Please help ease this transition!!!?

Question

My daughter will be five months old on the 9th of this month. Due to a medical condition I have to stop nursing her at 6 months and get back on a medication that could be harmful for her while breastfeeding. (I can't believe how fast the time flew by!) Anyway, I have been doing "Attachment Parenting" (co-sleeping, breastfeeding on demand, baby-wearing when possible, that kind of thing.) PLEASE don't give me a rant about why you think Attachment Parenting is bad, etc. My question is, with the big switch to formula coming soon, what can I do to prepare my daughter and make the transition a bit easier on both of us? I am already giving her occasional bottles of pumped milk or formula, which she takes ok. My biggest concern is at sleepytime. She goes to sleep on the breast and has MAJOR trouble going to sleep without it. Sometimes she will self soothe with her thumb in her mouth but she doesn't usually stay asleep long that way. WHen she wakes during the night, she also wants to breastfeed again to fall back asleep. I really don't want to make her "cry it out" as I feel that is cruel. I know it works for some people but I just can't put her through that. What can I start doing now to make this transition easier? I want to continue co-sleeping for a while longer too. Oh, I've also tried several special (and expensive) binkies that are supposed to mimic the feel of the mother's breast - yeah right, LOL! Please help me if you have any ideas! I'd really appreciate it!

Answer 1

When I switched my son to formula (after strictly breast feeding) I did it by giving him bottles of 1/2 breast milk, 1/2 formula .. then slowly weaned the breast milk out and strictly gave him formula.

He had absolutely no problems and actually preferred the formula over the breast. I suggest giving the baby Enfamil Gentle Ease, that is what I use(d) with my son.

Breast milk is the easiest thing on the baby's tummy, so giving the baby a Gentle Ease formula is the best way to go. The proteins in Enfamil Gentle Ease are partially broken down for easier digestion: it's easier on the baby's tummy.

My son has NEVER been constipated or had any gas whatsoever! He's 13 months now and in perfect health.

Don't stress about switching your baby to formula. You do what you have to do! And be confident in your decision. You're doing the right thing .. don't let anyone convince you otherwise ..

As for the baby falling asleep on the breast, my son did this too! He would INSIST on the breast to sleep! He would use me as a human pacifier! However, once I weaned him to the bottle, his 'need' to sleep on my breast faded. He became a thumb sucker and quickly started self-soothing. Hopefully, your baby will do that too ...

Answer 2

I co-slept with my son for awhile, about 4 months and then i started to put him in his own bed.  At first it was tough, but it gets easier.  Some things that I would do is get your daughter into a routine.  Start her on a bath in the evening and give her a bottle with some cereal in it.  That always helped my little one.  When he would wake up in the night, i would just get him and bring him into bed with me and not feed him.  After a few weeks, he started sleeping the entire night.  It will take her some time but she will get used to it.  Also, try to put her to bed around the same time every night.  Even if you have to let her "cry it out".  She will be ok.  It won't last for long.  Once she gets used to a bedtime schedule, she will stick to it.  One thing my doctor said to me is not to feed my baby if he wakes up during the night.  She said it is like when we wake up and just turn another way and go back to sleep.  Babies are not able to do that just yet so you may need to help her.  And I understand being a single parent is tough, I am one too.  But just stick with it and it will get easier.

Answer 3

Just do it hun, u and the baby have no choice... I do have to ask why did u choose attachment parenting? I know that it is good for a baby's intelligence to be carried to the mother/father's body as much as possible

Answer 4

Try always brestfeeding her in a rocking chair before bed, when you're trying to get her to sleep. Gradually shorten the feedings, till she's getting a little milk, but is mostly just being rocked to sleep. It might take a couple weeks or so, but eventually you can just rock her. Also get those special nipples for the bottle that is just like your nipple, and try that. Maybe try brestmilk at first, then formula every other feeding, and then eventually formula every feeding. Also, try pumping and saving as much milk as you can so that once you are on the medications, you can still give your baby the breast milk to ease the transition further. Hope this hleps!! Good luck!!

Answer 5

This has nothing to do with feeding but if you don't have one try an aquarium that you attach to the crib! This was my life saver with my daughter... =)

Good luck! & Congrats on ur first!! :)

Answer 6

Start with making bedtime bottle a part of her routine since that will be the hardest to break.  And keep replacing a feeding with a bottle each week.

And keep trying pacifiers until you find one she likes, if you think a pacifier will help.  I lucked out and my daughter loves the free one (playtex) I received in samples while pregnant.   But create a whole routine around the bottle at bedtime and keep it the same every night.  Babies like routine.  They like to know what comes next.  So you might as well make the bottle formula rather than pumped milk... other bottles during the day you can mix-up.  

At 5 months my daughter's routine was rice cereal in the high chair, bath, pajamas, then bottle & rocking to sleep.

I can't let my daughter cry it out either.  Babies cry for a reason.  I agree with my pediatrician that you can spoil a child under 1 year old. Crying is how they express a need -- even if that need is 'mommy don't leave the room!'.   Still breast feeding my 10-month-old and counting down the days until weaning to get medication.  Good luck.