Tips on Weaning

Firstly- awesome that you are still nursing at 13 months!!
When I tried actively weaning my daughter between 1 and 3 years of age (several times), I tried distraction, offering something else and delay tactics. These things worked a bit, but it was really easy when my daughter was ready and it was child led (as most things are i.e. potty training).
When I tried weaning and got discouraged, I tried to sort out why I really wanted to wean. Was it me? Was it cultural pressure? Would it make life easier? I tried to weigh out the negatives and the benefits and when I did, the benefits always won! The truth for us was that we both really liked our nursing relationship. It was very healthy for both of us, convenient and I felt like she still needed it. Between 1-3, toddlers are really starting to navigate their environment, try our their independence and new skills. Nursing gives comfort and courage to new explorers with health benefits to boot!! There are several books on weaning that maybe would be helpful. I copied them here from www.lalecheleague.org. www.kellymom.com is a great resource as well. Enjoy your baby!! ~~W.

Approaches To Weaning
This pamphlet provides helpful information for mothers who are trying to decide when and how to wean their babies. Set of 10 pamphlets.

How Weaning Happens
Written by an LLL Leader, How Weaning Happens includes the personal experiences of mothers who have weaned in a variety of ways. It covers the kinds of...

Maggie's Weaning
This revised version of the classic weaning book has a new look. The story remains a delightful, child's eye view of the nursing experience. As Maggie...

Mothering Your Nursing Toddler
The classic handbook for mothers who breastfeed their children past infancy in an updated and expanded edition. Norma Jane Bumgarner puts the experience...

Nursing Mother's Guide To Weaning
Many breastfeeding mothers express concerns about weaning when their babies are just a few weeks old. This book explores all aspects of weaning

M.,
Try eliminating ONLY one feeding a day for 2-3 days and then drop another one after that each 2-3 days until you are at a level you can tolerate.

Some things that help when eliminating the feedings are changes in the routine, distracting her with something else that is comforting to her, like singing a song or reading a book or cuddling. You could substitute the nursing with a sippy cup of water and cuddle her at the same time. You could postpone the nursing too, but that is more effective with an older child.

Instead of flat-out eliminating the nursing, you could also shorten it. If she typically nurses for comfort for 10 minutes, try letting her only nurse for about 5 minutes and then gently tell her, "all done, now." Then you can shorten it until it is eliminated.

If she has a strong suck need, she may need a nuk or something to substitute.

Some signs that weaning may be going too fast: increased night-waking, an increase in clinginess during the day, a new attachment to an object like a stuffed animal or a blanket, a new or increased fear of separation, biting - when it has never occurred before.

As with most things with nursing, it is patience and persistence that will make this shift in the relationship possible.

Good luck! Let us know how it goes.

:-) K.

K. M. Rose
Mom to Jacob and Sarah
Certified Doula
Lamaze Breastfeeding Support Specialist

I found with my son when we weaned from nursing that find a spot to cuddle and read a book or tell a story helped. And during tha time she can have a cup of milk/water/juice.

I never liked the idea of someone else having that time with my son so I just thought of different ways to use it.
I hope it you are able to wean with out to many problems!

God's Blessings
J.

TRY TO BE UNAILABLE FOR THESE TIMES. NO WHERE TO BE SEEN OR HEARD. SHE AND THE OTHER PERSON (SOMEONE WITH PATIENCE) WILL FIGURE OUT WHAT ELSE WILL SOOTH HER. THEY CATCH ON VERY QUICKLY.

HI Maria, I recommend reading The Nursing Mother's Guide to Weaning - it's a wonderful book, besides being helpful. Their approach is to be gentle about weaning so it's not truamatic in any way for the baby, and to substitute other behaviors eating solids, cuddling, etc) to gradually reduce the amount of nursing. In my experience, nursing through the toddler years, even if it's just a little bit, is a great way to help soothe the inevitable bumps and bruises, and to reconnect after the occassional tantrums. Good luck, Sue.

Each child is different, so I don't know if this will work for you, but I went out and bought my son a special sippy cup and made a big deal out of it and then replaced it for one feeding at a time. I was really worried about the comfort thing, especially at naps. He doesn't take a nuk, doesn't have a blanket or stuffed toy, so... But anyway, what he really just wanted was to be close and snuggle. So when I give him the sippy, I laid down with him like I would if we were nursing. Nuby has a great sippy cup that has a soft, bottle like nipple/spout. It's a good transition sippy cup.

Good luck!

I'm an older mom, have raised 3 kids and have been through the weaning process that many times. Every baby is different and they each come to weaning in their own way. It's easy if you are also supplementing with solids and/or a bottle at this point. You just offer that instead of the breast. Ask yourself how often you would like to nurse. Do you still enjoy the morning feedings or the night time feedings? Is your baby sleeping through the night or are you also nursing during the night? If it's just a daytime thing and you expect that your baby is using you for comfort, you could use distraction to get through the wanting to nurse time. I have had good luck with puzzles (the ones with the big wooden knobs are great for 13 month olds) going outside, reading a book, or just rocking with a "lovey". Hope this is helpful.

Hi M.,

My son is two and a half, and I weaned him this past spring (finally). I'd tried a lot of things, most of which didn't work. What finally did work was just talking about what was happening (she might be little young though). I'd say "only little babies nurse, and you're a big boy now". I also tried offering a cup or a sippy when he would come and ask to nurse, and established a new routine around a new ritual. He was nursing for comfort, and often wasn't thirsty at all, so if he refused the sippy, I would tell him "no nurse today. Snuggle mommy?" and I would snuggle him and talk to him and interact, and it worked because its what he was really wanting. The biggest factor in successfully weaning was that he was finally ready.

I wish you luck!