Don't be afraid that he is going to die if he has a fit, that's what they want you to think! If he starts to scream, pick him up and comfort him before trying it, talk to him while you're doing it so he knows what;s going on , they understand more than you think. I know all about this because I had to get mine off in order to go back to work. It was hard at first, but once she saw that was th only choice she had, she finally gave up and took the bottle. Good Luck!

Answer 4

He's nine months old.  What makes you think he's ready to be weaned?  The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusively breastfeeding for 6 months, then breastfeeding for at least the rest of the first year along with complementary foods.

The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding for at least the first TWO years.

Weaning him now would compromise his health.  Wouldn't you want to give him the nutrition he needs so that he can develop to his potential?

Answer 5

There's really no gentle way to do it at this stage.  It would be much easier to offer a cup of water or a sippy cup of formula.  Don't offer to nurse, but don't refuse either.

Forget the bottle at this age.  Your son is ready for a cup or sippy cup, so the bottle is just one more thing that will have to be taken away later.

Answer 6

Its gotta happen one way or another. id just put your breast milk in the bottle. This could be the beginning of a bad habit of spoiling him. id talk to your doctor just in case, though i wouldnt worry about a nine month old dying due to the bottle