Question

My baby is rejecting milk in any form other than from me. She is almost 8 months and I want to stop breastfeeding. Is there anything I could include in her diet for a few weeks if I stop breastfeeding until she catches on that it is the bottle or nothing?

Answer

It is a difficult time when you try to stop breastfeeding, when your little one has become so used to drinking milk this way.

 

As your baby starts to eat more solids, she should naturally take less milk from you. To stop breastfeeding, it's important that you do not stop abruptly, as this will be distressing to your child. The best way is to gradually reduce the number of feeds. However, it's important to remember that milk is still an important source of nutrition so keep offering expressed milk in a bottle or cup.

 

You could also use milk in recipes such as rice pudding and porridge or use it to adjust the texture of savoury recipes to give a creamy taste. This will help to keep milk in the diet. However, it's still important to ensure your little one gets at least 500ml breastmilk, or if you have chosen to stop breastfeeding, follow-on formula, a day.

 

Offer lots of cuddles to your little one, as often breastfeeding is a source of comfort, so it's important to not lose that bonding time when you stop breastfeeding.

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