By Kate Kelly
How to make the transition from breast to bottle (or cup).
Letting Go
Many moms find nursing to be one of the most satisfying experiences of their
life, so when it's time to wean they feel a true sense of loss. Others can't
wait to reclaim their body and put away the nursing bras. For most, though, the
prospect is bittersweet -- it will be a relief not to be so physically tied to
baby, but you'll miss the intimacy. How will your child feel about the change in
routine? Of course, every baby is different. And there are lots of factors that
come into play -- from how long he's been nursing to whether he's used to the
bottle to how old he is. Weaning a child from the bottle can be hard, too --
toddlers can get very attached, and parents may see it as a last vestige of
babyhood. But no matter what your situation, your child will adapt -- it will
just take some time and patience on your part.
Setting a Schedule
If you have a date in mind by which you want to wean -- say you're due back at
work when baby is 4 months old -- begin the process about a month beforehand,
suggests Anne Garrett, an international board-certified lactation consultant in
San Francisco.
A gradual approach will make it easier for both of you. Replace the feeding your
baby is least interested in with a bottle. If your baby's never had a bottle,
nurse her on one side, give her an ounce or two of formula or breast milk in the
bottle, and then let her finish nursing on the other side. If she's already used
to the bottle, you don't need to nurse during this feeding.
The next week, choose a feeding at the opposite end of the day to replace with a
bottle, so that you're not doing two bottlefeedings in a row. By now, baby
should be comfortable with the bottle, so make the feeding strictly about the
bottle. The third week, bottlefeed in the middle of the day so you're still
nursing in the morning and at night. If you want to keep nursing at these times,
your milk supply will adjust.
If not, continue to replace nursing with bottlefeeding. If you need to wean more
quickly, you can skip a feeding every three days instead of waiting for a week,
but you run the risk of engorgement.