The Nursing Baby - Q&A

If you have decided to wean, there are several strategies to try. First, I'd make sure that the cup/bottle is not a battleground. Since your child is completely refusing, I'd back off from weaning for a few weeks until your child forgets why he didn't want it in the first place.

In a few weeks, I'd offer a cup with a meal, preferably formula since you are weaning before a year, at the dinner table and see what interest there is. If your son ignores the cup, keep offering it. If he tries the cup and hates it, try a different cup with water the next day and see if it's the taste he's objecting to rather than the method. If your son is uninterested in cups (and most 8 month olds need help with them) you can go to bottles. However, I do not recommend bottles at this point because it means you will have to wean your son twice, once from the breast and once from the bottle. If your son is interested in his cup at the dinner table, it's time to move onto replacing nursing sessions.

Be sure to begin with the nursing session your baby is less interested in (perhaps a midday session) and during that time, be sure to provide the cup and lots of distracting play. Nursing sessions can be dropped one every few days depending on your baby's dependence and objections.

One suggestion that has helped mothers is to do something where you can't easily nurse when baby requests a nursing. For example, take your son for a stroller ride (with a cup of formula) for half an hour. The point is to break up the routine. Perhaps a short ride in the car would help as well.

If weaning is becoming a battle ground, I'd back off for a few weeks, and take it slow and easy. Remember there is no prize at the end for either of you, and you'll want to have good memories of your nursing experiences and not remember how difficult weaning was. Also, take heart, many 8 month olds aren't ready to wean, but at age 9-12 months, developmental steps tend to distract babies from their dependence on the breast.

Best wishes, and I highly recommend "The Nursing Mother's Guide to Weaning" by Kathleen Huggins for more strategies to wean at the pace you are both happy with.