Baby Won't Wean, I'm Ready

Sorry...I say let her keep nursing. The benefits are SOOOO huge, especially since she's eating regular people food already. There can be some emotional issues to deal with down the road if baby is foced to wean earlier than s/he is ready. So, proceed with caution!

I would suggest having someone else give her, her first couple of sippies when your not around. I was lucky enouph to have a mom do this for me. The first day my son barely ate anything, but the 2nd and 3rd day he knew he didn't have a choice. If your around they know that the food comes from you, so they won't take it. I'm not suggesting leaving for a weekend or anything, maby just for 1 or 2 feedings once a week or so until she gets more comfortable with a different feeding method. This was the only thing that got my son on the sippy. I hope this helps.

my first born wouldnt wean either. I had to quit cold turkey. It was so hard! When it was feeding time my husband would do the feeding and I would try not to be anywhere around. as long as he saw me it made it more difficult- and my guilt was something awful. I think its great that your baby is on people food- get rid of the baby food. eat your meals together- offer the sippy cup with meals. as long as she is getting 24 oz a day thats all thats needed. Just set your goals and ask for help from your hubby, family and friends. Good Luck!

You need to replace your nursing sessions with food, not beverages, once she is 1 yr. Start by eliminating the easier sessions first, one at a time. You may have lengthen your time table some. I would suggest eliminating one nursing every couple of weeks.

Katie has good advice about having her take more foods. BFeeding is also about emotional connection and habit, in addition to the milk they receive. My son nursed until 2 (!)even tho he was eating table foods and taking sippy cups. I just started weaning him from any nursing sessions other than nap, and bedtime. You need to distract them, put them in the car seat, or separate them from you in another way if they start going for the boob for emotional/habit need. Then I started putting him down for naps by driving him, so to eliminate the nap-nursing connection. Have other put them down too. It took a really long time to get him to drop his before the bed. That was a whole other trick--telling him "no boo" tonight and you can have a special treat in the morning, or having him hold a special toy while in bed. It took alot of talking and reasoning but he got it one day and never turned back!

Parenting books helped me find solutions, and breastfeeding sites too. Good luck!

Hey Lisa,

I haven't been there, so my methods are far from proven. However, if I were in your shoes I would try offering more "table food" soft fruits, veggies, plus whatever else she will eat. I don't know how often she's nursing, but if you chose to simply not let her nurse except at naptimes and bedtimes. Then offering the sippy, w/o the stopper if needed, at mealtimes and snack times.

Basically if she's eating food she'll be less hungry, and you can spread out the times you breastfeed. If she gets thirsty enough she will drink out of a cup. Just take it slowly and see what happens. I do suggest however that you don't even bother with the bottle, otherwise you'll need to wean her off that too. She's old enough to use a cup.

Hope this helps.

Hey Lisa,
I have to say - in this case- BABY K. BEST.
Ask yourself- Whats the hurry?
Why wean her now when your milk is made for her and is the best for her. I also don't blame her for snubbing jar babyfood. You have done a great job nursing your baby for this long. Many give up too soon. So GREAT JOB!
Keep nursing her, give it some more time- it is obviously what she needs now. Remember the day is going to come when she won't be nursing and needing you for that anymore. Be patient and give her the best.

I don't blame her for not eating jarred foods. Have you tasted them? Yuck! Just mash or puree what you are feeding your other kids (ex. veggie, fruits, chicken.) Sit her in her chair when the other kids are eating. Maybe she will learn by example. Also at this time offer her liquids in a cup with a straw (esp. if the other kids or you use one also.) My son never had a sippy cup or bottle, but would always try to drink out of my cup if it had a straw. In the meantime, don't let her nurse on demand. Try to get it down to nap and bedtime. This won't happen overnight but try to be consistant and see what happens.

Good luck.

When my son was a baby, he hated baby food! He only wanted to eat real people food, so I would mash up whatever we were eating and that is what he ate. My advice for weaning would be to have someone else patiently give her the bottle or cup without you in the house. They say that babies can smell if you are in the house and will always want to nurse if they can, but they will not let themselves starve, so when she gets hungry enough she will take the bottle or cup. I had to do this with my daughter when I had to return to work when she was three months old. She refused to take a bottle from me, but when hungry enough she would take one from someone else. Patience is the key, eventually she would take a bottle from me also. Good luck!

i can understand your frustration...but bear with her...she obviously needs the nursing still. Its not just about nutritional needs...the emotional need is just as important (as i'm sure you know)
my #3 is almost 16 months old and still likes to nurse and i'm over 16 weeks pregnant...so if you are looking to wean to get pregnant again, don't let that worry you : )
tandem nursing is not my goal but if that's what she needs...then far be it for me to stop her.
the more mobile & active my little girl is getting she's finding other things to do besides nurse...but once in a while still needs to connect...
enjoy it for now...all to soon they leave us for bigger & better things : )
hang in there

Try making your own baby food out of adult food just don't add all the spices to hers. I bought very little jarred baby food I always made my own, it's the best.

As far a weaning sometimes a little tough love has to be put into play. I know it would be hard but I remember girlfriends husband telling there son. "Hey dude time to give mom a break" and it seemed to work.

Best of luck

Well if she loves table food, then feed her more and more table food so she won't be as hungry. If she still wants to nurse all the time, then she might be using you as a pacifier. So try a pacifier.

Then set a few cups with juice around the house and if she wants to nurse then tell her not this time and give her the cup. Tell her that she's a big girl and must drink from a cup. Then tell her that if she drinks from the cup then you will let her nurse later....set up a schedule and then slowly work her off.

Hope that helps.

Well, I don't get the rush to wean, but try having someone else give her liquid, in bottle or cup. Not you. Might make a difference. Forget baby food - it's convenient sometimes, but wholly unnecessary. I don't think that's why she nurses so much. I think she needs to. She will stop, never fear, possibly all at once - one of mine did that, at about 14 months.

People foods are okay as long as the pieces are not large. Have you tried mixing in food or juice with the cereal? Some babies will accept a cup with a straw. Make sure that she gets a source of calcium like yogurt or cheese. My son loves to eat dole diced peaches fruit cup. I would try more grown up foods and slowly reduce the number of breast feedings.

Hello,I'm E. i HAVE 3 KIDS ALSO. ONE IS 7, MIDDLE ONE IS 3 AND MY 15 MONTH OLD BABY SHE STOP DRINKING BREAST MILK JUST 2 DAYS AGO,SHE STILL ASK FOR IT ,BUT COW'S MILK IS WORKING FINE FOR HER .HAVE U TRIED TO GIVE HER SOME MILK IN A SPOoN?? OR STRAW i DID THAT AND IT WORKED I HOPE SHE SOON TAKE HER BOTtLE.Do u have anybody at home to help u w/ the feeding probably she is not taking from the bottle because she K. u have the boobs.And of course she will cry but I say let her cry for a while

Oh I feel for you! I tried giving my daughter milk (a month)and she spit it out every time. Once right in my face. I was not happy!
I tried Silk soy milk very vanilla, fortified for kids. She liked it and now drinks 3 full sippy cups a day. I am very happy. She also would not drink out of sippy cups. I have a nice collection.:) I found that she likes drinking out of the straw cups only. Don't know why but it works.
About the weaning, I just stopped cold turkey. Weaning her wasn't working for her or me. I wasn't strong enough. I pumped twice a day for a week and then once a day and just slowing stopped. My daughter cried for a little bit I just told her no more mama's milk and handed her a sippy cup. She asked for it for about 2 days and that was it. Pretty painless. The bonus to weaning my daughter started sleeping through the night, YEAH!!! I haded had a full night sleep for over a year.
You have nursed her a long time. I was ready to quit at 9 months but my daughter wouldn't take anything else, so I waited till she was a year.
Oh yeah about solid food, your daughter will catch once she is weaned, mine did. She will survive!!
And so will you!
Good Luck!
S.