Breastfeeding - Howell,MI

Are you feeling like you want to wean her, or are you just feeling outside pressure to wean her? I breastfed my first until she was just barely 3 years old. The last year it was only at bedtime, but it was what calmed her down and put her to sleep. My doctor said there was no problem, and she was still getting things in the breastmilk that was great for her. So if you still want to breastfeed, just do it!! Hope that helps.

I am so glad to see the support here for extended BF. I am still nursing a just turned 3 YO, and I fell so silly telling people.
I think you have heard a lot of good advise. She is still pretty little, but it should be a mutualy enjoyable thing. personally, my daughter is so busy it's hard to hold her down for 5 minutes, so I enjoy the cuddle time, and she gets her 'knockout drops' :)

A huge congrats for making it this far! you have given her an wonderful start!

I breastfed all of my children, and I found that weaning is harder on the mother than the child. Of course she wants your breast, it is all that she knows. If you are down to 2 feedings a day, I suggest you cut them both out and give her the option of a sippy cup or a cup with a straw. I never used bottles and didn't see the point of starting them, but the sippy cups were too hard for them, so we used the cups with straws and caps. Try regular milk, try formula, try water, but as long as you are giving her the breast, she doesn't have a reason to try anything else. If she doesn't take the liquids from you, have your husband do it. She knows she won't be breastfed from him and she won't have a choice. She night not like it at first, but she's not going to like being weaned at anytime, and will put up a fuss. That won't last for more than a day or two though, as long as you don't give in and give her the breast. And when you are sore from weaning, it's a temptation! She will drink what she needs, so I wouldn't worry about her not taking enough. Plus, it's the same with calming her down. As long as you give her the breast she doesn't have a reason to learn how to calm herself other ways. I think it's great that you breastfed for this long and have supplied her with what she needs, but there comes a time to let go, and it sounds to me like this is the time. Hang in there, it sounds like your're meeting all of her needs, and just need some reassurance. Good luck!

Sounds like she still needs to nurse for comfort. What's the harm? A lot of toddler nurse and it helps them feel secure and sure is handy when they have a boo-boo, are sick or whatever. It's not so much about the milk as about being close to you and still being allowed to be a baby as long as she needs to. I'd say to do this very gradually and with a lot of love and gentleness. If it were me, I wouldn't try to fix it if it's not broken. Every child's needs are different and I'd take my cues from her. Certainly I wouldn't introduce a bottle at this late stage, although some moms do if they're pregnant or something. She just wants to be close to her wonderful mommy. I'd say - let her for as long as she needs it! A lot of 2 & 3 year olds nurse, and even some 4 year olds when they're tired or cranky. What's the harm?

Weaning is tough! Just cut out one feeding at a time and replace it with snuggles, reading, or a fun activity. If she still wants you explain to her that there is no nursing right now (or whatever you call it). La lache says don't offer, don't refuse. I say try to put it off and usually they will forget as long as you are doing something else to peak her interest. Take her to the park, go to the zoo, go to Target...you get the idea. If she still refuses maybe she isn't ready and you should give her alittle more time. Good luck. It's tough but you can do it!!!!!

D

Hi L.,

It sounds like your baby isn't quite ready to wean completely at this point. You might want to back off on pushing the weaning and just go a little slower. You could offer her a snack, just before you think she's going to want to nurse, or maybe even ask after she's indicated she wants to nurse. Offering other alternatives, and also giving her lots of mommy time might help. Think over some of the needs that nursing meets, and try to meet those in other ways. Such as that skin to skin could be met by giving her a back rub, or playing with her hair etc.
Check out the local LLL groups at llli.org and then under find a Leader. You'll get a bunch of info and support at the meetings. I help lead both of the ones in town. I hope this info is helpful to you. Just remember there are many, many babies your little one's age that are still breastfeeding. So what she's needing is entirely appropriate. Warmly, S.

Why do you want to wean her? She is still a baby. Since you are home full time now, what's the hurry? Le Leche League recommends "don't offer/don't refuse" as a good path to baby led weaning. One of mine weaned herself at 15 months, the other held on til she was 3. With the latter, I spent alot of time standing up because every time I sat down she wanted to nurse. You have done a great job so far by nursing her exclusively for 14 months! You have done the BEST thing for her by waiting to introduce food. You don't want the weaning to be traumatic. She might take abrupt weaning as rejection by you. It really is OK to still be nursing at this age, even if it's only because she wants you close for a little bit each day. Savor it...they grow up way too fast!

I don't have any first hand advice... I can see how it would be a challenge for you. My son is 17 months and not weaned.. he still nurses about every 2-3 hours if he can. The World Health Organization recommends up to 2 years or longer or whatever works for mom and baby... so I'm not worried about weaning.

However, I hope you can find a solution that works for you!

A natural way of weaning would be to take an Alfalfa supplement. It would affect the taste of the breast milk, without side affects.

M.

L., I am going through the same thing. My daughter (11 1/2 mo.) never took bottles, mostly because she never needed to and then I gave up around 6 mo. I dropped two daytime feedings over the last month and did two weeks of just 2 times per day. I wanted to stop nursing around her birthday, but decided to stop a few weeks early since we have some vacations coming up. My daughter is very low on the weight scale and I was also worried because she will only drink a small milk out of a cup at a time. My doctor said that as long as she continues to have wet diapers every 6-8 hours and is eating, she should be ok. I felt bad about taking away the breast milk calories, but figured that in another few months things wouldn't be different, and I have to quit some time. So, I just stopped. I changed our routine, so that she wouldn't expect to nurse, for example, not bringing her in to snuggle in the morning, letting my husband get her out of bed the last few mornings, and having him hold her for night time stories, etc.

I was worried that she would have a hard time and wouldn't go to sleep well without nursing before. She is doing great. She has been a little clingy, but mostly, she is easily distracted when she appears to want to nurse. I however, am currently enduring very full, sore breasts! Mostly, I feel a little sad and am realizing that this is the first step in letting go and letting my little girl grow up!

Good luck!

Nursing 2x's a day is just fine (and actually a LOT healthier than giving her cows milk) Babies wean at different times, if your daughter isn't ready to give it up, it will be traumatic for her to lose out on the calm and security of a nursing relationship.

Once a day doesn't sound that bad. Why wean her? She loves it and its good for her, much better than cows breast milk! You ped will say to keep it up until she's 2.
If you must wean her because of your schedule or time. You have to do it two ways.
#1 Cut her time breastfeeding down 1 min each day. eventually she will be down to zero
#2 Cut her off completely and have some help. Do it a week when you husband is home on vacation or have a friend come over to help. Stay away from normal feeding positions and feeding chairs, etc...
Good Luck

Sorry for the last reply, but I stopped nursing my son at 14-months and he would not drink milk. He seemed to hate it. But then I realized if I heated it like you would cold breastmilk, he then drank it. He could not do it cold. Hope that helps.

Hi, just wanted to say Good Luck! You got great advice from everyone! Don't feel pressured to stop! Everyone goes through the times where stopping seems easier because they move around and want to nurse at every thought or look of their moms chest! But the comfort for both is overwhelming. I loved to nurse all of mine, but sometimes I wanted to be done. If you have no more attachment to it, then it will be easier. Just remember that you are still doing the best thing, unlike a toddler that is still on the bottle. They also understand the concept of regulations as they get older. I found weaning my 2 yr old was easier because she understood so much more. Again I want to say good luck!