Any Mom Who Has Advice!!!

Just offer fluids in the sippy cup. Relax about the milk. Neither of my kids are crazy about milk. Just offer lots of water and juices... You can even find them fortified with Calcium if you are concerned. As for weaning. I weaned my 2.5 yr old by never sitting down around him for too long, be a moving target. Just go one nursing session at a time and get some help from your partner. I would have them help with putting down for naps/bedtime and offer a sippy before nursing.

If you child is taking it hard, maybe consider nursing longer. When they are ready, they really do give it up easily. My 1st really didn't protest and my second son is still nursing at 22 months, but it's becoming less and less. I'm thinking he will be weaned soon on his own.

With my first, I discovered that if I gave him juice in a bottle he was tempted enough to actually drink it (though he would never drink a bottle of milk). Once he would take the bottle with juice, I slowly started adding milk -- first just a fourth of it was milk, then a half, eventually he took straight milk from a bottle. This same method might work with a cup. Sadly, with my second there was absolutely nothing that would make her give in except for going cold turkey!

Use a Sippy Cup. You can also mix your milk with soy milk... This will help with the taste.
Stay away form chocolate milk. This can promote tooth decay.
Good luck
B.

I tried to quit at 18 months..first time she got the flu so it was comforting to continue and that's all she would eat. Second time I got mastitis so had to keep going. Third time we were out of town it was 1am and it was the only way she would sleep. About a week later (at 21 months) she turned away from it and we were done! By this point it was naptime and nighttime only sice she was drinking other liquids and eating solid foods. My daughter is very independent and does everything cold turkey when she's ready then there's no regression. I know not to try to get her to do anything she's not trying on her own because I'll be met with resistance. Good luck!

I had this problem with my second daughter... I eventually had to go cold turkey, she left me no other option. My daughter refused to eat for about a day and a half. I called her ped in tears and felt terrible. She eventually gave in and today she loves milk. I think it was strawberry milk that she first started drinking. For the sake of your sanity I hope someone else will have better advice for you... If not, hang in there! -J..

I am currently weaning my 13 month old as well and it is not easy. My daughter has never seen a bottle although she does take a paci. It has not been as tough for her as I thought it would be, honestly, I am having a harder time than her.
I chose to eliminate one feeding a weekish. The first to
go was the "snack boob" at 4 pm, then the "lunch boob" at noon, next the "breakfast boob" in the morning, and I am still working toward ending the "bedtime boob". I am trying to get her used to eating a little fruit like my older two do, and then nursing, and then we brush teeth. That way she does not nurse as long because of the small bedtime snack. The brushing of the teeth is just helping her to settle into a new bedtime routine, I hope! When you give her a sippy cup with milk try doing like a 75% breastmilk 25% whole milk mixture and as she gets used to that slowly increase the whole milk and decrease the breast milk. Also use a soft spouted sippy. Hope something in here helps you.

Well, I did go cold turkey at 20 months because I just kept losing weight and was very tired. My daughter cried one night and really wanted to nurse but my PA said just tell her the nursing went bye bye. So, 24 hours later and believe it or not- nursing went bye bye. I mourned that special time but was very proud of myself for sticking to what I needed. We were all happier. If you have a partner/husband, make sure they support you through the process.

Good Luck!

A good way to start is with "don't offer, don't refuse" combined with distraction. Basically... you never offer the breast, but you never refuse to nurse when she seems to really need to. If possible, then distract her with another activity.

I haven't personally weaned either of my daughters yet, but I have friends who have and they started with the method I mentioned - which is also what I plan on doing when we get to that point. My friends also didn't wean their children to the bottle. Then you just have to wean them from the bottle later on. All my friends' children went straight from the breast to a sippy and then to a regular cup.

Best wishes!
~B.

try goats milk only milk my son would take for awhile

Have you tried placing your breast milk into a bottle with a silicon nipple, about as large as your breast, warming it with your hand- yet? (Slowly replacing it with a new drink that is a different milk source, or with just a cup rather than the bottle at all.) Sometimes it takes a bit of you to get a child to step away. At 15 months, your child should be easily using cups. Have you tried giving him something exciting and new to drink, too (Small doses) like juice, with a spill proof cup?

A lot of babies LOVE how easy your breast is, and simply refuse to take on the challenge of being forced to work for their meal.

Does she like solid foods? If so, perhaps you can leak out some forumla into the mixture of the food, to add the nutrients you will be holding back with your breast milk. You have to let go, and let her start learning on her own, that you're not going to be her breast milk Mommy--forever.

A.,

This sounds a little cold hearted, but when she's thirsty enough she'll drink. You might also try having your husband offer a bottle, or sippy cup, whatever you plan to use. I've been told that an infant can smell her lactating mother from around 20 feet away. I don't know if that's true or not.

I don't really know what to tell you, both my kids weaned themselves before one year old.

Good luck,
Melissa

Hi A.,

You may have solid reasons to consider weaning your toddler: like perhaps your toddler is biting your breasts and she won't stop, no matter what you try. This happened to a close friend of mine.

Aside from that, have you considered continuing to nurse your toddler? This is called extended nursing. Most children, throughout the world, are commonly nursed until they are 4 or 5 years old. This is *normal*. It is only in this country (and a few others) that children are weaned prematurely. The first set of teeth that a child has are called "baby teeth", or "milk teeth". They are called milk teeth because most childen in the world nurse until they are about five years old. I know that sounds utterly ridiculous (and even shocking!) to most Americans, but after eduating myself on the amazing nutritional aspects of mother's milk, including the fact that breastfed toddlers suffer fewer ear infections, get sick less, and have higher I.Q.s than prematurely weaned children, I realized that nursing my babies longer just made sense.

Nursing is SO important to babies and toddlers...as I'm sure you know, nursing is so much more than just the milk. Nursing is a whole special relationship, a special closeness between mother and child, that will be remembered forever. When a child gets an "owie" or is embarrassed or needs emotional comforting, the breast is where the child turns. It is not just the milk, but it is emotional and psychology comfort. A child needs this for years. Nursing is actually a very, very small part of your child's life, yet so very important. I would urge you to consider continuing to nurse your little one. Don't worry, she will stop when she is ready. You won't be nursing her in 1st grade or at her high school graduation! (ha ha). It is wonderful when children can self-wean, and so good for them, and for you, too! I nursed both of my children until they were 3 and 4 years old. It was a tremendous gift for both of them, and very convenient for me, too. And what beautiful memories of such a special relationship. Juice, cow's or soy milk or water can never compare to the uniqueness of "liquid gold".
You can find great extended nursing support at your local La Leche League, through www.compleatmother.com, and through Mothering Magazine.

Two great articles to enjoy:
http://naturalchild.com/guest/norma_jane_bumgarner.html

http://www.llli.org//NB/NBJanFeb98p23.html

Warm wishes to you and your little one,
A.
Mother of two girls, ages 5 and 3 (joyfully still nursing)

You might try ending daytime nursing first, then after a week or two end the night time nursing. That is basically what I did with my son. Daytime was through necesity (job related), I was just not around and he was getting older. Also, he drank cow's milk, so I didn't have to worry so much. He nursed first thing am, first thing before bed, and overnight once or twice for a while. At the age of 17 months I decided that enough was enough. With the way my son was...needing to nurse all the time for comfort...i had to do it cold turkey after the daytime had initially decreased to mornings and evenings. He had a VERY hard time the first two nights, but after that, he was fine. He did not sleep through the night until after I quit nursing...and form about the 4th day of weening him, he slept right through and has ever since. The other person who responded is right. If you daughter is thirsty enough, she will drink. It will probably be easier at least over night to offer water instead of milk. I would leave milk for a daytime thing. After all, you dont' want to be giving her milk in the middle of the night with lots of teeth anyway...right? My son was very stubborn and determined. He was VERY upset and perhaps hysterical the first night...not so bad the second. as soon as he realized i wasn't giving in, he quit trying to get it. I had my mother (was living with her at the time) sit with him during those hard times so that I could go into another room. Perhaps your husband (boyfriend, whatever)can do that for you. It really helped me because my son could not see the source of the breastmilk and it helped me because I did not have to watch him suffer. I could hear him, so if I needed (and I did the first night) I could cry by myself without him seeing me upset. That way things did not get worse. It is a very emotional time for both mother and baby. Being seperated during the times he wanted to nurse really helped us. I could not have done it without help. I think that your daughter will likely start drinking cow's milk when she realizes that she will not be able to get it from you anymore. The water seems to help with the feeling that it is not a "replacement" for mom...or something like that. Good luck.

I would cut out one nursing session every few days or so. Eventually only nursing at bedtime. For every other time, give her pumped breast milk in a "big girl" cup that she helps you pick out. Splurge and let her pick out whatever character cup, or the Playtex create-my-own cup with your picture in it. You can also later change that to watered down juice or gradually dilute the breast milk with regular milk. When she wants to nurse during the day, offer her warm breast milk in her special big girl cup and tell her you are busy doing...(whatever). She won't feel so rejected if you really are busy. Make her see that the advantage to a big girl cup is that she can have the milk at the park, at the store, etc...

Good luck!