I need help weaning 15 month old breastfed daughter, help!!?

Question

I have been trying to wean my daughter since she was 4 months old.
She is a stubborn little bugger and won't quit! It's to the point now, where I will only breastfeed her at night, because she HAS to have that comfort to fall asleep. It really ties me down and my doctor wont let me take birth control pills to dry up my milk, what the heck can I do? She does drink milk out of a sippy cup throughout the day.

Answer 1

First of all, birth control pills probably *won't* dry up your milk. For the first 2 months after giving birth, they *decrease* (not eliminate) your milk supply; after that time, they don't usually have any effect on supply. And every drug that has been marketed for drying up your supply has been withdrawn because it kills women. Your doctor is possibly saving your life by saying no. Further, there is no way to know if your daughter would willingly stop nursing even if there was no milk--and that can be very painful for you!!

Have you ever left your daughter with your husband at bedtime? Many babies and toddlers who "won't go to sleep without nursing" will if the mother isn't in the house. You might want to try it. Maybe a compromise would work--you nurse her to sleep when you are available, and sometimes she gets to sleep in other ways. Weaning doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing.

If you are absolutely certain you want to wean completely, there are other things to try. First of all, do *not* leave her to "cry it out". After establishing a loving relationship with her for the past year plus, you don't want to undermine it and tell her, in effect, that you won't help her when she really needs you.

Do you have a bedtime routine? If not, establish one--as long as possible. Think in terms of 60-90 minutes long to start with. After dinner, give her a bath, then rub her back, then read a story, then say good night to all the stuffed animals, then nurse her to sleep. Be sure to only do this when she is really tired (or else the association won't work). You may find that she starts falling asleep before the end of the routine. Next, have your husband (or other adult) take over the first step of the bedtime routine. After a few days, have him take over the second step, too. Keep going until he is doing the whole thing (except the nursing, of course). If she still isn't falling asleep without nursing, try the previous suggestion again--go out at bedtime and let your husband get her to bed.

Does she fall asleep when riding in a car? You could drive her to sleep every night until she gets used to it. Or going for a ride in a baby sling.

Postponement might work, too. When she wants to nurse to sleep, tell her you'll nurse her in 5 minutes. Rock her and sing to her, then nurse when the 5 minutes are up (even if she hasn't asked again--you need to keep your credibility or this won't work!!). After a week, tell her in 10 minutes. She'll start learning to fall asleep to rocking and singing instead of nursing.

If all else fails, and you are sure you want to wean, just stop nursing her. Do *not* let her cry it out; hold her, even if she cries, but don't nurse. Try everything else in your repertoire.

Answer 2

Weaning 15 Month Old

Answer 3

When it was time to wean my first, I went away for a weekend and told her the doctor took my milk out. She said Oh and never mentioned it again. Your daughter sounds like my second. I had to resort to buying the stuff you put on your fingernails to stop biting them, and put that on my nipples to make it unpleasant to her. It was still slow, because she wanted to check every day if there were "good" or "bad", but FINALLY, she is done!

Answer 4

Your doc can't tell you whether or not you can take birth control pills unless it affects your health. BUT I suggest you pick up a good book from the library about breastfeeding. There's always a section on weening. Personally, when I weened my son at 15 months, I just let him cry himself to sleep for a week, and he went right to sleep on his own without crying at the end of the week. If you don't want to do it that way, you can just wait until she's ready to quit on her own.

Answer 5

Finding that right balance of what is right for mom and what is right for baby is not always easy. If you dont mind nursing, then its fine to still be breastfeeding. Ignore anyone who thinks that you are spoiling your baby by giving her natures perfect food. Sure, she is eating food, and drinking from a cup, but if she isnt ready, then she isnt ready. however, if YOU are ready, then it is time to start moving in that direction. Read "the nursing mothers guide to weaning" by Kathleen Huggins. This book has been very helpful to my clients and myself. Whats best is that both you and your baby are happy. weaning is a time of change, and if you nurture your child through this, youll both get through it easier. I myself am getting near the time to wean my 16 month old. Its a delicate balance. Good luck to you both!

Answer 6

At 15 months, PLEASE, who's the child and who's the mother?
You must intoduce a bottle with either your milk or warm fresh milk (kids need whole milk the first two years and 2% after that) at night. It may not be easy, but the longer you put it off the more demanding your child will be.

Answer 7

put that milk into a bottle for the 1 time night-time feeding...and consider a pacifier (if she doesn't use one already) it is far to much a shock for her to have to give up her routine and her feeding all at once...and definitely try several nipple types. finally - when none of that works with YOU (the milk source)...let someone else rock her to sleep at night...and you take up another task while considering this your respite time (which may be the problem here too...it's hard to change 'snuggly patterns) BEST OF LUCK!!!!!

Answer 8

You really can't just nurse her at night until she is older?-- it is so beneficial for their health an d well being--okay now that I'm off my soap box for nursing if you are trying to dry up take a cold remedy or a clairitan it'll dry you right up

Answer 9

Maybe try giving her a warm milk cup before bed.

Answer 10

if she ever wakes up in the middle of the night like my son does then just sneak a sippy to her. she'll never know! trust me