It Is Okay to Wean at 11 Months?

Updated on October 13, 2010
K.G. asks from Seattle, WA
18 answers

I am posting this because it seems like most people have questions about their babies NOT wanting to wean, I seem to have the opposite problem:
My DS just turned 11 months old on the 9th, and he seems to be weaning himself already. He Has been breastfed since the beginning, although I started giving him a sippy cup with about 4 oz of formula at bedtime (which he rarely finishes) since I didn't feel like I had much milk by the end of the day. In the last week, the only time he is interested in BF is right when he wakes up in the morning. I find that any other times I want to nurse him, I am chasing him down. He eats 3 solid meals a day made up of mostly what we eat, and drinks water and formula with no problem from his sippy cup. He is a solid eater, and always finishes anything I put on his tray. Is it okay for me to wean him completely at this age and just start giving him whole milk with his meals? It seems like he's ready developmentally, but is it okay nutritionally? Thanks for your help!

K. G

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J.B.

answers from Houston on

Sounds like he is ready! If he balks at the whole milk, just give him milk and formula mixed and gradually decrease the formula until he is taking just straight milk. Good job for breastfeeding for the first year:)

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J.C.

answers from Anchorage on

Yes. At one they are ready to go to cows milk, but it is ok to start the transition little early, and since he does take formula you can use that to fortify his milk for the first couple of months.

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C.C.

answers from Fresno on

Kids wean themselves earlier than we would like, sometimes. Both of my girls weaned themselves at 6 months. They just were not interested anymore! (My older daughter would scream and if I tried to encourage her to BF still, she would bite me really hard!) So, I listened to what they were trying to tell me, and weaned them. Instead of breastmilk, I gave them table foods and formula. They both did just fine!

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B.W.

answers from Seattle on

My daughter started weaning herself around 9 months and was done shortly after her first birthday. We had supplemented with a little formula since the first month anyway so we just kept on letting her nurse when she wanted to and drinking some formula (whole milk at 12 months) when she wanted to. She LOVED solids so really wanted to eat big kid food. Finally, it was obvious she just wasn't that interested anymore-she would latch on for like 30 seconds and then would get interested in something else and take off. A funny story though: My friend came over with her newborn when my daughter was about 15 months. My friend started nursing her baby, and my daughter jumped on her lap and tried to push the baby away so she could have some milk! It was so funny! I guess she was thirsty!

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L.S.

answers from Spokane on

Of course it's ok. But I'd probably stick with the formula till he actually turns 1 (I'm of the better-safe-than-sorry school of thought). Good for you for going this long and don't feel bad that he's ready to wean. It's easier when the baby initiates weaning - then they don't fight you over it! If you're both happy with it, you can even keep the morning breastfeed for as long as you both want (and can).

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V.B.

answers from Philadelphia on

I think if your baby is already starting to wean himself, it's a pretty good sign that it's safe to start weaning. And besides, you already said by the end of the day you start to run low on your supply, so it might be your body's way of saying you're ready too. If I were you, I would switch to formula until one year (only one more month!) and then ask his doctor if whole milk would be best for him.

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G.T.

answers from Modesto on

He sounds like a pretty healthy kid to me. Just enjoy whats left of the suckling cuz it sounds like he's ready to break the apron strings early. Looks like you are raising an independent baby man ;)

1 mom found this helpful

A.G.

answers from Houston on

perfect!, jump on it, they are ready when they are ready

i wish my 2 year old was ready, im tired of feeling like a cow, and spending so much on bras!

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M.R.

answers from Chicago on

If you are ready to wean or your baby is ready to wean...then it is okay to wean. Don't feel guilty.

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M.M.

answers from Los Angeles on

I did, it worked out fine. 12 months is the recommended time for development of their systems, but I felt my daughter was ready and we tried it slowly and it worked out fine. Since your son takes formula fine, why not just do every other cuppy for a awhile, see how he does? Or just continue on as you are a couple more weeks, it won't hurt to keep him on formula a bit longer. My little one wouldn't take formula, so we had to go straight to milk, but she did just fine.

L.M.

answers from Dover on

Yes. You should be fine since he is eating well.

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A.R.

answers from Los Angeles on

a childcan stop breast feedind when ever they feel like it do not worry just make shure he is gaining weight as he as he should A. no hills

Updated

a childcan stop breast feedind when ever they feel like it do not worry just make shure he is gaining weight as he as he should A. no hills

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A.H.

answers from San Diego on

If he's ready, then go ahead and wean him. He'll be fine. I would introduce milk slowly if he has never had it before. Start with a couple ounces and slowly increase from there.

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S.G.

answers from Los Angeles on

It's fine to wean him. Just give him pumped milk or formula from a sippy cup. My daughter went from bottle to cup in one day - on her own. My sister gave her a sippy cup and she loved it so much she refused a bottle from that point forward. She was only 9 months!
Good luck :)

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E.R.

answers from Chicago on

My son was weaned at about 12 months. He just sort of gradually gave up the breast on his own as well. He had also been given bottles ( I pumped) and made an easy transition from that to a sippy cup.

Every baby is a little different, every mama is a little different! You need to do what is best for you and your baby. As long as your doctor feels it is all right, do whatever you feel is best and don't let other people bring you down with their opinions :)

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K.K.

answers from San Diego on

Hello, I would say it is fine to wean him at this age. He is already telling you that he is ready. As far as giving him whole milk instead of formula, I would check with the doctor. My children are all grown and seemed to wean at 10 months or so. Back then, we put them on whole milk, but that may have changed by now.
Good luck with your precious little baby.
K. K.

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D.M.

answers from San Diego on

My kids are 11 and 15 now, but they both started weaning themselves around 6 and 7 months; for a few more months I gave them pumped milk. They are totally healthy and are rarely sick. 11 months is great!

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K.R.

answers from San Diego on

Yes. I was supplementing my BFing at 11months with a sippy cup of cow's milk b/c I wasn't producing enough.

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