My beautiful big DS is now 6 months and a maniac when it comes to eating. He loves his food. He's now eating TWO small jars of baby food at dinner time. I've been gradually giving him bottles of formula during the day. I usually nurse him in the mornings before leaving to take DD to schoool. Then, I nurse him if he wakes up during the night and early morning. Which, he has been waking a lot! I'm not sure if I go cold turkey how that would work and how I would feel and how he would do. Eeek! He literally grabs at my shirt! He clamps down and bites me. I'm just done with it.

Any advice for this one??

By Dana on Thursday, June 1, 2006 - 02:38 pm:

Not sure I have advice, but follow your motherly instincts and also do as needed for the baby. 6 months is still pretty young for weaning completely, esp if you were aiming for the 12 month mark. All that eating he is doing should help in filling him up but there is no substitute for mom. Sounds like the dropping in the numbers of feedings is helping you. As for the biting, they seem to catch on pretty quickly when mom screams and jumps a few times. It scares them out of it, I think. My DS bit me more than a couple, but few enough that I can't recall when he stopped. But he did get very scared when I jumped. I would just go w/ what you can mentally accept for yourself. No matter what you decide, you will still be giving him all the important things. Many many babies are totally formula and do fine in life. Don't forget you will have full breasts if you stop cold turkey. I found that following my DS's lead we gently ended his feeding routine and I never noticed any pain. I tad discomfort on the morning and evening feedings as he started to slow down, but no pain. AFter he stopped, about a week later I offered the breast to him. He looked at it intently and then let out a huge belly roar! He just laughed and laughed at me like I was nuts for even offering! So funny...and a bit of a let down as well LOL.

By Enchens on Thursday, June 1, 2006 - 03:54 pm:

I wouldn't go cold turkey. My ds is a biter, too, so I'm in pain quite a bit. I firmly tell him we don't bite mommy, and get him away from the breast. He caught on...after a week! I think he's a slow learner. I'm down to once or twice a day, now. Also, any time I feel him about to bite, I take him off, gently.

Even with weaning him, I feel some soreness in my breasts. Like I have miniplugs in my ducts. I just massage them out.

Just an aside, I can't believe Mason is 6 months already!

Good luck.

By Hlgmom on Thursday, June 1, 2006 - 08:22 pm:

I would not go cold turkey so early...only 6 mos old.
Maybe just shoot for cutting out one of the nursings. He still needs that mommy milk!
With the biting- just tell him no and remove him from the breast- they seem to figure it out pretty quickly!
My dd just weaned herself about a month ago (shes 2 1/2) it was so bittersweet- I was definetely not ready! LOL-

By Trina~moderator on Friday, June 2, 2006 - 11:33 am:

{{{HUGS}}} He's teething so yes, he's going to bite. OUCH! BTDT with both kids. I immediately put them down and ended the nursing session. It took a few times but they eventually got the message.

I stopped BF DS at about the same age because he was a big boy and loved to eat. (20 lbs. by 6 mos.) He wanted to nurse every two hours and even after nursing he was still hungry. All this despite the fact I gave him 5 TBSP of infant cereal with one or two jars of baby food for breakfast, lunch and dinner! I was exhausted, and obviously my milk just wasn't enough. I gradually switched him over to formula and he did much better. I felt awful because I wanted to nurse for a year, but it just didn't work out that way.

Totally different story with DD. LOL! She never took a bottle, no matter what we tried, and didn't wean from BF until 16 mos..

I wouldn't recommend weaning cold turkey for two reasons. Some babies don't care, but I get the feeling Mason will. LOL! Also, you'll get engorged and that HURTS!