My daughter is about to turn 21mos. here on the 15th. She nurses 3 times at night and 2-3 times when I get home from work. Please help me, I want to wean her, but havent found any working less stressful methods.
2006-08-14 17:05:13 · 11 answers · asked by Heather 2 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Parenting
Gosh, it sounds like she's really-really missing you while you're at work. She's probably nursing so much just to be close to you! She loves you soooo much! I understand that it's demanding as I'm nursing a 21 monther little guy too. He nurses a lot during the day, but he's recently been nursing less and less. I can tell you what worked with my daughter when she was 19 months old ...and this isn't a joke. She came up to me and wanted to nurse. I told her "It's allllllll gooooone" She walked away and never asked again, believe it or not. It's worth a shot. Other than that, you're going to need to distract her or flat out just tell her 'no more, baby' Try rewarding her with a new cup or something that she likes for every night that she doesn't nurse.
2006-08-14 17:15:00 · answer #1 · answered by Answers to Nurse 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Don't try to go cold turkey. What has worked for me is weaning one feeding at a time. You can limit when she nurses. For starters, do once when you get home and then again before bed. Let her nurse just once at night. Any other time she wakes up, either you or your husband should get up and hold her. Give her a sippy cup of milk, if she asks to nurse. Eventually, she should wake up less. Then, take away another feeding about every 2 weeks. Let her know that you only nurse at certain times. Substitute milk and lots of hugs. First thing in the morning, I let my son sit on my lap, and I gave him milk in his cup. Eventually, she will be weaned.
2006-08-14 17:40:52 · answer #2 · answered by seatonrsp 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No question about it weaning is stessful, for both mom and child.
When my son was 13 months he was waking up 5 or six times a night to nurse, and to say the least I wasn't getting any sleep. So I ended up weaning him. At night I stopped cold turkey, except for one feeding before bed, durring the day he nursed first thing in the moring, and before his two naps. Any other time he was given a sippy cup with milk or occasional juice. When he woke up at night he was offered a sippy cup with water, then put back in his bed. after four nights of screaming tantrums, and lack of sleep for everybody he slept through the night. Then every three to five days I would eliminate one nursing session, by giving a sippy cup and sitting on the couch and reading a story, watching a favorite cartoon, or go for a walk in the stroller.
The key with my son was to still give him the close comfort he craved, but without the breast. as long as I spent time with him, he was fine giving up the breast. Also eliminating the sessions that he wasn't as atached to frist make it easier. Within 2 1/2 weeks my son was competely weaned except for the before bed nursing, which took another month and a half.
An advantage to slowly weaning is that the child still feels close to mom, and then your breats naturally produce less milk, so you dont end up with rock hard painful breasts and your body can better adjust to the changing hormones without raging mood swings. It gives both mom and child time to adjust to the changes.
Also if she dosn't like sippy cups let her pick out her own, she will be more likely to drink out of cups she chooses.
2006-08-14 18:08:59 · answer #3 · answered by paganrosemama 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I have always found that if you replace the bedtime feeding with a bottle or sippy cup, this is the easiest. Being 21 months she should do good with a sippy cup. You may want to pump breast milk at first for the cup until she gets used to it. Once she gets used to the cup switch to whole milk.
2006-08-14 17:15:51 · answer #4 · answered by miz_lady_beth2002 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I hate to tell you, but you probably won't be able to. Kids wean themselves when they are ready, and not a moment before. I found that out. If you try prematurly that may actually make her want to nurse more. Good luck and hang in there! Enjoy it while you can!
2006-08-14 17:11:34 · answer #5 · answered by mom_of_4 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it is stressful i stopped breastfeeding my son at 9 months and it was stressful but i stopped cold turkey if your child is drinking from a sippy she needs to be weaned plus i read ur other question about Ovcon35 and it passes through breastmilk i hope you knew that or at least your doctor should have been informed
2006-08-14 17:11:27 · answer #6 · answered by Moo moo I'm a chicken 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'd say initially give her a bottle at night, if she still wakes up the you can feed her once more. I think once she sleeps through the night, she might slow down on her demands.
2006-08-14 17:16:21 · answer #7 · answered by tyreanpurple 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I broke mine from the breast on her second birthday. I just cut out 1 feeding every few weeks and when I cut out the last it wasn't to hard. If there is other changes going on in her life it will be harder.
2006-08-14 17:21:36 · answer #8 · answered by harleyandbriannasmommy 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
there arent any less stressfull methods. grin and bear it. Quitting cold turkey always works for me. She will get used to it and take a cup or bottle.
2006-08-14 17:12:37 · answer #9 · answered by motherof2 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
does she know how to use a sippy cup?
If not than get one. Have you ever given her regular milk?
2006-08-14 17:11:15 · answer #10 · answered by wilowdreams 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋