what should I do to wean my daughter from breastfeeding?

Question

She will be 2 next week. She eats everything, drinks milk and juice and doesn't fall asleep without nursing. I breastfeed her twice a day, at nap time and again at bedtime. She doesn't sleep through the night yet. I want to wean her from breastfeeding.
Any tips or any suggestions? Thanks.

Answer 1

Try not to breastfeed her as much anymore. If she throws a fit and everything just do your best to try to find other things that may entertain her. And about trying to get her to sleep, sing a lullaby or put on some music. Maybe you should have those things over her bed that spin and maybe it will make her tired looking at it.

Answer 2

My daughter is 19 months old and still breastfeeding, too. I kind of want to wean her, too, especially since I'm pregnant now, and it's starting to hurt a bit!

First, I weaned her at night. No more night feedings (except when I am putting her to sleep.) I just cut her off cold turkey. It took about a week, and she still wakes up and cries sometimes, but only for a minute or two.

Next, they say to just do the "don't offer, don't refuse" method. You basically keep them busy and offer juice and food and milk in a sippy cup, and try to keep them from wanting to stop and breastfeed. This seems impossible for me, since as soon as I get home, by baby says "mama?" and wants to breastfeed immediately.

They say not to sit in your favorite nursing chair or spot on the couch, and just try to keep the little one busy and distract them with other stuff.

I'm hoping she will wean herself because they say that around 60% of babies who are still breastfeeding when the mom is pregnant will wean themselves because the taste of the milk starts to change!

Good luck!

Answer 3

My daughter is 2 years and 2 months and STILL breastfeeding 8 times a day (2-4 of those at night). From what I've read, cold turkey seems like the only way it will work. I haven't tried it yet because I'm not that adamant about stopping. But when I'm ready, it will be the unhappy path I will take.

I tried to give her a bottle of milk/water at night. Didn't work. I tried to hold her and comfort her in other ways. Didn't work. I tried to distract her with meals, toys, etc. Didn't work.

I think your desire to stop and your child's personality will determine the best route for you.

I had hoped that mine would stop on her own but it doesn't seem likely at this point. I am not looking forward to weaning because I expect it to be a little struggle...

Good luck.

Answer 4

At 2 your daughter should have a good amount of teeth so that is important for her to discontinue the breastfeeding for starters now. I would suggest substituting the breast with a sippy cup. She should be old enough to hold one and can be told that she's a big girl now and big girls use cups. Definitely do NOT give a drink right at bedtime. That will be tougher to toilet train when she fills up then and it is bad for her teeth just before bed to lay down with liquid coating on teeth and gums.

Answer 5

wow- 2 and doesn't sleep through the night? I hope mine is sleeping through by then, I have a boy and girl twins, I am tired. As far as weaning, the other answers sound good, just have to make it less and less, let her cry and say, that is that, they understand a lot at two. Personally, I would feel odd with that big of child latching on. But your child is gonna probably be super smart and healthy!!! :-)

Answer 6

do you watch Supernanny? The season finale was actually about a mom who ran a daycare and had an 18 month old who was still breastfeeding.....on demand, and mostly because mom still wanted her to nurse. Anyway, she (the mom) thought it was going to be a hard emotional roller coaster to stop breast feeding, because she knew her baby would cry and throw a fit. Supernanny told her simple things, like hold her close or have a bottle of milk (maybe warmed milk would work better...) and place it on her chest, as if the baby were nursing.....if that didnt work, then just hold her and move with her.....took about an hour, but they baby finally went to sleep...

I breastfeed my son too...he is only 8 months old and seems to be weaning himself. he gets baby food 2 times a day....breakfast/lunch and then dinner...always dinner, but either breakfast or lunch....friuts, then veggies for supper. he only wants to nurse when hes going to sleep for nap time or when he wakes up at night. He only nurses about 8 or so times a day.

Somethings i would try and are going to try when that time comes for me....

When your giving your baby some milk, drink some with her, tell her big girls drink this....monkey see monkey doo

offer fresh fruits....my son enjoys bananas, peeled stawberries and cut up apples and pears....by themselves and together.....there are these things by Munchkin you can get..they are called fresh food feeders....its a mesh sac with a handle and you put whatever you want in it, clip it shut and hand it to baby.....the mesh makes the food mushy....great for occupuying baby, but a pain to clean

I am by no means an expert, as I only have ONE.....just some thoughts tho....GOOD LUCK

Hopefully when you do get your baby weined from nursing, you can look at it as an goal achieved...you've given your child the best start in life!

Answer 7

Luckily, you have already started the process by having her eat alternative nutrition!
Here are some tips I got from the web:
Allow several weeks of concentrated time and attention to the process of weaning. Any baby who has nursed for a year or more is obviously really into it, and isn't likely to give it up easily.

Don't offer, but don't refuse. Nurse him only when he is really adamant about it, but don't offer to nurse at other times.

Make sure that you offer regular meals, snacks and drinks to minimize hunger and thirst.

Try to change your daily routine to minimize situations where he wants to nurse. Does he want to nurse when he is bored? Try distracting him with a snack or a walk outside. Do you usually lie down with him at naptime? Try reading him a book or rocking him instead.

If Dad is around, encourage him to take an active role in weaning. Have Dad try to put him back to sleep if he wakes during the night. If he nurses first thing in the morning, try letting Dad get him up instead of you and feed him breakfast.

Watch his preferences and respect them. If he is having a really hard time giving up the first thing in the morning nursing, you may want to continue that one for a while rather than force the issue.

With older toddlers (two years plus) you can begin by setting limits on nursing. For example, you can say "We'll nurse when we get home, but not at the mall." Substitute nursing on demand for nursing at your convenience.
Shorten the duration of any given feeding. Say "That's enough, now." and gently remove the breast from his mouth.

Good luck!!!

Answer 8

merely pass slowly, it took me 2 months to wean my daughter and it grew to become into extra handy for the two me and my daughter you may desire to first cut back the night feeding, she is oftentimes bf for convenience. while she wakes up, do no longer furnish the breast, rock her and attempt to get her back to sleep (it is going to on no account be straight forward). Then after some weeks, cut back one bf a week and shop the in the previous mattress feeding for final. initiate introducing some entire milk at nutrients, entire milk shouldn't replace the breastfeeding consultation, it would properly join her nutrients (not extra then 15 oz..consistent with day). once you chop back a feeding, furnish you daughter a snack, decide for a walk. the key is to distract your daughter while she needs to BF. I merely weaned my daughter, 2 days in the past and he or she nonetheless needs to bf even nevertheless it happens merely as quickly as an afternoon now provided that I did it extremely slowly.

Answer 9

There will be some crying. You just have to accept it. But it only lasts for a few days. It seems like an eternity when you're going through it, but it's really not that long.

I established a night routine - brushing teeth, snuggling and reading a book and then to bed. She cried. It took some will power, but I just stayed out of her room and listened to her cry. It got steadily lower in pitch and intensity and she quieted down after about 5 to 10 minutes. Obviously if it continues for a long time and she's just getting hysterical you go in and comfort her, but try to let her cry it out. It took about a week, but now I can just put her in her bed and she settles down to sleep after about 30 seconds of fussing to let me know she disapproves of her bedtime.
If you don't want to do that, you could rock to sleep, but with a new little one on the way, you may not want to establish that as a routine.

Answer 10

The only thing you can do is the inevitable: stop offering her the breasts. Its a good thing she eats everything and I really appreciate ur giving her to this age. Now, she won't miss it much, at least, nutrient-wise.
When she wants to sleep and u refuse to give her, she'll cry and U'll find a way of pacifyng her maybe by rocking her or probably if u have someone else around, let the person help u put her to sleep. this won't last for more than a few days and soon, she'll get used to not having it. Trust me, it won't take more than 2-3 days for her to forget it.