What is the best way to wean a toddler?

Question

I am currently breastfeeding a 26 month old child. She shows no interest in stopping, but I am growing tired of nursing ten times a day. This is the first child that I have breastfed this long. What is the best way to gently wean her?

Answer 1

Great job making it so long! You've given her an amazing start!

Some ideas for you:

If breastfeeding is still very important to her, you'll want to make sure you are taking this transition slowly and gently.

You might begin by exploring if there is a balance that can be struck that would keep both of you happy. One example might be only nursing at naptime and bedtime but weaning from the rest of the day. Or only nursing in the daytime/only in the night-time. Limiting the length of nursing sessions. Etc.

"Don't offer/don't refuse" is a great, gentle method of weaning. It can take a while, but it does work.

Distraction and substitution might also work well at this age. "Head her off at the pass" by offering an interesting activity or a snack/drink when you think she might be almost ready to ask to nurse.

Change your daily routines. If she likes cuddlng and nursing in bed in the moring, get up and get active right away. If you need to eliminate a nursing before an afternoon nap, run errands shortly before in hopes she'll fall asleep in the car and miss the nursing session. Keep her super active and involved. Get out of the house....take walks, go to the playground, etc.

Check out the links below.

EDITED TO ADD:
And I'm sure you know that Sandrarosette is wrong. Most docs DO NOT tell you to wean by one year of age. The actual AAP recommendation is to nurse for a MINIMUM of 12 months, not a maximum.
http://www.aap.org/policy/re9729.html
From the AAP statement:
"Exclusive breastfeeding is ideal nutrition and sufficient to support optimal growth and development for approximately the first 6 months after birth. Infants weaned before 12 months of age should not receive cow's milk feedings but should receive iron-fortified infant formula. Gradual introduction of iron-enriched solid foods in the second half of the first year should complement the breast milk diet. *****It is recommended that breastfeeding continue for at least 12 months, and thereafter for as long as mutually desired.*****"

*EYEROLL*
It's always so good to get advice about nursing/weaning a toddler from people who very obviously have never BTDT.

Answer 2

I could simply forget about impolite feedback/e-mails. There are a few loopy men and women on right here with loopy strategies. As a long way as weaning is going, all of it will depend on the youngster. Some will wean themselves even earlier than 14 months. I labored at a daycare and we had a little bit woman there that did not wish formulation any further while she was once approximately eleven months. As a long way as being in kindergarten and taking a bottle? That is absurd. In my opinion a baby will have to be wholly weaned via the age of two.

Answer 3

26 months is a bit old, she should be more then ready for real food. Weaning just wake up and start the day by giving her real food and no breast, she might ask but tell her no and offer her something else to eat. After a few days she should be good to go one real food and not the breast. Don't give in and give her the breast or she'll never learn that she can't have it any more. good luck.

Answer 4

first off, most pediatricians will tell you that you should wean them by the age of 1.
But besides that,
try getting her some sort of reward, or something to sidetrack her, something for "big girls" and not babies that nurse
Like a toy that she gets to play with after she has used the sippy cup instead of you.
My friend was still nursing her son when he was two, what caused her to stop was during a church camp, I was watching the kiddos in the nursery and he came up to me and asked for "ninny bottles", I told him I didn't have any and he told me "yes you do, right there" and pointed to "them". Then he told me that "my mommy lets me suck on her ninny bottles"
I told her about it and she had him weaned by the next week.

Be the parent, not the bottle, find something to occupy her instead of your breasts.