whens the right time to start weaning?

[Rosa20]

Ok so this is a breastfeeding question!! When is the best time to start weaning! I men i love breastfeeding but i want to go back to school and just recently wrote my ged ( over the weekend) and i wanna be going over to school and doing the next course for pca!  I just feel like if i wean hime now ill regret it or that he will miss it too much..i tired to give him formula this weekend and he wouldnt take it!! What do i do....will he wean himself off or should i start now?? ! Does him not taking the formula mean i shouldnt wean him yet!! So confused..this is the longest i have breasfed!! Please a little help...also i feel like i wanna get the baby weight off and it feels like im not going to get it off unless i stop breastfeeding and take a diet pill or something!! I love breastfeeding and dont want to stop..someone please help me out here!! lol

[spade22]

Weaning is a very personal (and hard) decision and ultimately, you need to what is right in your situation.  There are many benefits of breastfeeding (bonding, gives baby antibodies when their immune system is weak, burns calories etc. etc. etc) but sometimes it is not possible to BF or continue with it.

What I can say is do not let the fact you want to go back to school sway your decision.  I have worked full time since 2 months and Jazmine was feed breast milk exclusively up until 6 months.  I pumped while at work and nursed when at home and during the weekends.  Jazmine is almost 9 months old and still has not been given formula - she is still on breast milk which we supplement w/ solid foods.

Feel free to PM me if you would like more details on the mechanics of doing this.

Take care.

[Mumita]

Doctors recommend from 6 months to a year of exclussively breastfeeding.  I don't know its up to you.  But I think that breastfeeding and exersise gives you the best chances of loosing the post baby weight.

[GRose]

It's tough, I would just do the best you can. My son never weaned, I just eventually stopped producing enough for him around 10 months and then completely cut him off at 12 months. That's crazy that you still cant kick the craving, I quit almost 3 years ago, when I am really stressed I think about smoking but if I were to actually pick one up and take a puff I would probably puke lol.
If breastfeeding is keeping you from smoking than I would keep on doing it.

[Rosa20]

yea im doing that just finding it really hard to stay as they say on the wagon!! lol hes three months old!! i wanna keep breastfeeding i really do nad then theres the nicotine thing where i havent had a smoke in a couple years but i cant seem to kick the cravning!! Any ideas?

[GRose]

How old is he? I wouldn't do it until you are ready, you don't want to regret it. You can always pump when you go to school.
With the weight loss thing, I lost 35 pounds while breastfeeding doing the weight watchers points system. I didn't go to the meeting or anything, I just bought the books to let me know the point value of foods. If you are exclusively breast feeding you get like 10 extra points, it is pretty easy and actually works.