Weaning?

TeachTheGirl

So, my daughter is my first successful breastfeeding story. I am proud and honored to have fed her for 14 months now! I wasn't able to breastfeed my son, so I'm looking for advice on weaning.

I don't think she's ready yet, she's not showing any cues and nursing is still a comfort for her, especially on days like today where she has a nasty cold. I'm not looking to force-wean, but I'd like to hear some weaning stories! Did your little one stop on their own? Did you choose when they stopped? What experiences did you have in both weight-gain/loss and emotional/hormonal changes?

Bmjnash

I am about to the 1 year mark with breastfeeding my son and we are working on weening. I just slowly cut back on how offten he eats from the breast. Right now it is before naps and bedtime. This time around I have noticed that I am having a really hard time trying to lose. I haave gained 10 lbs. I don't know if its from not breastfeeding as much or that I started working the night shift.

Oh and congratulations on 14months

tschaff04

My second child weaned herself at age 3. At that point it was pretty much all comfort nursing because I was pregnant with her brother and she was dry nursing. Once he was born and my milk started coming back in she weaned herself. I am now still nursing my third child, he's 9 months old. I hope someone else who actually gently weaned can give you more advice. We practice self weaning so I don't have much real advice. But wanted to say way to go on 14 months of nursing your tot! That's amazing!

MeanSophieCat

My daughter is also my first successful BFing baby. She was BFing only - no solids - until 6 months. She is now almost 11 months and has started weaning herself. I think it is mainly two factors that have started her self-weaning.

(1) I started working away from home more. My husband stays home with my kids and when I work from home I was feeding her on-demand. Now that I am away more - she'd rather have a sippy cup than a bottle and because the comfort factor is gone, she drinks the same amount but in fewer feedings. She will not drink breastmilk from a sippy cup but will drink formula. Strange - but it is what works for her. At a year, we'll switch to milk.

(2) She has a two year old brother and in the past month is trying to imitate his every move. She won't let me feed her solids at all anymore (must feed herself!) and wants the exact cup her brother is using.

I still feed her about three times per day. When I get home from work, before bed, and in the morning before work. Around a year, I plan to eliminate the evening feeding - she'll get milk with dinner. My goal for the AM feeding is about 15 months - again milk with breakfast. I'll let her nurse at night for as long as she wants.

KKleese

My daughter is also my first successful BFing baby. She was BFing only - no solids - until 6 months. She is now almost 11 months and has started weaning herself. I think it is mainly two factors that have started her self-weaning.

(1) I started working away from home more. My husband stays home with my kids and when I work from home I was feeding her on-demand. Now that I am away more - she'd rather have a sippy cup than a bottle and because the comfort factor is gone, she drinks the same amount but in fewer feedings. She will not drink breastmilk from a sippy cup but will drink formula. Strange - but it is what works for her. At a year, we'll switch to milk.

(2) She has a two year old brother and in the past month is trying to imitate his every move. She won't let me feed her solids at all anymore (must feed herself!) and wants the exact cup her brother is using.

I still feed her about three times per day. When I get home from work, before bed, and in the morning before work. Around a year, I plan to eliminate the evening feeding - she'll get milk with dinner. My goal for the AM feeding is about 15 months - again milk with breakfast. I'll let her nurse at night for as long as she wants.

Sounds like an awesome plan! My daughter is only 8 months and still nursing on demand when I am home and through the night. She gets roughly 24 ounces a day plus just in the last few weeks started solids. I am going to try to introduce the sippy cup soon and hope to be where you are at 11 months! Great job on making 14 months!

shrinkinc

Why do you want to wean? The World Health Organization states that babies should be nursed until they are at least 2 if not longer. Most children will self wean anywhere from 2 - 4 years of age.

Having said that I did wean my daughter when she was 17 1/2 months old. We wanted to TTC baby #2. DH and I went to Germany for 2 weeks without my daugther so she went 2 weeks without nursing. After we got back she wanted to nurse but I didn't let her and gave her snuggles or her sippy cup instead. After 2 weeks she stopped asking for it.
I work full-time so I stopped pumping when she was 11 months old. At that point she would only nurse when we were together (evenings, weekends). I night weaned at 12 months by having her dad sooth her when she woke up and she took a nuk too.
I'm hoping to nurse my 3 mo old son until he's 2, if not longer. I'm hoping to let him self wean instead of weaing him myself.

courtney0514

My daughter, also my 2nd and first successfully bf, weaned just before 15 months. I guess I used more of a 'don't offer/don't refuse' approach. When she hit the one year mark, I started feeding her complete meals with a sippy cup of milk at our meal times, and only nursing when she cued she wanted to. (She would ask to be held and pat my breast) It didn't take long before we were only nursing in the morning after she woke up, and a couple of short sessions between meals. By the middle of 13 months, she only 'asked' when she first woke up in the mornings. After she turned 14 months we skipped a couple mornings almost on accident because I had appointments and my husband had already fed her breakfast and by the time I got home she was busy with other things. After that it was hit and miss, until she just never asked for it again. A week or two after we were 'done', she had a cold and I offered just to try to soothe her, but she was completely not interested at that point. It was a little harder on me than I thought it would be to be done for good, but after a couple good cries, I just focused on what a great experience it had been. Now she is 18 mos, and we still have a wonderful bond that is just shared in other ways. Congrats on your success!

TiffCK

I weaned my son at 2, and am currently nursing my 1 year old. I hated to stop nursing my son, but I no longer had support of the father and my MIL. This time around, I don't care. Anyway...my son had gotten old enough to be able to understand that we wouldn't be nursing much longer. He would pull at my shirt, and I would tell him he had to wait. He didn't cry, but he wasn't happy. We nursed in secret for a little while, but each time I would tell him we were stopping soon. I had a few "This is the last time, now." We just slowly cut back, usually one at naptime and bedtime, until no longer. I will nurse this one as long as she wants, though.

olywamama

Great job on nursing for so long, hopefully meeting your goals! I practice child-led weaning, which works for me and my family.

This website has wonderful information about weaning (and all things breastfeeding):
http://kellymom.com/category/ages/weaning/

kaseybill

I just started 'attempting' the weaning process on my 2yr old and 2 days in to it, I stopped! He became a completely different child: angry, resentful and sad. I had some pressure from my family to wean but mostly just want my body back (hopeful to lose the last 20 that is sticking). I never offer anymore but once I started limiting the time he can have each side (singing ABCs) he sensed that he was losing me. Wow, just 2 days of that and now he asks for it all day! Guess he's not ready??? Maybe mommy needs a vacation?