Weaning 15 Month Old

I weaned my daughter at 15 months and i found you just have to decided to do it and stick to it after about the 3rd night she had almost stopped asking.

I didn't have a problem with weaning my daughter she weaned her self at 3 months :-( I wasn't ready for her to wean her self but that is want she wanted so that is what we did. I do not think you should listen to people like Maura telling you it is wrong for you to still be breastfeeding it is a natural & beautiful thing & if she thinks it to be sexual then maybe she should seek some professional help. And as for you as long as you & your son still want to nurse I say go for. Remember you are the mom & only you know what is best for your child!!!

I had almost the same experience with my youngest son. He was still wanting to nurse at night, not for the milk, it was just habit. And I was sooo ready to stop and finally get some much needed sleep at night. My kids Dr. said to just do it.... just start putting him to sleep (either you or your husband) without nursing. If he cries, go in and lay him back down (pacifiers really help if he is used to one), don't talk, don't turn the light on, don't do anything but lay him back down. Wait for a bout 10 minutes, and if he is still crying, do it again and again..... I know it dosen't sound fun, but it will work. I did this and in about a week, he was sleeping 11 hours straight through the night....and still is! My son was 13 months old at the time, loved nursing, but never looked back. It was just fine. Did I mention that during this he started sharing a room with his older sister (19 months older), and at the same time she got used to him bing in there and the noise and what not.....talk about getting two birds with one stone.:>)

Our pediatrician recommends showing a bright and graphic board book while nursing. The theory is that he will become more interested in the book and the nursing will naturally stop over time. It sounds reasonable although my son isn't quite old enough to try it yet. Good luck!

Dear A.,

When My son was 15 months old and down to just one feeding at night, his dad went to spend a weekend with some out of town friends and took our son with him on the trip. They both had a lot of fun, and nursing was not an issue because I wasn't around. It also gave them some special dad and son time. The night they came home, I didn't bring up the issue of nursing at all, just got him ready for bed as usual except for nursing. He went to bed as though everything were normal. I don't know if this will work unless you are ready to quit nursing though. If you are feeling ambivalent, your son will probably pick up on it.

Do what your body and baby want! Not what people say is correct. Your baby will be healthier if you continue ... my mom used to say it was the best way of birth control she ever had ... while nursing she never got pg.

Generally, when someone else is doing the night time routine they handle it ok. Perhaps your husband could cuddle your son at the point where you would usually nurse him. Your son may switch to wanting to nurse at another time of day. He's still getting essential nutrients and immunities from that one session a day. The American Academy of Family Physicians did a study that found that children weaned before age two were more likely to get sick. Both them and the World Health Organization promote breastfeeding until at least age two. You're doing a great job. The transition between mommy and daddy doing the nighttime routine may be a little rough, or it may not. If you aren't there it will go a long way to help smooth the process. Have your husband get involved in the routine now so your son gets used to him being a part of it. Just tell your husband to be prepared for the worst and hope for the best and to remember to breathe.

You should try and have your husband put him to sleep and stay away from the whole bed time thing while trying to wean. Its really not as hard as you might think it is. My oldest weaned himself at 12 months (totally his own choice cause I still had plenty of milk) and my youngest was 18 months when I finally had to just say I'm done! I just refused to give it to him (and he was trying to nurse anytime he wanted to sleep) He might cry for you a little, but he will be fine.

AND I wanted to add to another person's response... Just because a child has teeth and can walk and talk does not mean they shouldnt be nursing anymore. My son was 9 months old when he was doing all those things. And no, we're not a 3rd world country... but that doesnt mean we cant nurse children till they are 2 (or however long they decide... I mean, 4/5 years old is a little too much... but you get what I mean). If a mother and child are comfortable with it, then why stop them? Its their right to do what they want. Mothers shouldnt be put down because they nurse longer than what others might think is "normal". I nursed both my boys and am glad I did. I never put any mother down because they choose formula over the breast, even if I think nursing is better for a child (I do talk to other friends who are first time mothers about the benefits, but its not something every mother wants to do) As long as the child is healthy and happy, it shouldnt matter if they are still nursing. (not trying to be rude or anything, its just I dont think its right for someone to tell anyone when they should or shouldnt nurse their child)

Hi, A.. I weaned my son around the same time. By 15 months with only a night feeding, I didn't have a lot of milk left, so I started bringing a bottle to the feeding. When he stopped getting milk from me, he'd happily take the bottle. Eventually, he was just taking the bottle. Everything else stayed the same - the chair, the position, the time, the books. I think that's the key. Even when we stopped giving him milk right before bed, we kept the other aspects of the routine - the same chair, same position, same time, same books, etc... I never felt like I was denying him, because he never fussed about it. I'm pretty sure I missed it more than he did. In the end, giving up that night feeding - and being able to share the routine with my husband - gave me an enormous feeling of freedom. While I put my son to bed most nights, the ability to go out with a friend to dinner on occasion was a welcomed change.

Good luck!

M.

I'm still nursing my 19 month old...just 2 or 3 times a day. Now she requests "nuuuuursing". I think my new goal is to wean by 2. I figure if she is not ready yet then why push it. I will be interested to see how this goes for you since I will try this summer. (Not too sure there is much left anyhow for me!)

Hi,
I weaned my daughter at about 12 months. We were still doing 2 feedings a day and she showed no interest in stopping. I just stopped one day. It was a lot harder on me then my daughter. She took in stride and only had one rough day. I just distracted her with books and gave her oatmeal before bed. She was still hungry before bed for quite awhile, but we just put oatmeal into the routine instead of breast milk. She did not take to drinking cow's milk for about 6 more months.
hope this helps.
Megan

I weaned my son completely at 17 months, he was down to two feeding a day and one morning he bit me for the second time in a week so i decided that was the end. I was worried that it would be a struggle at night, but it really wasn't, it was actually harder for me then him. We read books and he had milk out a sippy cup and everything was amazingly easy. I hope that the transition for you works out and beware, despite being almost weaned the hormones go a little haywire for a day or two.

It would be great if you could continue to give him this feeding when you're available and help him learn to go without it when you're not. You may decide to nurse for a lot longer if you don't feel the need to do it every night. A 15-month-old is beginning to understand what you mean when you tell him that you won't be able to nurse him tonight but daddy will put him to bed after giving him a drink from a cup. Then have your husband repeat the same thing to him when he puts him to bed at night. He'll get it soon enough. I just returned from 4 days away and left my nursing 19-month-old with her older sister. She did fine without me (and I got along without her thanks to a pump), and she went right back to nursing upon my return.

Good luck.

The nighttime routine in our house is to have a cookie and a small sippy cup of milk before bed. My two year old looks forward to it....even my teenager and 2 pre-teens are on the same routine...kind of a night cap for kiddies. I feel like kids need just a little something to get them thru the night (we eat dinner by 6 p.m. so to have them be their last food of the day just seems too long). Hope it gives you an idea what to try for your situation.

The best advice that I ever received on approaching weaning was to give the child advance notice, and to make a trade for it.

I didn't stop until my son was over two, but 15 months is old enough to understand. For example, you can pick a special occasion that he is looking forward to - say, Easter, for example (my apologies if you don't do Easter) - and tell him that on that day, the "milk goes away, but the Easter Bunny (or whoever) will bring you a present (a new sippy cup?), because you are a big boy now!" Give him several weeks advance notice, and remind him everyday.

I failed to warn my son when I decided to stop nursing during the night, and he went ballistic the first three nights -- and I felt aweful. When my boobs had had enough of breast-feeding altogether, I warned him several weeks before Christmas that it was going to go away when Santa came. Santa left gifts, the "nay nay" went away, and he gave absolutely no fuss. I stole the technique from someone I know who used it on her son's second birthday.

Don't feel pressure to stop if you feel like it is still something special between you. I totally spoiled my son (who is now four) on the breast-feeding front, but I don't regret one minute of it. I believe it created a very strong bond between us. He still remembers our code word and how much he loved it.

Hi A.. Kudos to any mom who tries to nurse even 1 day and does it with all her heart! You're awesome - 15 months is great!!
See if your local library has a book by G. Ezzo called Baby Wise, it has good information on weaning feedings and also on allowing the baby to cry for a little bit for a few nights until their body realizes they don't have to wake up any longer for the extra feeding(s). It helped me, my sisters, and several friends -- hope you find it helpful too!