Breast Milk to Regular Milk

Did you ever pump milk and give it to him in a bottle? My daughter was very similar. What my pediatrician suggested was to add a little bit of imitation vanilla (doesn't have the alcohol) to the milk and give it to her in a bottle and then gradually wean off the vanilla. That worked wonders for us she was off the boob and drinking whole milk in about a week. Breast milk is very much sweeter than whole milk and formula and he's accustomed to that. Plus he's used to sucking in order to get his milk. It could also be that maybe he isn't ready to wean even though you are. Does he have a favorite toy that comforts him? If so give that to him when he drinks from a bottle or simply hold him close while he's drinking from the bottle. Good luck.

I nursed all 3 of my boys until a year and then weaned them to a sippy cup. I put breast milk in their sippy cup and then gradually added warm milk until it was all milk and then eventually stopped warming it. At first they resisted, but when nothing else was offered they eventually caught on. My first was the hardest because I had never been able to get him to use a bottle, plus I was scared because he was my first, but he eventually got it. I nursed only 4 times a day at a year, breakfast, lunch, dinner & bedtime. I gradually dropped feedings for my own comfort, first lunch, then dinner, then breakfast and last bedtime. I think it's too hard and painful to go cold turkey! Sometimes I would even pump some off just for relief, but eventually dried up. Congrats on nursing for a year and Good Luck!

We had this problem with our second child. We found he would do Yo Baby drinkable yogurt. You should be able to find it most anywhere. I had to wean him to formula because he didn't swallow right and was severely malnutritioned. We started mixing two ounces formula (you could use milk) to one bottle of yogurt. We added two ounces of formula every few days until he actually started to prefer the formula alone. The down side is now he doesn't really care for yogurt, so I give him acidophilus instead. I think if you breast feed after the meal it's a little easier. My first son was a breeze since the chocolate milk and yogurt were like desert, but my second refused to eat until he had nursed. He was much more difficult. The other option is see if a family member would be interested in taking him for a few days while you dry up. They could offer him nothing but milk to drink. That has worked for friends of mine. I think you need at least 3 days and 2 nights from what they say. (If you do that, cabbage leaves in your bra really do work to relieve a lot of the pain!) Good luck.

If you are able to pump, try putting your brest milk into the sippy cup. (I know this is a long process) Then gradually add whole milk in with the breast milk until you have him completely switched over. Good luck!

I nursed my son until he was 17mths. He's nearly 18mths now and still asks for it every so often but he's off. He took to the sippy really well but it took a long time to wheen him because I allowed him to take him time, let me know when he wwas rady to get off the breast. He did however feel sepeartion anxiety and did want it more then ever when we first began. He loved loved loved warm goats milk in a sippy. It's a little expensive but it helped both of us so much. He is my first and I never planned on breastfeeding so I really can't offer a lot of advice. I can only tell you what worked for my son and hopefully it will help yours. I noticed the more goats milk he drank the less he nursed and even though he asked for it I would not nurse him unless he was going to sleep. I'd just give him the sippy of milk. Soon he would nap without nursing and now he sleeps at night without nursing or a sippy. The only bummer now is that I was eating the same amount as when I nursed and now I gained a lot of wieght! And my breast are smaller then they were before I got pregnant. Weird!Anyway, I hope that helps you. Good luck!

Maybe he's not quite ready to wean yet, but if you are ready I would only try the cup when he is really wakeful and happy during the more active times of the day.. Maybe start with breakfast or lunch. Offer it with his meal, not before the meal.

I weaned my little boy at thirteen months. I saved weaning him completely for when he was down to three feedings a day. It was h*** o* us both, because he wanted to nurse so bad and it really does affect you hormonally when you wean.. Good luck and hang in there!

Hi B.

When my daughter wouldn't drink milk (I was already pregnant with baby #2, so I stop breast feeding) the doctor told me to put chocolate (or strawberry) if that was the only way I could get her to drink it. I did and she drank fine after that. Just put 1 teaspoon in the cup for flavor. I am still buying the giant size of nestle Quick from Sam's club because my now 5 yr old is always asking for chocolate. Also, as far as calcium goes try yorgurt, add a little rice cereal for a meal or snack, cheese slices, or mozarella cheese sticks too. There are alot of juices now with added calcium, apple juice, sunny D, though don't give him too much juice of course.

Hi B.,

We finally used Nuby sippy cups and they worked great! The nipple is more like a bottle. I like the sports ones best, as they tend not to leak as much. You can get them at Wal Mart and some other places. Try them out and only use them for milk times (put juice and water in a regular sippy cup). My daughter is 2 and still drinks her milk from one of these cups. I hope it helps! Good luck, A.

Do you want to quit breastfeeding? Oh sorry I see you do. Actually my daughter bit me 2 times in a row and she was ready to quit. I don't think I was making much milk anymore but I don't know if you've tryed soy milk, they have a vanilla flavor at the health food store. I couldn't give her milk as she was allergic to it. My one son the Dr told me to try canned milk with water and karo syrup and he liked that. I honestly would avoid whole milk. They have discoverd the hormones in the whole milk make young girls develops their breast earlier and their periods start sooner. I'm not sure what is does to young men but I'm sure they would develope their parts earlier also. You might put into Google the LeLeche Team or Organization and I know they know alot about breastfeeding and perhaps there someone could help you with this problem. Let me know what happens if you want at ____@____.com Just click on this as it should be highlighted and it will take you there. http://en.allexperts.com/q/Breastfeeding-1764/stop-brest-... I went to this site as it said Do You want to stop breastfeeding? It says they are experts so I'd give that a try.

I didn't have that problem with breastmilk to regular milk, but I did with a formula bottle to regular milk in a sippy cup. In getting my son to take cold milk in a sippy cup, we just did it cold turkey (took away the bottles completely) and it was the only thing he was offered. He didn't drink much and was extra grouchy for the first week, but eventually he got the idea that his only option was the sippy cup with cold milk. It was a very long, hard week for all of us, but looking back on it, it was just one week.

When I weaned my daughter from breast to sippy cup, she didn't really have a problem. I just slowly cut down on breastfeedings by delaying them or skipping them by doing something else like read a story. I dropped a feeding every few days and instead offered a sippy cup with milk. Eventually we got down to one feeding a day and then I skipped one day, breastfed her once the next day and then the next day told her there was no more mommy's milk, just the sippy cup. She actually had a sad cry over it, but then just took the sippy cup and that was it. (I never had problems with engorgement and my milk dried up completely about 6-8 weeks later).

You could try warming the milk before putting it in the sippy cup or a friend of mine added a little chocolate milk with the white milk and then just slowly added less and less until her son just got regular white milk.

Good luck!

Just because the doctor said he was physically ready doesn’t mean he is emotionally ready. Indulge him in the breast feeding for a while longer, and then slowly re-introduce the sippy cup with juice and water. Let him see both you and your husband drinking out of cups while making a big deal out of it. He is still at the age where he will want to imitate you. He will let you know when he is ready to drink more from the cup and spend less time breastfeeding.

B. -
Just because your son is now 1 and can have cows milk doesn't mean you have to give him milk and stop nursing. I nursed my youngest daughter until she was 18 months old and she weaned herself. We offered the sippy at meal time and the breast other times during the day. When she was ready she went straight to the cup. With my oldest I lost my milk when she was six months and she went to formula. When she turned 1 we started mixing milk into her formula, in a cup little by little until it was straight milk. At first she could tell a difference but, eventually she would take it. My son would take the breast, a bottle with breast or cows milk or a sippy cup. At 14 months he just quit nursing and went to a bottle or cup, which ever was offered. At 19 years, he's still the most easy going of the three! Breast milk is still has the best nutrition value and is the least expensive! I f you enjoy it, stick with it and make changes slowly. It was easier on everybody in our household that way. Remember, take everybody's words of wisdom and then modify them into whatever is right for you, your husband and your son!

Blessings,
R. CD(DONA)
from heaven to earth