Weaning

[dancerjodi]

After much thought, and seeing the pedi and lactation consultant today, I'm going to work on weaning Mina and moving to just formula.

Advice? I'm guessing I should just feed/pump less, and gradually decrease that until the milk stops? I have too much to just stop outright.

I'm sad, but I'm feeling confident that this is the best for all of us.

Posted via LiveJournal app for iPhone.

Comments

[tk7602.livejournal.com]

Not to completely speak for Jodi... they didn't really say anything to tell her to wean. In fact, they told her that everything was going just about right. The problem is that "just about right" leaves baby and mom unhappy more often than not.

In short, Mina doesn't eat fast enough from the breast to be satisfied in a reasonable amount of time. She needs to eat for 30 - 40 minutes to not be cranky. Assuming she eats for 30 minutes every 2 hours, that leaves very little time for her to nap, or for Jodi to do anything.

Because Mina eats slowly, she usually isn't fully satisfied. When she's not fully satisfied she doesn't nap, which leaves her sleepy. When she's really tired, she eats even slower, and the loop continues.

It hit us recently that she only sleeps 6-7 hours a day, vs. the 15 or so she should be.

Give her a fast flow bottle and she eats 4oz in 10 minutes, smiles, then naps for a couple of hours. Better for her and mom.

[nepenthedreams]

YIKES! I haven't heard of a situation like this before. It doesn't really sound "just about right" if the baby is sleeping less than you are. I read tons of breastfeeding advice sites back in the day when I was trying to get it right and I never heard of anything like this.

[nepenthedreams]

I was assuming that it was the thing I have heard from many people - that the pediatrician says "Your baby isn't growing fast enough".

Anyway, I did try very hard and hope that it came across not as critical but as supportive. I just wasn't clear on what kind of support was wanted so I did both sides.

[dancer.livejournal.com]

She was slow to grow but is caught up now. My supply is adequate for her too. It's just an active process to get her to eat. Watch to make sure she's swallowing the whole time. Poke, burp, take off her clothes to get her cold or change her in the middle, just to keep her awake-ish. We're both miserable as a result and not sleeping much. It's definitely a baby personality thing: the books I've read and the pedi, my midwife and lactation consultants I've seen all say it's normal - some people are all business and others slow and savoring. She likes to hang out on me and use me for a pacifier too - chewing on me and not eating. It's intermittent with swallowing, hence the whole process of working on it. She does the same with a low-flow bottle.

I spoke with both the pedi and lactation consultant yesterday. They told me that I'm doing great, and to keep doing what I'm doing, where I was hoping for some advice on how to make it better. There isn't - apparently I'm doing a great job for this kind of personality baby. She's growing and I have adequate milk supply for a feeding (per weighing her before and after feeding at a support group).

I'm tired and can't fathom lumping work and pumping and the next growth spurt hourly feedings onto this. Or travel. Basically anything that would make it difficult for me to stop each half hour or hour and a half to sit and feed for 30-40 minutes (with no hands free, and needing to move her around and disrupt her so much).

I'm still bfed her now, just decreasing the frequency. I love the connection she and I have, which is why I'm sad, but I've seen how much happier and well rested we both are relying on bottles. I'll pump when I can, but I know I won't be able to do that frequently enough to keep up with her demand, so eventually we'll be 100% formula.

[dionysia.livejournal.com]

I think she and Leo are sharing Jedi mind tricks or something... he was the same way with the lazy feeding. It was not a pleasant experience for me.

I ended up middle of the road, a combination of nursing, pumping, and formula for the first 6 months. Nursing I did 1-2 times a day, pumping as much as I could, and formula to make up the difference.

*hugs* Whatever you decide will be the right thing to do, Jodi.