- my iParenting
- quick clicks
- babies today articles
- babies today q&a
- toddlers today articles
- toddlers today q&a
- breastfeed.com articles
- breastfeed.com q&a
- community & groups
- research baby names
- prepare a birth plan
- content channels
- ip channel rss feeds
- read birth stories
- read parenting stories
- recommended books
- e-newsletters
- safety recalls
- ip diaries
- ip store
- mom of the month
- dad of the month
- editor's letter
- letters to the editor
From Our Sponsors
- e-newsletters
- Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters
- award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Expert Q&A
 |  |  |
| By Ann Calandro BSN, RNC, IBCLC Lactation Consultant | ||
 |
My wife will have radioactive iodine treatment in the next two weeks. Therefore, she needs to start weaning our 5-month-old as soon as possible. Do you have any tips on how to go about doing this?
I would encourage you first to find out more information about the radioactive iodine treatment to be sure that weaning is absolutely necessary. If you find out which radioactive treatment your wife is going to receive, you can search this Web site to find out more. For some treatments, breastfeeding can be resumed after a period of pumping and discarding milk.
If it is determined that weaning is absolutely necessary, there are a few different ways to wean that she could consider. A good friend of mine that had to wean for chemotherapy just totally breastfed up until she had her first treatment. For her, this approach was right. She didn't want to miss one minute of her breastfeeding experience or for her child to miss one drop of her breast milk. After her therapy began, she did have to pump and discard her milk for comfort.
Other moms like to begin formula right away and make sure that their babies get used to a different food gradually. She could call her local La Leche League Leader or IBCLC to get additional help with weaning on a more personal level."
Related Expert Q&A
- Should I wean my baby?
- Does milk leakage after weaning mean anything?
- My wife needs to wean our 5-month-old as soon as possible. Do you have any tips?
- My 19-month-old daughter's pediatrician advised that I stay with a friend during the weaning period. This is my second day away from my family, and my breasts hurt incredibly -- very engorged and painful. Any help for me?
- My daughter just turned a year old. I need to go back to work but I can't get her to stop nursing. She refuses to take a bottle. She has started baby food but she still wants to nurse afterwards. I have tried everything I can think of -- please help.
More Answers by this Expert
- My breasts are so large now, I am worried I will smother my baby if I try to breastfeed. Also, will my breasts return to their former size?
- Is it necessary to give multi-vitamin supplements to a breastfed baby? Doesn't Mother's milk provide all the nutrients a baby needs?
- Are there any laws in effect that hinder women from breastfeeding in public?
- What are an employer's legal responsibilities and duties for breastfeeding and/or pumping at work?
- I am pregnant, and my nipples are like a faucet, particularly when I'm sleeping. Is this normal?