I don't want to breastfeed forever!?

Question

My son will be one year in about three weeks and I am not sure how to go about weening him. It took him and I about three months to get nursing down and now I am not sure how to go about stopping. Everyone else I've talked to said that their children weened themselves but I find that he is a bit addicted to the breast and I really just do it out of habit. He is drinking out of a sippy cup and he will take a bottle when he has a babysitter; but I am planning on going back to work and feel a year of nursing is enough. I do love breastfeeding and will be a little sad when we won't have that time together but practically speaking it can't go on forever; I've heard the longer you wait the harder it is. Can someone please give me some tips...I am willing to go gradually but not willing to nurse until he is 4! Thanks in advance;)

I knew I came to the right place for answers! Just to rest some concerns he is eating solids throughout the day and we have cut our feedings to about 1/2 what they were...it really is the night time and naptime that is the problem...and how do I ease engorgement, lettuce leaves? Your ideas so far are great and I will start on many of them in a few weeks; probably not cold turkey though, really for my own selfishness and not his...not ready to cut the apron strings completely lol! Thanks again!

Holy SH*t I knew I would get a breastfeeding freak sooner or later: Lithiam, seriously. I never said that my son was addicted to breastmilk only that he is addicted to the breast, just as a figure of speech since he doesn't always need feeding, just comfort. I understand the complete benefits of breastmilk but I don't think that my child should be able to lift up my shirt saying 'booby mommy' If I had asked this question when he was 2 you would probably be b*tching that I should wait til he's 3 or 4, or hell let's wean him when he's in gradeschool! Get a grip, I'm a pro-nursing mother who just had a simple question, I'm not on here to be lectured by some breastfeeding Nazi!

Answer 1

The longer you go, the harder it will be. I know this one!!! There is no doubt about it. If he will take a bottle and a sippy cup, then give him these instead. It probably will not be as hard as most are that wait longer and have breastfed without a bottle or sippy cup. Just tell him he has to take the bottle and cup. When he disputes it, take him and hold him similar to the way you do when you breatfeed and give him the bottle or cup. Babies should be broken from the bottle as well at one year, so try to stick with the sippy cup as much as possible. Stay consistant with it even if he cries or it will set the process back majorly. I had a hard time taking the bottle away, I told them that the dog got it and took it away. The hardest was nap time and bed time. Good luck and God Bless.

Also, get a back brace that is all cloth that you can wrap around your breasts. This will help them not be so sore and not leak milk. Only take it off during your shower. Make it as tight as possible. This is what I had to do, and within a few weeks, they were not sore a bit.

Answer 2

Ohh so a year is enough for a growing child eh?
"Everyone" you've talked to does such and such eh?
Not sure how to go about it eh?

First, babies are not addicted to breastmilk, breastmilk is a natural antibiotic, carries EVERY nutrient needed for the childs growth (so solid food is great but needs vast improvement, see breastmilk means about 1/2 to two thirds less waste or poop and pee because breastmilk is a better mix of ingrediants.) and soothes the stomach when adjusting to solids. So your boob is acting as; Tums, pain killer, vitamins, and supplements for what solids are not providing his body during the day. Addiction is an ineffective and sad terminology, he is not sick nor out of his right mind to need your breastmilk.

Second, what others do in life is rarely perfect and often WRONG. People swear by thier methods and blah blah blah. Doctors encourage one year of breast feeding in America but rarely explain that two years is optimal for health and bone density (better then milk does a body good ad, breastmilk isn't made from a veggie/hormone fed cow it is designed for a baby in the first place.) and that in most countries the last year is Supplemental to food (i.e. for a mild cold a baby might nurse for a week and then not want to nurse much for several weeks) and in addition to solids for the transition to solids can cause allergies asnd breastmilk can act as a filter (help reduce serious allergies). Lots of doctors simply do not want to bother with the information because it is recent, done in other countries, and moms are touchy customers (lawsuits.)

Your child can and will adjust to weaning, you could make it harder on both of you and try every method on the block but if you simply read a little, ask a few doctors about the benefits of the second year of breastfeeding (try a LaLeche League leader) or a birthcenter about the subject you might find that your child would adjust if you breastfed for a few minutes at a time and after a few months instead of 10 minute feedings he would be less then 5 and in 6 months maybe nurse less then once a week and you're done before two anyway and without any crying, or pushing, or health risks that you are unaware of.

Answer 3

Since he's using a cup and bottle now try steadily reducing to only a night feeding. Hopefully it will only take a couple days. When he comes to nurse in the day be ready to hand him a cup or bottle and hold him a few minutes ot distract him some other way. Once it's just nights naturally work it down to shorter sessions, you produce less milk as well. I think with my son I switched to having Dad take him up with a bottle of water for a few days. We really never had a problem. It wasn't quite self weaning but it was a very quick habit to break, especially ocne they figure out they don't have to stop playing to get a drink. Just try to be patient and Consistent. It may take a little longer but but it happen.

Answer 4

I gave my daughter a bottle or a sippy cup for 1/2 of each feeding. Meaning, instead of cutting out an entire feeding like many suggest, I just cut out nursing on one side. This was every three days. It took a little over a month to wean her completely, and neither of us had any problems. She never missed it, and I never had any engorgement. You can still have cuddle time with him and read stories together. Make sure that you always offer heim a drink and meal and snack times so he gets enough fluids.

Answer 5

do a slow wean because your breasts will need to adjust. Slowly elimate one feeding every 2-3 days for a fast wean or one feeding a week for slow weanings. Substitute with a sippy cup of milk. If you want to wean cold turkey then you need to pump and dump slowly working down to no pumping. You just basically work towards no feedings slowly. If he is already taking a bottle and sippy cup that makes it a lot easier because you won't have to introduce either of those to do the weaning so just slowly back off so your breasts don't get painful.

Answer 6

My daughter, too, nursed past one year just out of habit. When I got tired of it, I started giving her Cheerios with milk on it when she wanted to nurse. She might have whined a little, but she actually made the transition quite well. Within a few days, we were down to nursing just before bedtime. Then, one night she fell asleep without nursing and that was that.

Answer 7

Just tell him all his milk will now come from a sippy cup. He's a big boy now.
Hold him close to you when he his drinking it, you still can have bonding time. Just have patience and don't give in once you tell him that you will no longer be feeding him from your breast. Good luck you can do it.

Answer 8

Well, he should be eating solid food by now, right? At least baby food, I know, can start at 6 mo. So, as he gets his nourishment elsewhere, he should slowly need less and less.....by now, you could be nursing only b/f he goes to bed...and eventually, b/f too long, he wont need that anymore, and it'll just be done.
The more he gets his nourishment from solid food, the less he'll have room for milk, I'd think.

Answer 9

It is time to stop. Just give him a bottle when he wants milk. After he has had something to eat, snuggle with him but keep your shirt buttoned up. Give him a pacifier during that time too and that will help with the sucking motion. If he won't take a pacifier, give him a bottle of water. Its hard but you really have to be firm in this. We stopped nursing during the day and just nursed at night, then gradually that stopped to. Just a suggestion.

Answer 10

Kellymom.com has great info on weaning

Weaning: How does it happen?
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/weaning/how_weaning_happens.html