I Have To Wean my 11mo.old in 4 weeks-help!

[4kidsandcounting]

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/images/icons/icon11.gif I have to wean my 11 month old in 4 weeks-help!
Please give me advice. I will be at a women's retreat in 4 weeks and I can't take my babe: I think they would let me but I am leading worship and so I won't be able to take care of all the time. The retreat is 2.5 hours away. She is eating 3 solid meals a day, with snacks. I only know a few of the women or else I would ask them to watch her. ANYWAY, she takes a sippy, but it's a hit and miss if she drinks cow's milk, and when she does, it is maybe 2 oz. I really don't want to pump:) When she did drink cow's milk, she had no reaction, so I think her tummy is ready for it-she eats cheese. So, what do I do, she is nursing at 5 AM, 8AM, 4PM, (I just weaned the 12PM last week) and again at 8PM. Please help. I LOVE nursing-but I am a bit excited about my freedom...;)
Jen

[In The Great White North]

If you eat and drink a lot less, your milk suppply will dry up. Then give her a meal and/or sippy cup at those times instead.

Drop one feeding each week to give your milk supply time to adjust and her time to get used to it. I'd start with the 8 am feeding. The 8 pm will probably be the hardest, so leave the most time for that.

My first was weaned at 8 mo due to strep, followed immediately by a stomach bug, therefore no more milk. The other two got to gradually wean around a year.

[Sue G in PA]

Am I going crazy? Anyway, could very well be I'm going crazy! I wanted to ask how long you'd be gone. When my almost 3yo was about that age (actually just about 13 mos.), I went away for a weekend (Friday afternoon to Sunday evening) for a scrapbook retreat. I didn't wean her. She only nursed like yours did (a few times each day). But, she ate well, too..like yours does. You won't have to wean her. Mine did fine w/out me for a few days and went right back to nursing when I returned. My milk didn't dry up that fast and dd didn't forget how to nurse! This advice, of course, assuming you don't want to give it up! If you do...the retreat will be a quick way to do it! Try and wean her down to the am and before bed feeding before you go.

[Closeacademy]

If you are only going to be gone for a few days up to a week--you don't have to wean.

When my youngest was 3 she was nursing about as much as your 11 month old and we went to Hawaii for a week--she just picked up where we left off when I came back. Now I did pump for my own relief while I was gone but it was only once a day and not that big of a deal.

Hope you have a great trip.:001_smile:

[Brenda in FL]

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/images/icons/icon11.gif [B] ANYWAY, she takes a sippy, but it's a hit and miss if she drinks cow's milk, and when she does, it is maybe 2 oz. I really don't want to pump:) When she did drink cow's milk, she had no reaction, so I think her tummy is ready for it-she eats cheese. So, what do I do, she is nursing at 5 AM, 8AM, 4PM, (I just weaned the 12PM last week) and again at 8PM. Please help. I LOVE nursing-but I am a bit excited about my freedom...;)
Jen

About the cow's milk - my second child never did like cow's milk, I also tried formula thinking that she would need something besides water or juice to drink - right? She would have neither! But, guess what she survived the weaning process! She would have milk on her cereal at breakfast and I made sure to give her yogurt, cheese, OJ with calcium. My ped. didn't seem concerned at all that she wasn't drinking milk.

I agree with eliminating one feeding each week. I think I may have had a similar situation with one of my kids also, where I had to go away. I think I intended to keep that 8 pm feeding. Maybe I pumped at t hat time while I was away - but when I came home - the baby just didn't need it anymore!

So - it's doable, don't fret about her not liking cow's milk. And enjoy getting your body back all to yourself!! :)