I was so fortunate to have been able to nurse both my son and daughter. I breastfed my son for about seven months and had intended to nurse my daughter until around age one. Unfortunately, I became very ill when she was six months old. I was put in the hospital for about a week and had no choice but to stop nursing. As you can imagine, this made weaning for her difficult.
However, if you are nursing and want to make the transition from mommy to bottle easier, there are a number of suggestions. Keep in mind that some mothers will nurse a child until two although six months to a year is typically considered “normal”. Usually, a pediatrician will recommend a baby be introduced to solid foods around six to eight months, which makes this a natural time for weaning. As the baby becomes accustomed to real food, coping with losing the nipple is not as dramatic.
Because eating solid food and drinking from a bottle or sippy cup is going to be new to your baby, you want to keep plenty of bibs on hand. We recommend you start introducing foods one at a time because babies can have allergies or reactions to certain foods. Something like jarred bananas, peas, or oatmeal usually are good first choices. Remember, at nighttime when your baby is ready to go to bed, he or she is naturally going to want to nurse.
Weaning your baby is not an overnight process. It usually takes weeks, if not months, depending on the baby. However, by introducing food, offering a bottle (although it probably will not be accepted at first), and using a pacifier for calming, you will soon have a baby that is independent of the breastfeeding. Just remember, while this is a change for the baby, you too will likely feel a bit of a let down. This type of emotion is normal but it will pass.