Please help, I am the mom of a good boy and he feels punished.

I have been over BFing for awhile now, but just doing it as a chore.

The allergies for the first year, my over supply, nursing pads for 14 months, twice with infections, so many bouts of engorgement...I want to throw in the towel. He will be 18 months this week.

He is soooooo affectionate. He is such a good boy, great listener, he is my little best friend-who loves nursing.

This morning I woke up over it. Period, hot, hungry...the last thing I wanted to do was sit and nurse him.

I have tried cutting out feedings...but in my heart of hearts, I know it just has to disappear for him to wean. He will ask for it all day long.

So, I nursed this morning, I am over it.

Just skipped the after lunch feeding and he feel asleep with his little hand on my shoulder as I just rubbed his back.

I don't want him to think its because of anything he did.

please help!

We want to get pregnant again in the fall, I was sick the whole time pregnant with josh, then went into nursing. I just need to feel 100% me again before starting the cycle all over again.

I am going to take him out once he wakes up and stay out with him. IF we are home he will ask for it, if we are out, he never thinks of it.

Re: Please help, I am the mom of a good boy and he feels punished.

I have no advice since I stopped at 6 months and Lily didn't care. I'm sure it's so hard now that Josh is so aware. I would go out as much as you can and I bet he'll be over it in a few days. I hope so for your sake.

Re: Please help, I am the mom of a good boy and he feels punished.

I have no advice, just support You're doing what's best for both of you in the long run, I'm sure he'll adjust soon, sounds like you're going to be supportive and try to make him feel as though he's not being punished. Good luck

Re: Please help, I am the mom of a good boy and he feels punished.

awwwww I'm sure it'll be harder on you than it will be on him
I am totally sure there's a big big reason we dont' remember anything prior to age 5, not that's comforting, but just a litle humor

But please do what's best for you, 18 months of breastmilk is such a gift and you've done so well and such a great job.
Do what you think is best and please dont' feel guilty about doing it.

Whether you bf'd for 4 months or 2 years, the feelings of guilt that come with weaning always appear.

Great job sticking with it for so long, i admire you so much for that

Re: Please help, I am the mom of a good boy and he feels punished.

No advice, just some

Re: Please help, I am the mom of a good boy and he feels punished.

I didnt BF, and I commend (sp?) you on doing it and how long you have.....and just wanted to say that Im sure this will get easier and offer you some

Message edited 6/12/2008 1:58:18 PM.

Re: Please help, I am the mom of a good boy and he feels punished.

Awwww..... I can't imagine what you are going through. Thankfully, I was able to wean DD with little to no fanfare.

Just the fact that he "forgets" to nurse is a great sign I would think. Good luck and I hope you have the strength to hold him off for as long as possible today. Perhaps just try to wean him down to just 2 feedings a day (morning and night) by keeping him super busy during the day.

Janice- you have done an AMAZING job by BFing for this long. You are a better mommy because you recognize that this is no longer a healthy option like it was before (if mommy isn't emotionally happy, then neither will baby).

Re: Please help, I am the mom of a good boy and he feels punished.

Posted by Smileyd17

I didnt BF, and I commend (sp?) you on doing it and how long you have.....and just wanted to say that Im sure this will get easier and offer you some

Re: Please help, I am the mom of a good boy and he feels punished.

Oh Janice. I am right there with you. Sabrina is 16 months and I am so ready to wean but I know she loves it so much. Recently she has started this thing at bedtime where she crawls all over the bed and dive bombs my boobs with a smile. Then crawls away with milk dripping down her chin and then comes back.

I don't have any answers for you. I just have support and compassion as I am following behind you by a few months.

If I find anything that seems to work, I will let you know.

In the meantime, try a perfume he doesn't like. Or garlic

I think the hardest part of weaning is the emotional connection. I keep worrying that Sabrina won't love me the same when she stops BF'ing

Re: Please help, I am the mom of a good boy and he feels punished.

thanks! now I am crying, I don't know why I am excited abou it being over. I feel like having leo stop at toys r us on the way home and handing josh a toy everytime I tell him no boob.

but I am over it. I want to wake up happy to see him...not ughhh...he here is to drain any hydration that I have left in me at the moment.

I want to be fresh for baby #2.

I am going to go out with him a lot. Leo has off tomorrow, so I am going to runaway from home tomorrow night. He also has off sunday, so I think I will do a zoo day or something, then go to the movies that night solo...

then we go on vacation, so he will be so thrown off.

I really think its going to be an out of sight out of mind thing for him.

Re: Please help, I am the mom of a good boy and he feels punished.

Posted by Juliet

I think the hardest part of weaning is the emotional connection. I keep worrying that Sabrina won't love me the same when she stops BF'ing

Re: Please help, I am the mom of a good boy and he feels punished.

No joke, we took my sister to jazzfest in New Orleans when she was trying to wean her son. After 3 days away from mommy, he wanted nothing to do with nursing.

Re: Please help, I am the mom of a good boy and he feels punished.

Try to think about everything you've GIVEN to him by BFing for 18 months, more than most women, rather than what you are taking away. The fact is, he'll have to wean at some point, right? And look at you! You should be SO proud that you made it this far instead of weaning him earlier!

Re: Please help, I am the mom of a good boy and he feels punished.

He'll get over it.

Re: Please help, I am the mom of a good boy and he feels punished.

Re: Please help, I am the mom of a good boy and he feels punished.

thanks everyone.