bassa
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Post by bassa on Sept 21, 2017 12:57:23 GMT -6
I know many of us have toddlers (or older kids). If you used to breastfeed, how did you go about weaning?
I was always hoping that DD would just naturally lose interest and it would be a gradual, easy, "she stops asking" kind of thing. Buuuut, here we are at 25 months and she still asks to nurse every night before bed, and before naps too. I feel quite done with it and would like to stop, but am trying to figure out the best way to do so. Just say hey, guess what, you're a big girl now and we don't nurse anymore and then sit there through the ensuing sobbing and teary-eyed pleading?
Would love to hear any anecdotes!
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Post by flippinchica on Sept 21, 2017 13:34:13 GMT -6
So DS weaned completely about 2 months ago. The first thing I did was move nursing to the beginning of the bedtime routine. So now boob, bath, teeth book song bed. When he started daycare at 9 months he stopped nursing at naps by necessity but I did often nurse at naptjme on the weeekends until maybe 18 months. That did involve a good bit of crying. I pretty much just tried to do a quick wind down and put him in the crib for nap. Once I was KU he definitely had less interest so I stated offering milk on a cup or a snack when he asked for boob. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't. At that point he was nursing am, after daycare and pm so I dropped the after daycare session first especially because it was so close to dinner. I just told him it was time for food not boob. Then night and then am session last. I have heard it is best to drop the one they are least attached to first and try to distract with food or toys. It helped to wear clothes which were not nursing friendly so they weren't accessible.
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hedwig
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Post by hedwig on Sept 21, 2017 21:12:39 GMT -6
I weaned DS at 2. He was asking constantly. Like basically any time that I was sitting down. If I refused, he lost his mind. I was really nervous/sad about weaning and at first my heart wasn't in it. I'd always end up giving in half way through his crying. Eventually, MH said is enough is enough. I needed that push. The day after Memorial Day, we had one last nursing session and from there on out I refused and never gave in. I also talked to DS about what being a big boy means. I pointed out fun things that big boys get to do vs. what babies don't get to do, and stressed that big boys don't nurse. The first couple of refusals were difficult, but almost the next day he understood that mommy meant business. It took a couple of days for him to stop asking every five seconds, a couple of weeks for him to stop asking completely. It did take about a month to be able to change in front of him without him whining. Now he just points out that mommy has 'nu nus' (what he called nursing) because I'm a girl. I did try to slowly wean him st first and that did no work for us because in his head he didn't understand why he could nurse sometimes but not others. Cold turkey would be my recommendation. Good luck!!!
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Post by sunfrogger on Sept 22, 2017 4:56:52 GMT -6
I'll be back. We just weaned about a month ago. It was hard. We were 21months.
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ajetter
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Post by ajetter on Sept 22, 2017 5:12:12 GMT -6
We weaned at 15 months so definitely different but for the most part I'd offer a cup of milk in place of the boob. She seemed to lose interest when I got KU though.
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Post by sunfrogger on Sept 22, 2017 5:45:45 GMT -6
OK so the best advice I got was to tell LO they are a big girl /boy and they drank it all. We did a gradual wean but that was more for me. The hardest to cut was our wake up session but we adjusted our routine around it and I would get up right away and shower instead of snuggle.
Honestly that's up to you cold turkey / gradual. It's you and your relationship. It sucks though and it's really emotional. Being KU definitely helped because my supply was low and at night she was already asking for water after she nursed bc she was still thirsty. We introduced lullabys as a new part of the routine where we snuggle and listen to music. Hugs.
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bassa
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Post by bassa on Sept 22, 2017 13:17:50 GMT -6
Thanks for the responses! It helps to remember lots of people go through this and make it out the other side.
At least we're past the phase where around 20 months she would tell me many times throughout the day, "I like to nurse, mommy. Mommy? I like nurse." Just as part of her casual conversation. Just to remind me. 🙄
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Post by benandjerrys on Sept 22, 2017 13:31:21 GMT -6
We weaned in July when DD was 25 mos and I was like 3 or so mos pregnant I'm thinking. We had been dropping feeds since about 18 mos and we were down to just one a day. To drop all the others I would just say, "oh you want to nurse? We will nurse at __ time." So I tried to always say "yes, later", not "no". With the last session I would have been happy to continue but she seemed kind of done and would only nurse for a minute or so every other day. I found that annoying and decided to stop offering. She asked once or twice and I just said, "we used to nurse, I loved that. It was nice to snuggle. Want to snuggle now?". She stopped asking after a few days.
I think if you want to not tandem nurse you need to drop asap. What I've heard is that when the colostrom comes in there will be a renewed interest, lol. I'm not sure when that happens so check on the BF board maybe?
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Post by Queen Mamadala on Sept 25, 2017 15:26:28 GMT -6
My dd3 weaned two months ago at 32 months. I was convinced it would be a huge ordeal because she was so boob obsessed. I was at that "I'm done" phase, and explain that nuh-nuh milk was all gone. She took it fine, to my surprise, but she's still ALL about putting her hand down my shirt, squeezing it (only nursed from my left side) and laying on it. The other day she joking asked me if she could have some, which I told her it was all gone, and she giggled and said "Get a new nuh-nuh." Lol.
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Post by helloerrbody on Sept 25, 2017 15:30:11 GMT -6
I have no advice because my 17 month old still nurses in the morning when he wakes, before nap, and before bed. Although I don't think he gets a single drop of milk anymore. I will have to wean him as my pregnancy nears its end (or sooner) because I have chronic low supply due to IGT and I can't let DS get any of the milk I produce for baby.
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Post by sunfrogger on Sept 26, 2017 7:03:45 GMT -6
My DD is back to asking for milkies and grabbing my boobs. Soooo.
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pippiann
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Post by pippiann on Sept 26, 2017 9:02:48 GMT -6
Brava to all you ladies still nursing out there! I weaned DS at 13 months for my own selfish reasons!
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bassa
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Post by bassa on Oct 3, 2017 13:53:38 GMT -6
So I decided to just cut out the nap time nursing, and she responded by simply not napping for a week. Then I guess she hit her breaking point because yesterday after playing in her room for an hour (I still made her have quiet play time in her room each day so that I could nap) she fell asleep on a big stuffed animal. And then today after playing for only 15 minutes, she fell asleep on her floor. Sooo....I guess this is progress? She won't let me put her in her bed for a nap. Stubborn little girl. Next step, cut out the bedtime nursing! I'm going to wait another week before working on that, but hope for November to be a hard cut off point. I get really annoyed while nursing now. It doesn't seem healthy.
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