Weaning Help

Hi ladies,

My DS1 was easy to wean at 16 mos, dropped off after 12 mos when he started whole milk.

DS2 is a WHOLE different story. He just turned 2yo last week, and seriously can not give up even a feeding. I do work full time so I had always nursed him when I got home from work, at bedtime, and morning/ when he woke- so 3x a day.

My mom and fam have said just be tough, but then saw how distraught he was when I say no or not yet, and said maybe hes not ready. And he doesn't forget, like for hours will keep trying. I have even fed him his favorite things, filled him up on dinner and desserts, etc and nothing works, asks to nurse anyway. For him its the bond and will bring me a pillow and want to lay on me. If not gets so upset.

I'm ready to wean since I've been trying to do that for a while, but not if I cant do it in a way that is so hard for him. Im willing to wait it out of he needs it, as long as I have hope there is something I can start doing or trying.

Ideas/ Comments? Please and thank you!

Weaning Help

I'm definitely following this. My DS is 27 months and nurses 1-4 times a day. At the end of the school year, we were down to 1-3 times, usually 2. My DS will have a full on melt down for 30+ minutes - screaming, pulling up/down my shirt when I do not give into him. To skip feedings, I get us out of the house and I rarely sit down when he's up. If I go near the couch, he immediately thinks it's mama milk time. I feel bad cutting him off cold turkey, but I think it might come to that. I think we both just need to change our routines. Like DS nurses the second he gets up, I need to start offering him food first.

Message edited 8/12/2016 3:57:17 PM.

Weaning Help

Thanks for sharing, Im glad to hear Im not alone. Yeah if we go out he knows not to ask, but then its like I can never be home after work lol

Weaning Help

Could you and dh go away for a few days alone? That's what I had to do with dd

Re: Weaning Help

My DS weaned at 2 1/2 exactly. When he turned 2, I started to not offer, but not refuse when he asked. I didn't just default to nursing at our routine times, and gradually there were times he'd forget, or my dh would take over bedtime for example, and slowly/gently, he weaned himself.

I was personally in no rush, and had no point I wanted him to be weaned by, so I just followed his lead. We had such a beautiful nursing experience, I wanted it to end on a positive note. Gradually he nursed less and less to the point where each time he nursed, I wasn't sure if it would be our last. I can't believe it's been almost 6 months since he last nursed. Feels like it was only this morning that he woke up asking for it.

Weaning Help

Oh man, I could have written this almost exactly. Dd1 weaned at 16 months as I just dropped feedings one at a time. Dd2 is 21 months and is super attached to nursing still. She doesn't feed on a schedule so I can't even tackle one feeding at a time bc it's just whenever she feels like it. She gets so upset if I try to say no and then gets so happy and yells yay when I finally say yes. I see that and I just don't know how to get anywhere with weaning. I've tried giving her milk in a cup which she likes but it often doesn't help bc like you said it's more about the emotional part of it. I'm hoping that come September we'll get into more of a routine with dd1 in preschool 5 afternoons a week and maybe I'll be able to get somewhere by the time she's 2.

Re: Weaning Help

Weaning Help

Thanks so much everyone! We haven't tried to go away, maybe that could help. Knowing him he might want it more when I come back bc he missed me lol. It's like as soon as I walk in the door he says "ahh" to nurse and "pillow".

I'm not in a huge rush but it's starting to hurt with how hard he's nursing. Actually that's what's helping a little bit. I tell him we can nurse in a little bit and say I have a boo boo and it hurts, and he seems to get that a little. Then he says gentle when we do nurse. Hoping we can at least drop a feeding!

Message edited 8/23/2016 11:14:30 PM.