Help and Support Weaning Cold Turkey

All I can offer is support for whatever decision you come to - I didn't get to nurse. (a fellow 'fun auntie' who never could get pregnant, I am now the parent of an adopted 4 year old - since she was 5 1/2 months).

Be patient and kind, especially with yourself, and you'll get through this. Remember, you're also adjusting to going back to work and that is a huge change.

In your shoes I don't think I would entertain the thought of trying to restart any milk flow for such a short time either. And I'm not sure how to balance soothing, comfort time (with bottle is how I would do it. . .) when he will want to nurse, except that comfort is just what he needs.

Perhaps holding him and not offering the breast, but always offering him a bottle with lots of love will help you both. It might take multiple tries. You will not have to weep outside his door, and he will still be held and feel loved and will eventually figure out that the bottle is where the milk is going to come from. . . . .

by the way, since our daughter was never breast fed, she took a bottle up until almost turning 4. We agreed with her upon it being before brushing teeth and going down. My husband & I decided that it was the only vestige of 'babyhood' she exhibited, and a real source of comfort, and that it would not really hurt any of us. Now, she occasionally asks for one still, and occasionally, we acquiesce. But we did not take a bottle on vacation (it was almost a month) this summer and she was fine.

I wish you much grace

I feel your pain and wish you the best. I too lost my milk at 11 months and had to suddenly stop cold turkey (went back to work full time at 8 months) and had a very similar husband (we are now separated). Wish I had known about fenugreek, but that's neither here nor there. I was adamately opposed to crying it out, I couldn't bear having gone from taking away her best comfort to no comfort at all. I suffered through her 4 am by just letting her lay on me (rubbing her head and calmly shsing her) until she calmed down and eventually she would and would go to sleep. And I'd suffer through it again, I always felt there was much more down side to cry it out than not. Moms for some reason let their intuition go in this area because books tell you to cry it out, our intuition is telling us not to do it, or we wouldn't be standing outside the room crying, he wants comfort, he's a little tiny young human, he needs the comfort, don't feel bad about giving it to him even if you cant give him the breast. It takes a lot more time and energy and sleepless nights but you are there for your little one, and that is the most essential part of mothering that there is. Once she turned 12 months I would let her cry for 5 minutes but no more. Now at 26 months I'm really glad I did it that way as she has no problems going to bed and is very independent. Her ENT doctor told me he did the cry it out and it back fired, now his 26 month old son thinks he has to cry in order to go to sleep and has been crying at bed time for over a year and a half even if they are with him in his room, and they do the whole same bed time ritual I do. So I would say use the sippy cup to your advantage (just make sure to brush his teeth every morning and night), and cuddle cuddle cuddle. He'll soon forget about breast feeding, amazing as it sounds now. Good luck.

Weaning does not have to be traumatic for anyone, but it sounds as if you are going about it all wrong. Your breasts are not empty, and giving your son what he needs should not be seen as "breaking down". There is absolutely no reason to make him cry it out in a room alone. That is adding insult to injury. Don't discount his needs in this situation. You are making this about you and your husband, when it should be about your son. I have four kids, and it doesn't matter how sick or tired you are, you are a mommy now. The bottom line is, you don't want to nurse anymore. If fenugreek bothers you, stop taking it. How much milk you are producing is irrelevant. Nurse the poor little guy!

Oops! After reading your post again I see that you have always been a cry-it-out mom... so never mind. My advice would not apply to you.

Hi W., I read you plea for help and my heart just aches for you. You are obviously a very good and loving mother. KUDOS to you!! Don't try to restart nursing. Your son will be just fine and so will you. You need to make sure he is dry and fed then let him cry himself to sleep if necessary. After a few days (maybe a week) he will settle down and life will be good again. You need to keep your self sane through all this and healthy~~~otherwise you will be no good to him. I have 3 children (now teens) and I also worked outside the home and breast fed, so I completely understand your feelings. But you know what? My children are good, normal (is that even possible?) teens and those nights I let them cry themselves to sleep (and yes, I cried too!)doesn't seem to have had any effect on them what-so-ever. Good Luck and remember to not give in and put him on an empty breast otherwise you will have to start back at square one.

Lots and lots of snuggle time. If he suckles at an empty breast....well, then he knows that nothing's there and that he's not "missing" anything, but he's still getting that closeness and comfort.

I know this isn't what you want to hear, but cold-turkey may be just too hard on both of you. To me, even under the circumstances you describe, it might have made more sense to start with night-weaning and then take out the other sessions over the course of several weeks.

I quit cold turkey w/ my oldest too. u said not to mention enlisting ur husband. does that mean he isn't around to give any feedings? my husband ended up having to take the bedtome feeding because she could still smell the breastmilk & expected nothing but the breast from me. in fact, I couldn't even be in the same room.

well, in that case, my advice is to do whatever is easiest for all of u. I dried up with my 2nd. she would still want to nurse, but when the bottle started to be more satisfying than thr breast, she stopped looking for the breast. since u mentioned still not having enough stamina, why not just nurse him and have a bottle available for back up. he's probably still getting some milk now. that's why the nursing calms him-he's getting what he wants.

on another note, can u imagine how much worse his day care colds would be if he didn't have ur antibodies from the breastmilk? and since he's been exposed to this illness you're recovering from, give him all the milk u can so he has something to fight it with.

good luck. I hope it gets easier soon.

My goodness!!

I know how you feel. I had to go back to work when my son was a year old after many tough times due to his preemie birth and moving to a new home. I started to lose my milk when he was 6mos. Old and had to supplement with formula...

At about 10 mos. We started to wean from the bottle and that was awful. I turned to friends and family, and everyone told me what 'they did'. I finally called my ped and OBGYN for advice and both said if BFeeding is encouraged for the 1st year why wean him from formula now? He wasn't eating solids on a regular diet so the formula was needed until then...

We stuck with the bottle until just after he turned 1. When we did wean it was tough, crying and fussing. But, if you stick with it and be consistent you will get through it together. As a single Mom I understand not having the extra set of hands or encouraging words at 4am but, if you find support during the day in other people like your Mom or sisters you'll find a good balance and get through it.

I hope that helps. Good luck and just do what comes natural and follow those Mommy instincts.

I'm just beginning to wean my daughter (she's 9.5 months) onto formula - but I don't have to go cold turkey. I give her the bottle of formula right before bed to help her make it through the nite. and i'm swapping out the late am feed for a bottle now.

Your son "should" (i hate to use that word because all babies are different) be able to make it through the nite w/out that 4am feed. That's probably a habit that he's enjoyed at your expense! (who could blame him :D ) The baby whisperer recommends you go in and give the binky and pat their back. (others say go in pat them for a few minutes, leave for 10 minutes, go back in pat them, leave for 15 minutes, etc) It'll be a grueling few nites but my friend of twins said it worked for her after two nites.

Completely understand being starving and underweight - the same happened to me and I haven't even been sick. Until recently I had to eat Haagan Daz every nite on top of every high calorie food I could get my hands on just to keep from losing weight. I'm stopping nursing because it's time for both of us.

I want to clock your husband - when you need him most he's being a fair weather partner. I've discovered in talking to women that his behavior is not unusual.

I'm so sorry you have to go through this. I know it's really hard, especially with those hormones adding to an already difficult, emotional and stressful situation.

Best to you and yours

Oh my goodness woman! My heart goes out to you, that sounds extremely hard. My first thought might not be want you want to hear, but I feel you are fighting nature. Why did you want to wean at only 12 months? Would it be so hard to continue? It's very healthy to bf past that and as you probably know it becomes just a nighttime thing after they're eating food. I feel what is best for baby, is that THEY choose when they wean. I personally will be sad when my son doesn't want to nurse anymore. If it was ME I would call La Leche League (the number for my town is ###-###-#### (Rachel) you can call that one or any of them) and ask for advice on bringing your milk back. Your son obviously still wants it so why deny him? It's making you both miserable. I cannot take fenugreek either so you should try other things and there are many other things. Have you heard of "eating for your blood type"? If you aren't type O or A you should avoid fenugreek. The sleeping situation . . . I think if you were willing to try a different co-sleeping situation it might be SO easier in the long run, but I won't elaborate on that because you asked us not to. I think it must be very hard to have a "fair-weathered" partner. I hope he has some other positive traits that make him worth "partnering". You really need him to pull his weight (do HALF of the good AND bad parts) for the sake of you and your son. It really takes a "village" to raise a child.

I do have one tip for you if you are going to wean. When you are soothing your son and he wants boob, you can try to further send the message that he cannot suck on your boobs anymore by putting band-aids over your nipples. I have heard this works from a friend.

Get your fair weather partner to step up and get yourself to a nice hotel alone for three days. It will do you a world of good.

Hi W.,

Hang in there...it will get better. You may want to try just nursing him before putting him to bed. I understand that your milk supply is very low, but unless he's geting frustrated that he's not getting any milk, I think that it would help him to not have to go cold turkey. It will also help your sanity. It's a bonding experience...you can slowly move to just holding him in a nursing position without feeding and then just rocking him before bed. He'll catch on but he needs the comfort and reassurance from you.

Best of luck to you.

You have lots of issues going on, first stop breast feeding, second getting your sun to sleep through the night and third going back to work. Wow, it is no wonder you feel so frazeled! Luckly the truth is, things will get better!

First encouraging statement, I also had the goal of nursing my daughter for one year and sudenly she decided at 8 months that she was done, one week later I was able to get her back on to discover then I had a cloged up milk duct, whick casued unberable pain whenever she nursed, so I decided to stop. Just like your son, my daughter was already well adjusted to table food and nusrsing was only for an extra boost. I know that sad feeling, but please know that You have done great! This is only your hormones acting up and messing with you. You can still hold your baby and nurture him in many different ways (while eating, playing, readin a book for him,...).

Second for the night time, Could you sleep with him in his room for a while? Or try leaving a shirt with your sent in your child's bed with him for the night. How about a bed time routine with a warm bath, read a book with a low light and soft music. This is a long process that you just have to be willing to try the things that will work for your family. If your husband can't help how about another family member. You also need your rest!

Third, yes your child is going to be sick often in his first 2-3 years at a daycare center, but this is just part of life. He is not the first or the last child to have to go through it. And there are many positive things about having children in a group care.

Just keep trying things and remember that sometimes you need to stick with something for at least 3 weeks to see results. Just make sure it is something you are comfotable with trying!

Good Luck!

Hang in there, W.! Everyone who said this too shall pass is right...it just doesn't seem like it right now.

I did have one thought, although this may fall under the "enlist dad" category: could bed time become your husband's deal? If your son fusses, could your husband comfort him? Maybe you two could switch off? Just a thought...

As for daycare colds, I disagree with the lady who said kids in daycare shouldn't get sick and if they do it's because improper health measures are taken. As long as parents insist on sending sick kids to daycare, you'll get a sick kid, no matter how clean the facility is. I've taught school for fifteen years and I'm constantly amazed at the sick kids who walk through my classroom door. I have everything from pink eye, to strep, to pneumonia to racking coughs. This is high school, for goodness sakes, when both parents and kids should know better! The best thing you can do is to feed your son a healthy diet and give him plenty of sleep, which I'm sure you already do.

Hugs!

Your breast isn't 'empty' for several weeks even months after you stop. You may not feel as full and wouldn't be able to get much out if you pump, but it's there. Why wean now? I would pump and nurse frequently to increase your milk and let him self wean, it's MUCH healthier for him and he won't be getting sick at day care as often. Eat and drink alot to help your milk supply. We can't stop much cold turkey so why make a young child?

Stick to it W....my name is W.. Therefore we have a connection!! Ha ha.
No really, you will be fine. I had to chuckle though...I am a single mom of a teenage girl and a 3 yr old girl. I have no help and I like it that way sometimes because when I did, it was no help, rather an argumentative atmosphere of duties, and the pressure of how things are done. I dont envy you at all, but I have a suggestion.
Take a deep breath, and remember when you see children having a fit in a store and the mother is doing nothing? Remember when someone's kids are running uncontrolled like wild banchies and had no manners and no reguard for others?
Stick to your "no"'s. Dont give in, it begins here. It is not hurting him. He is mad because he wants somethng you said he cant have. He will try and try but you said no. If his crying gets his way he will cry again and again. Later it will be bigger fits. You are molding a good boy.
This wont last long. I did it with both. I didnt have the cryng though...I switched to the bottle back and forth and plucked a bottle in thier mouths when they couldnt have my boob!
I feel for you because when my babies cry I am a real softy. I have trouble with my heart too, emotionally, I feel sorry for them. But when you would really feel bad is when you have a situation later that developed from you giving in, and they are really hurting from it in a bigger way later.
We are mamas. We are the strongest, smartest, most loving almost magical people on the earth. We are the center of the universe because we do these things.

Hold your head up!

W.

W.,
Boy do you have your hands full. I have been in your place and it is so hard, but ya know you both will get through it and you both will be just fine.
Sounds like you have a pretty good head on your shoulders. With my son it took about 5 days to get him so he would go to bed without the crying and nursing. Every child is different. Just keep him on a strict routine and do everything the same every night. It is like you have to re teach him to go to bed a different way and how to put himself to sleep without mommies built it pacifiers.
Strict routine for any change is the key to all of my kids. They all fight it for awhile but in the end (and that isn't too far off ) they all take on the new routine or rules.
It is hard!! But you two can do it.
I did have my mom stay over for a few days with my daughter when i weened her. she took over the new routine for three days and that made it easier for her and me.
Take care!!
and Good Luck!!
B.

you are so lucky that your milk dried up like that. i went cold turkey with my youngest when he was about 14 months and i still had so much milk. i think that was the hardest thing! to help both of us through it, we just spent a lot of extra time together reading books, playing and watching his favorite shows. i of course did all of that before weining, but we just were closer at that time for some reason. it is hard though. he would ask for it and i would have to tell him no, it is all done now. he would cry and it made me so sad. but we would hug and read a book and he would forget about it. it took about a week before he stopped asking and about 3 weeks for my milk to totally dry up. just hang in there, it will get better!

Dear W.,
I mainly just want you to know that my heart goes out to you. Weaning was one of the most difficult things I've ever had to do. My son was 18 mos at the time, and it was hard on both of us. In fact, as a toddler he used to still try to talk me into it. When I told him that my breasts didn't have any more milk, he tried negotiating by saying, "okay, how about juice then?". That is still one of my funniest memories of his sayings.

Anyway, I really applaud you for having come this far with nursing. Having a baby is a full time job, and then you've got another job besides. Making it to ten months has taken quite a bit of dedication. I'm sorry you don't have more support. I guess being a mom calls us forward to be stronger than we've ever been, and somehow we just find a way to do what we need to do. I know this phase is hard. You'll get through it.
Sending you lots of love.
M.

Wow! i really respect you and totally understand your struggle. Please try to be strong. You are doing great and although this is tough, It will get better and Please continue to be the best mom. Your son will appreciate every oz of energy you spend loving him.

You are doing great W.! When i weaned my son it was hard for ME and a for HIM too so i can feel with you. You are doing all the right things. Just keep it up. I eventually gave my son a bottle with milk because the sippy was just not cutting his "comfort needs" I would hold the bottle up against my chest like as if he were nursing and he would be great.
I know how hard it can be especially at 4am!! Just be consistent. Tell him that he is a big boy and that mommy still loves him. You can tell him that your Boobs have owies and maybe have him kiss them better.
You are doing a good job. It IS hard in the beginning but IT DOES get better and like everything its rewarding!

on a side note, you mentioned day care and getting sick alot. My kids are in day care and have been since they were 6 weeks old. (my son is now 3 and my daughter 1). I give them pro-biotics and olive leaf extract! Olive leaf extract helps keep the immune system strong fighting against VIRAL infection. The pro-biotics also help keep the GOOD bacteria in the immune system strong. My kids do get sick but not as sick as other kids around them. Maybe a thought. You can get pro-biotics (yum-yum-dofilis, a chew able pro-biotic) at a sprouts, henrys, or mothers market. You can also get the olive leaf extract there too. its usually in a dropper. You can get capsils too. I have done that and opened them and put it in their food.

My best wishes to your weaning, stay strong and keep up the good work!
XO
A.

Hi W........

Your little one should not..specially so soon..be getting"colds" from child care. That is for sure a myth..purpetuated by Drs..lol.

If you child is getting sic from your child care facility..you need to make a change. Health measures are not being properly adhered to.

I am a child care provider..trainer..and educator. Children should NOT be getting sick from being in care. You might want to have a meeting with the director, or provider to discuss this.

I am also a link to Orange COunty child care association...and I would be happy to connect you to the area representative in your area for referrals. This service is free to the community. Let me know if I can be of help..
How you are both doing better.

V. Rossiter

Try to get some help from family if you can. Sounds like hubby is not supportive and quitting breastfeeding is an extremely emotion time for any woman. It affects you and your child so much! The more stressed and upset you get, your baby will follow your lead. Just offer him a bottle instead and hold him close. If he tries to nurse he will figure out there is nothing there and stop. When he stops give him the bottle. May sound simple enough, but it worked for my daughter and I. I got really stressed and lost most of my supply, but I had a little so I nursed for a tiny bit and gave her a bottle. She would bite me when it ran out though that was the only problem, but I gently pulled her off and gave her the bottle. I think I am rambling now, but I hope you can get some help. Maybe he needs to talk to some mommies to understand what you are going through. Try to be strong. I am so sorry.
(((((())))))) : )

can u just give him a bottle and hold him? i just weaned but i went to 27 months..i stopped at 15 months b/c my son was distracted and seemed to want to stop but then i saw i still had milk a month later and started up again..then i was sick last june..had to take antibiotics that he could not bf me while taking and had to wean cold turkey and when they've been bfing that long it's tough..but after a week of misery my son has prevailed..i always also had a low supply so i thought..but it came back. if you do want to build your supply i suggest looking up motilium aka DOM it will boost your milk supply way up.
i would give him bottles w/ fast flow nipples..maybe even spike it with some almond chocolate milk..just a shot..see if he likes that..make sure to brush his teeth though..
have some quiet time and let him drink the bottle in your arms.
Its fun now to sit and snuggle w/ my son and not have to bf ..he's really calmed down and we can snuggle w/out the drama
also talk to your son ..tell him boobies all done..no more milk..he might understand if you tell him that the boobies are all done.
i always worked on "all done" w/ my son..signing it and saying it after every meal or when something was finished..so he understood..might be early for your babe..
good luck*

Hi hon! Absolutely NO advice for you here, I've never been through that exact predicament. But your desperation speaks to me! Welcome to motherhood. You WILL get through this. Thanks for your heartfelt post. So many times have I felt the same way ("I've tried everything! now what? This is terrible!") The sleepless nights I recently had when my daughter's one-year molars came in, I was like "no one told me it would be like this!"
Hang in there gal. You're probably doing everything right. But doing the right thing by our kids often means heartache for us. Luckily, they remember nothing before the age of 2 or three... he'll get through it!
Hugs, S.

Sounds to me like you're doing all you can. As hard as it is, seems that your little guy is just going to have to learn to figure it out on his own and cope. Don't stand outside his door castigating yourself! Nothing good will come out of that. Don't be hard on yourself,this is the natural order of things. Ever watch a mare(female horse) wean her baby? We confuse when to stop breast feeding with our own baggage and guilt, just don't go there. Know that 10 months is more than enough, and move on to the next chapter.

Best of luck and hang in there!

My baby is 5.5 months old and I'm a working mom too and I couldn't help reading your request and all the advice. It's so nice to know that other mothers have gone through this and both the baby and mom survive! I don't know how I'll be able to take it when I have to wean my baby. He's a lot like yours, right now, he only cries for a few minutes before falling asleep.

I just want to say that I understand all the benefits of breast feeding and feel it's important but, at the same time, you're a working mom. You have to do what's best for you and, if you feel it's time to wean your child, then that's what you should do!

I wish you all the best.

G. T.

Hi W.,

Sounds like you are on a wild ride! I feel for you. I've seen moms succeed with quitting breast feeding immediately when they truly decide in the deepest part of their hearts that quitting is the best thing to do. When mom is on the fence, babe is on the fence. If you can really support this decision with all your heart, you may find both of you having an easier time of it. Loving confidence and steadfast clarity are great teachers for little ones.
This will pass. Warmly, K.

2 ideas:

(1) Put band-aids across your nipples and show them to your son. Tell him the "boobies are broken." When he checks at 4:00 a.m., let him see the band-aids and put his head on your bare chest as you give him the bottle.

(2) Just let him "nurse" on the empty breasts and don't feel guilty. He probably just wants the comfort anyway. He's getting his nutrition someplace else, so no worries.

I also really like this book: Pantley's "The No-Cry Sleep Solution." It worked really well for us.

Good luck hon.

My first comment is that you write beautifully -- even stressed!

My baby is 10 months also with a will of steel, I know without trying that it would be impossible to wean her now. I ache in my bones when she screams -- I really can't take it -- it's like a taser to my spinal column. Her dad is sleeping on a futon next to our bed so that we can effectively co-sleep, and I get so much more rest this way.

This is a great resource for increasing milk supply:
http://www.drjaygordon.com/development/bf/galact.asp

You are magic healing to your son, not just for immune boosters, but for a deep and profound sense of well-being and love that only you can provide. You both have big things to tackle during the day, the night should be a peaceful time for the two of you to come back together and breathe balance back into each other.

You can always get another man... but this is your one son. Do what is best for him. Let the big boy take care of himself.

Good luck.

I used a sippy cup or a bottle for those "wee hours of the morning" and it was HARD at first but after a few days she took the cup and bottle. It is just a matter of getting throught the first week or so, most kids will adjust. I am sorry to hear about your husband, mine was like that, But a after a few years I gave him the boot.....I was tired of taking care of two babies:) Good luck to you, the "cold turkey" method is hard on everyone. You will get through it, your son will get through it, it will be okay:) I gave my daughter Silk milk for kids at that age, it is sweet like breast milk. She did awesome with it and still drinks it at three and is a healthy girl!!

W., you sound exhausted! It sounds like you are ready to wean regardless of the flu. Forget the guilt, forget the "fair-weather father," and proceed with your plan. Any way to hire someone for 5-6 night to do the part of putting him to bed and the morning waking so you can rest a bit more? Now that is summer, you might be able to find a teen that can sleep (on your couch?)for some $30/night and help you solve your problem. Good luck w/everything, both your baby and you will survive this! A:)

The only way to get through is just to realize that he is going to cry for 3 or 4 days and then it will all be over with. There is no other way around it. I have gone through this 4 times with my babies. I offered them a sippy cup instead (not a bottle because then you will have to wean them from that too) and they soon figure out that is what they are getting now. It would be easier if your husband could understand that you really need his support for the next few nights as the baby knows thats not where the breast is and your husband could hold him through it. If not, When he wakes up give him a hug, offer him his cup, and put him back down. Good luck.

You poor thing. What a hard time you are having. This too shall pass. Jo Frost, otherwise known as Supernanny has used a technique in her show that seemed very effective. I don't know the name of it or even how to describe it, but I know she has a few books where she explains the techniques. You'll get through. God bless.

My daughter was much older when I did this, but it worked. I put lime juice on my nipple before attempting to nurse. She promptly looked up at me and said "ucky". Each time I tried to nurse after that, she just pointed to my breast and said "ucky". She was 20 mos at the time, not sure how it would work with a 10 mo old, but it's worth a try.

Good Luck,
J.

It will be OK. You have a done a great job nursing him for 10 months. I know it stinks right now but probably just a few more days (which will seem like a lifetime, I know) and your son will adjust. Does the bottle sooth him at all? You could let him handle your breasts while drinking his bottle? You have probably tried this but if not maybe there will be some comfort in it.

Sorry to hear that your husband is not more supportive--maybe you could enlist him every other night while this is going on. My husband and I took turns--his night, my night, in the event that someone woke up and needed to be seen to. This way no one was sleep-deprived and totally stressed out every night. Just a thought.

Good luck--stay the course. And remember--your son will have no memory of this trauma, so a little, or a lot of crying is only killing you, not him.

I know you say a pacifier is only a chew toy, but maybe try getting a binky with a different shaped nipple. Then you might want to try what I do with my daughter when she wants to nurse all night long while she is sleeping. I feed her,she falls asleep, I pull her off the breast and quickly put a binky back in her mouth and press her face back against me, bare chested. So she thinks she is still sucking on me, but she isn't. Once she falls into a deeper sleep, I move her away from me a bit, flip onto my back, and go to sleep. This has worked really well for me. You might want to try this for a bit, and then may transition him away from you. He may be needing a lot of extra comfort right now because he just got over a cold and spends all day away from you at day care now. Just a thought.

Hi W.!

We definitely struggled with getting our son to go through the night with no "ba-ba"s, and I feel your pain!

We started a calm down routine to help get William ready for bed each night and it really seemed to help. We give him a bath with Lavendar bubble bath and play classical music. Then we read two stories while we rock him and give him a sippy cup of milk (you can use formula since he's under a year). Then we put him down in his crib in his room with the fan going as white noise and classical music on a 15 minute timer. It took us 3 days to get him to sleep through the night with no bottles or anything, but now he sleeps 10 hours before he gets his diaper change and sippy cup at 7:00 am and then he sleeps for 1.5 more hours.

I know that it can be emotional and frustrating to let your son cry it out. But try to remember that each time you give in it reinforces the "crying to get my way behavior". Our doctor ensured us that the crying was not due to a need, but rather a want. Babies are used to crying for what they want and causes the child to feel entitled to receive what they want when they want.

So try to remember that the sooner you stick to your guns, the sooner this phase will be over.

You can do this :)

Sorry if you already have responses - this is my first. Hi W.,
Will he take sippy cup or bottle instead at nighttime? Is he hungry or just upset about not nursing. Maybe you could rock him with bottle? At 4am or whenever early am - with all of mine I used sippy when weaning. Of course I also used apple juice, but many friends used water instead - it has to be whatever they are use to to work...once they were weaned from nursing then I weaned from apple juice to water at night...At first they will say no to sippy, but it did help. There will be crying about it regardless - my daughter weaned herself at 10 months - but that was only easy one. Boys - 14 months crying and 18 months crying. We did cosleep - they still cried so that wouldn't help - only be something else to wean from later. Now if he is already use to cosleeping then its another issue...Its good that he will take formula - my second two would not and still will not drink regular milk too well...

Best wishes - next week will be easier. I hope you feel better too.
G.