weaning a toddler?

Question

I have a 19 months old. Breastfeeding was easy and a great experience, but now i'm pregnant again, exhausted and i'd like to wean her slowly. She absolutely doesn't want that ! any ideas ?

Answer 1

GOOD FOR YOU for nursing this long! What a great start you've given her!

First off, know that continuing to nurse during pregnancy is perfectly safe for most mothers. If you're exhausted, what about nursing her down for a nap while laying in bed and resting together?

Is there a certain thing about nursing that is bothering you? Think about how you think weaning will affect that. Based on how you know your child.....do you think it will make life easier or more difficult?

Does she nurse at night or just during the day? What about working on weaning from only night nursing so that you can get more sleep but continuing to nurse during the day? (I did this with #1 while PG with #2 so I could get more rest. He was about 21-22 months at the time.) You'll want to employ dad's help with this plan. Establish a new bedtime routine that involves dad. Have dad help with bathtime, jammies, story, etc. Then you can nurse just until she is groggy but not asleep. Then dad can take a sippy of water and lay down in bed with her until she is asleep. Eventually maybe you can totally cut out the bedtime nursing. And have dad be the one to go to her and comfort her at night if she wakes.

If you want to cut out daytime nursings, distraction can be helpful. Also, try to offer a snack or drink BEFORE you think she might ask to nurse. When you do nurse, you can establish "little nurse" and "big nurse" and let her know which one it will be. If you want to cut a session shorter, tell her you'll sing the ABC song/count to 10 and then it will be "all done" for now.

Answer 2

First, great job on nursing so long, and congrats on the new baby!

You can start weaning by cutting out one nursing session at a time. Start by eliminating the one that's least important to her, and just try to distract her. Go somewhere outside the house, offer a small drink/snack if you think she's hungry, get involved in playing something, etc. Also, if you have a "nursing spot", don't sit there. If she drops that nursing session fairly easily, wait a few days (or a week) and try to drop another.

When I started weaning my older daughter at a year (when I was pregnant again), I just used the "don't offer, don't refuse" method. I simply didn't ask if she wanted to nurse, but if she asked me to nurse, I didn't refuse her. Amazingly, she was down to just 2 nursing sessions per day very quickly. And honestly, those 2 sessions didn't bother me at all -- I could have kept them up for quite a while. (She weaned completely at 14.5 months after a biting incident, but that's a different story.)

You didn't say how far along you are in your pregnancy, but it's also possible that as your milk decreases as you go on, your daughter may start to wean anyway. Some kids will happily nurse even though you've dried up, but many will start refusing due to the different taste and lack of milk.

Good luck to you!

Answer 3

How many times a day are your nursing? I nursed for two years -- but I also worked, so I pumped 3 times a day (double pump) at work. He started solids at 6 months.

at the end, I would nurse in the morning, after we got home, and before bed (but not when he woke up at night after the age of 1), and during the weekends once or twice in the afternoon. So I gradually cut out one feeding at a time -- would distract, or offer different food, or something. The night feeding I moved so it wasn't directly at bedtime -- just an hour or so after I got home, so he wouldn't relate going to bed to nursing. I didn't nurse when he wok up at night after age of one because I didn't want him to associate waking up with eating. I would soothe him back to sleep when necessary, though.

gradually cut down --

You don't say how far along you are, but there may be some regression/wanting it when you have the new baby. Depends on how long it's been, and how smooth the transistion is.

Good luck, and congratulations

Answer 4

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Answer 5

I think maybe 19 months is a little old to still be breastfeeding.
You are just going to have to stop and let her cry. She'll eventually realize that crying isn't going to get her anywhere.
Does she take a sippy cup? Give her juice or something she really like to take her mind off of the boob.

I nursed my twins exclusively for 8 months. Just be glad you don't have to wean TWO at the SAME TIME!

Answer 6

Wean her back to once a day by saying there is no milk yet. Then to every other day. Just continue to tell her there is no more it is all gone. I had to do this to wean my daughter at 2.5. It is difficult but just distract each time she wants to drink

Answer 7

I think it's wonderful that you breastfed your daughter for so long! So many women try it for a month or two before giving up for silly reasons.

Though I can't personally help, here's a link to the La Leche League site's FAQ on weaning (maybe it can help?): http://www.lalecheleague.org/FAQ/FAQMain.html#Weaning

Good luck on weaning, congrats on the baby-to-come, and good luck breastfeeding the new one, as well! :)

Answer 8

I am a new author of Sally Weans From Night Nursing, a children's book to help older children/toddlers gently wean from night nursing. I actually wrote and illustrated this book to help me night wean my 18 month old daughter whom woke up to nurse like every 1 1/2 hours. I was exhausted. I actually continued to day nurse her until she was around 3 years old, but the night weaning happened in 4 days with my book. I was quite impressed I must say. I used to be a therapist, so in the book I included many ways to validate feelings and explain the process of night weaning to the child. I hope this helps. It is available on Amazon and Kindle. Good Luck! I think it is very do-able, it truly takes real commitment on the moms part, once you decide to do it, no turning back.
Good Luck!! :)

Answer 9

you should have done that like 7-9 mo ago