One year.. ready to wean

We've made it to one year EBF and I'm ready to start weaning. The twins technically are one this Friday but I already started DD on cows milk last week.

I'd like to wean sooner than later as we've got an out of town trip without the twins in a couple weeks. I nurse approx 4x/day - first thing after they wake, after morning nap, after PM nap and just before bed. I work full time so I pump for the 2 mid day sessions during the week. I was planning to fully wean DD first, as she's taken to cows milk pretty good and DS is just getting over a stomach virus, is teething his 1st year molars and is having some sleep issues, plus he's a boob addict! I was planning to get the two mid day sessions to cows milk first so I don't have to pump anymore, then work on the first thing in the am and just before bed session.


How long did it take you to wean? Did you go too fast, or too slow? Should I target weaning from one nursing session a week, so it would take a month total to wean? Thanks!

 

Well, I had typed out a long post but then had to cut the power because my stupid stove set off the smoke detector. :headbang: The good news for you is that I can now condense my thoughts into a shorter post with less rambling.

I dropped about one feeding a week with my oldest. At one year, I dropped my work pumps and I think I did those a little bit faster than one a week. I based it on my comfort levels. I kept the nursing sessions when I was at home until I got pregnant with the twins and my OB recommended that I wean. That's when I did one feeding a week. I was in no rush and neither was Vivi. You could probably go a little bit faster if you want/need to and if your LOs are receptive.

 

I stopped breastfeeding at 7 months (which seems like so long ago...). I think I just gave them more and more bottles and eventually only nursed them when they woke up at night. Then I just started giving them a bottle for that feeding too. I think you could drop more than one session a week - maybe finish completely in two weeks. But my girls were pretty easy to wean. Even Adira, who absolutely loved nursing, didn't really put up much of a fuss, so I once I decided to stop completely, I only took a week or two to do that.

Congrats on your twins' first birthday! We just celebrated the first birthday here, and it was a lot of fun.

 

I let my twins self wean, but shortly after they turned 1 they pretty much day-weaned on their own. I stopped pumping at a year though. I would say if you keep them busy and give milk with meals, the day weaning shouldn't be too difficult. If you want to wean them completely, you can gradually cut down the time they nurse in the AM and at bedtime, but you may be able to go on your trip and still resume some nursing when you get home if you want. I work a job with many different shifts, some of which are 15 hours or 24 hours. All 3 of my kids have been good about nursing when I'm home and making up for it with more milk when I am not home. Either way, a gradual decrease will ensure you don't get mastitis. Have a great trip!