Thinking about weaning

So my bub is nearly 11 months old and is fully BF. I want to feed her until atleast 12 month mark and try wean her onto a cup with cos milk
She is having 4 BFs a day. Is that too many? Maybe I could drop 1?

My husband is like "you will have to look at weaning soon" which kinda upset me as I feel it's my choice. I don't know if it's a hint a me going back to work but who knows.

I think my biggest worry is if/when she gets really upset i won't be able to comfort her if I'm not feeding.. Some nights she gets so worked up the only solution is a breastfeed. So that constantly plays in the back of my mind with weaning. I really don't want to wean onto a bottle as I will then have to wean her off that.
She doesn't use a dummy either.

I know someone who's baby seemed more settled once she weaned. If that makes sense.
HAs anyone got any advice/tips on this issue?
Most posts I have read are about weaning bottled babies onto cows milk not breastfeed

Congrats on getting to 11 months! That's a huge achievement!

Four times a day is very normal for most 12 months old. At that age, I was feeding my toddler in the morning, before each of her two naps and at night at a minimum, and then overnight. Then there was all those extra feeds for comfort and to feel better after a fall. At 3 years old, she will still ask for a feed 'to feel better' but I can defer her now as she has a much better level of understanding.

Like you the only solution was a feed to calm her after an injury or something upsetting. But at 1, they really don't comprehend you replacing that comfort for something else immediately. You could begin by trying to cuddle her first before offering a comfort feed in the day by saying 'cuddles will make you feel better' and offer cuddles for a brief period of time and if that doesn't really settle her, then offer her a feed. Just doing that every time before a comfort feed will start a new association with comfort - cuddles and kisses and self regulation versus milk.

I simply tried to reduce a feed in the day first - pick a feed you know she won't need (like the one before dinner or another main meal). I didn't even attempt to wean overnight until she was 2 years old.

But it is your choice if you decide to lead in the weaning, not your husbands. Maybe refer him to the WHO recommendations of breastfeeding up to 2 years of age if he needs some sort of 'proof' of it's benefits.

All the best smile

Thanks for all your advice

I'm sure I will be fine
I want to wean after she is 12 months but I think I just don't like to be told what to do
I only comfort feed her of a night if I get stuck and can't get her to settle. She is fine in the day

She woke at 3 last night and I tried for 45 minutes before i fed her to get her back to sleep. I dont feed her to sleep she is awake when i put her down though

I have a couple of friends who have recently weaned so i will have to ask them

What your doing over night is what most mums are doing, especially at 3am!

Hopefully your friends have helpful advice too!

Maybe all that means is that will be the hardest to wean

My girl is 10months and I always feed her to sleep if she wakes overnight. Like you she doesn't have a bottle or dummy. I would much rather take the 10mins to feed her to sleep than be up for hours trying to get her to settle. I think as you said my night weaning will be the hardest. Although for the last week she has slept through most nights so fingers crossed that keeps happening lol smile She also had 4 or 5 BF a day and then overnight if needed.

I'm going to start to slowly wean at around 12mths. I will start to introduce cows milk into her diet in her cereal at 11ish months and then at 12mths try to get her to drink it from a sippy cup. I'm not too worried if she doesn't drink it as she gets plenty of calcium from other dairy. smile

I hope I can do that.wean onto a cup. A few friends of mine wean at 12 months on to a bottle and I don't want to do that if I can help it

Yeah it seems a bit silly to me to wean her onto a bottle, when she hasn't taken one for this long. She drinks her water from a sippy cup, might try to express into it and see if she drinks it. Good luck for when the time comes. I think the important part is just do it slowly. smile