Nursing

[godismyabba]

I have a co-worker who is nursing. Her son just turned 9 months, and he is eating step 2 baby food and nursing as well. Her dr. said since he is eating so well, she can wean him if she wants to. She has decided to start in about a month. She doesn't even know where to begin (I didn't nurse, so I have no clue how to help her).

Any advice?

 

[MommaBuckaroo]

Her doctor is wrong. Breastmilk should be the MAIN source of nutrition for the first year of life. If not breastfeeding it should be formula. The American Academy of Ped's says that a mother should breastfed for the first year of life and as long after as the mother and child chose. WHO (womens health organization) recommends you breastfeed for 2 years. She should NOT begin to wean until the baby is over a year old. Tell her to check out LLL and www.kellymom.com kelly mom has GREAT info on how long to breastfed etc. The American academy of peds doesn't even recommend giving a baby solids until at least 6 months and a mother can totally breastfed with no solids for a year. Her baby need the antibodies in breastmilk and just so she knows the earlier she weans she is putting her child at risk to get more ear infections and a whole lot of other problems. She can read about that on Kelly mom. She can even do a google search for how long is a mother supposed to breastfeed and find it says a year. I would find a new doctor if I had one recommend weaning a 9month old!!! My baby is 14 months and my doctor gives me kudos everytime we go in for continuing to breastfeed my baby.

 

[lucypevensie]

She doesn't have to stop if she doesn't want to. But I can totally understand too if she does want to. I weaned my kids before a year as well. Still, I'd advise her to not expect an absolute date to be finished or anything like that. It's best if she maintains some flexibility. If the baby gets sick or starts teething or something right at that time it would not be a good time to start weaning.

Both my kids were weaned sort of early - one at 11 months and the other at 9 months. I'm not sure if there was any one thing that made it happen so fast, but there are some things which might have factored in which helped speed up the process. Here are a few things I can think of:

1. My kids were not in the habit of nursing to sleep, thus they didn't need it to soothe themselves. They were fully awake at the end of feeding.

2. I introduced a cup rather early - around 6 months. They really enjoyed drinking from a cup. Never really used bottles though we did try. They just preferred sippy cups much more.

3. As milk supply dwindled I'd first feed them a small amount of formula in the sippy and then nurse to their satisfied fullness.

 

[GolfingMom]

She doesn't have to stop if she doesn't want to. But I can totally understand too if she does want to. I weaned my kids before a year as well. Still, I'd advise her to not expect an absolute date to be finished or anything like that. It's best if she maintains some flexibility. If the baby gets sick or starts teething or something right at that time it would not be a good time to start weaning.

Both my kids were weaned sort of early - one at 11 months and the other at 9 months. I'm not sure if there was any one thing that made it happen so fast, but there are some things which might have factored in which helped speed up the process. Here are a few things I can think of:

1. My kids were not in the habit of nursing to sleep, thus they didn't need it to soothe themselves. They were fully awake at the end of feeding.

2. I introduced a cup rather early - around 6 months. They really enjoyed drinking from a cup. Never really used bottles though we did try. They just preferred sippy cups much more.

3. As milk supply dwindled I'd first feed them a small amount of formula in the sippy and then nurse to their satisfied fullness.

Woot! I agree.

 

[sparassidae]

I'm with MommaBuckaroo on this one.
It's one thing if a mother is totally exhausted or whatever, and asks for weaning advice from a doctor. Totally another thing for a doctor to suggest it at that age, as if breastfeeding is just some optional thing that the baby doesn't need.

I would encourage your friend to get a second opinion, like from LLL . If she did wean she would need to give formula anyway, so why introduce that hassle unless you really wanted to?

 

[JulySheMustFly]

Her doctor is wrong. Breastmilk should be the MAIN source of nutrition for the first year of life. If not breastfeeding it should be formula. The American Academy of Ped's says that a mother should breastfed for the first year of life and as long after as the mother and child chose. WHO (womens health organization) recommends you breastfeed for 2 years. She should NOT begin to wean until the baby is over a year old. Tell her to check out LLL and www.kellymom.com kelly mom has GREAT info on how long to breastfed etc. The American academy of peds doesn't even recommend giving a baby solids until at least 6 months and a mother can totally breastfed with no solids for a year. Her baby need the antibodies in breastmilk and just so she knows the earlier she weans she is putting her child at risk to get more ear infections and a whole lot of other problems. She can read about that on Kelly mom. She can even do a google search for how long is a mother supposed to breastfeed and find it says a year. I would find a new doctor if I had one recommend weaning a 9month old!!! My baby is 14 months and my doctor gives me kudos everytime we go in for continuing to breastfeed my baby.

I agree.

 

[MyaShane]

I have a co-worker who is nursing. Her son just turned 9 months, and he is eating step 2 baby food and nursing as well. Her dr. said since he is eating so well, she can wean him if she wants to. She has decided to start in about a month. She doesn't even know where to begin (I didn't nurse, so I have no clue how to help her).

Any advice?

I'm really surprised her doctor told her that as well. It would be helpful to know then if she's decided to wean because of her doctor's advice or because it's her own desire to do so.

 

[~Mrs. A2J~]

My advice is get a new doctor. Like others have said breastmilk should be the main source of nutrition up to 12 months old. If the mother really wants to wean then she would need to give formula. IMO if it ain't broke don't fix it. As the baby eats more solid foods anyway they'll begin weaning themselves and cut down on their own feedings.

 

[jgonz]

Just one correction: The WHO is the World Health Organization.

Breastmilk or Formula should be the Primary source of nutrition for the ENTIRE first year. Homemade formulas are fine as well~ there are some great recipes on the internet. However to wean simply because a pediatrician said it was ok is not ok. He is sadly misinformed~ which, unfortunately, is common as very very very few doctors have Any lactation training (or nutrition training for that matter).

 

[Linnis]

I agree he should stay on breastmilk for the ENTIRE first year. If after that she wants him weaned she can slowly drop a feeding every week or so until he's weaned to give both him and body time to adjust.