whats the best way to wean an "older" baby from breast feeding?

Question

my daughter is turning 3 in a few months! i never in a million years thought i'd be breast feeding a toddler. now i really think it's time for her and me....so what the best way... cold turkey or slowly cutting it out. i want to do whats best for her. i'd appreciate perfessional advice if possible too!!!

i don't leak any more no need for pads and i NEVER pump it is more like a comfort thing i think. are you guys for real about the hot sauce? she is extreamly attached and thats why i think i am going to have a hard time.

and she does drink from cups its not like that at all!

Answer 1

Good for you for nursing her so long! What a wonderful start you've given her.

All three of mine have nursed beyond a year too. I let mine all self wean. (Son weaned at 3 yrs 5 mos. Middle daughter weaned at 22 mos. Youngest daughter still nursing at 4 yrs 1 mos.)

Slowly and gently is the way to go.

How often does she nurse now? Does she nurse during the day or is it mostly sleep related?

Distraction and substitution may work. Get her out of the house at times she usually asks. Take a walk or go to the park. Go outside to play. "Head her off at the pass" and offer a snack or drink before she asks. Keep her really busy!

If she nurses to sleep, you may find that these are the sessions she is most attached to and will be the last ones you want to eliminate. Having dad's help with nighttime parenting might be good when you are ready to cut nighttime nursings out.

A few friends have had the "nee-nee fairy" (or whatever your child calls nursing) visit their house. The nee-nee fairy leaves special gifts for the child as they gently wean. Usually things related to bedtime for my friend's kids.....new PJ's, bedtime storybook, new stuffed friend to sleep with, etc. Then eventually the nee-nee fairy comes and leaves the biggest gift and the child is weaned.

You could also try a calendar and marking off days with her until the day you hope to have her wean. I know someone who did that with her 3 year old and another mom who did it with a 5 year old.

Check out this link:
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/weaning/index.html

ETA:

Ignore the folks who said hot sauce. That is cruel and disrespectful to your child. You want to end your nursing relationship on a positive note.

DO NOT wean cold turkey. That will be traumatic on her and hard on your body.

Answer 2

Here are a few links that may help.
Most sites I've checked out say the child will wean themselves
but sometimes need a little boost. They advise against going
cold turkey. Infections and such.

Answer 3

Ok, the best way to do it is Cold Turkey, because if she doesn't learn how to deal with change young, it may affect her harshly in the future. I would say a bottle of warm milk will help the process go a little bit faster. Considering that your child should be drinking from a cup at this point, I would also try a direct-to-cup method, but if that is unsucessful, then stick with the warm bottle

Answer 4

Just slowly cut it out by substituting something else when she would normally have the breast. It is most likely just a habit now and a comfort thing, but she no longer needs it, so just slowly distract her with something else and let your milk dry up.

Answer 5

My wife dictating to me:

A slow cutting it out will be less painful for you. If you can distract her during the day when she asks to nurse and just keep the comforting going-to-sleep feedings, which will be the last to go. The easiest way to distract a toddler is to plan fun activities away from home.

Answer 6

"In North America, with our fast and unhealthy lifestyles, there are so many opinions when it comes to breast feeding and other healthy natural activities. I read one of the Baby Center's bulletins about how we are behind the average length of time of 2-4 years of age for weaning, as a world average.

Answer 7

A three year old doesn't need a bottle either. Even your pediatrician will tell you not to give them a bottle. They're old enough to be using a sippy cup. My two year old grandson has been using a sippy cup for over a year. The best way to wean is just to explain to her that it's time to drink from a cup and go cold turkey. It worked for our kids and for our grandkids.

Answer 8

Babies usually wean on their own because the mothers body usually doesn't produce enough milk for them when they get big enough. is she a small baby? probably what you can do is say "all gone" so to speak and half way through give her formula or something mashed you know, baby food, mashed carrots... stuff like that. eventually she'll find her little tummy gets fuller faster with more solid food.
If it's the bonding tha tyou both like, I'd make sure that you're always close to her when you're feeding. I've also seen parents who make enough for both of them to share, so that it's like you're still sharing sometihng, you know? try that?
Good luck :)

Answer 9

My aunt had to to that for her daughter. So when she went to feed the baby, she layed down on her side on a bed with a pillow next to her. then she layed the baby next to the pillow and gave her a bottle. this was because the baby had something to feel against her body, and it wasnt her mothers chest or breast.

Answer 10

My mom used the hot sauce on the nipples bit.. it worked for my baby brother.. as for me.. I now love hot sauce..

I suggest you do it the cold turkey way, she'll soon forget all about it and move on to different things. I'm sure it'll be hard, but it's best for her if you do it this way. Good luck ;O)