Do We Wait to Wean?

It's time he learns some manners.
Milk on demand at this age - it's getting kind of rude - which is why it's starting to irk you.
Two is certainly not a newborn or even a small baby.
Terrible twos is tough enough all by itself.
While it's up to you - I think it's weening time.
Transition might be a little tough - but you'll get through it.
At two - it's not always about soothing them.
A little crying never hurt anyone.

I agree with B. Really and truly, this is about comfort, and he isn't going to be comforted by anything else until you require it of him by weaning. Decide when you are going to wean and then do it. Put bandaids on your nipples and tell him "Mommy has an owie" and let that be it. Put him on whole milk - he needs the fat content. Warm the milk for a while until he gets used to drinking it cold.

ouch. this is wrong - sorry. Your son has no manners. And it reminds me of the mom in "Grown Ups"
https://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video?fr=mcafee&amp...

sorry - but your son REALLY needs manners.

As to when to wean? that's all up to you. If you want to continue breast feeding, that's GREAT!! TOTALLY support you on that one - but your son needs manners. If he reaches up your shirt? TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE.

The question is - are you producing milk or are you just giving him something to suck on? I was pregnant with my second and in my 2nd trimester when I weaned my oldest. He was just over 2 years old. My milk supply had not stopped, but it was not a lot of milk.

So it's pretty typical for a child to display these behaviors right before a growth milestone. Manners have nothing to do with it, he's two. You can and should have your own personal boundaries regarding nursing now, because after the first year it becomes more of a relationship since they don't need it primarily for nutrition. In that sense, you can teach him to accept no for an answer, and you're doing all the right things there. He will eventually accept other forms of comfort, it just might take some persistence on your part. I nursed all my kids well into toddlerhood, and it was the best thing for their health and well being. And they didn't wean themselves, I actively encouraged it by slowly cutting back. Sometimes it's two steps forward and one step back with that method but it worked for us. Also, check out Le Leche League for advice on nursing a toddler and weaning gently. Good luck!

weaning is such a personal decision, i really don't feel as if i can help with that bit of it.
i do think it's time to put some boundaries around it though. you're not his personal milk bar. it might be time to start nursing for his meals, but not randomly during the day for comfort (or whatever parameters you find sensible and work best for your schedule.)
extended nursing is just fine. but as he becomes vocal and able to sustain himself without just the breast he needs to expand both his palate and his comfort routines.
firmness and patience.
khairete
S.

Hi, I’m giving my advise~ take it or leave it, but to me it was the best decision I feel I had made as a mom. Luckily, these days breast feeding is much more acceptable. I breastfed my son til he was ready to quit. At times, my husband thought this was crazy, at times, I felt I had had enough, and boy~ I got criticized from my mother in law, and I got strange looks from some others ( Altho I was EXTREMELY discreet about continuing it this long. He breastfed for 4 years! Yup, you heard me, 4 years. He gradually just stopped, became disinterested, but he was never sick during that time (my sister, a Lamaze teacher, encouraged me, or I probably wouldn’t have lasted that long truthfully). There are ALOT of good antibioties in your breast milk for a baby. He may be teething and that’s why he wants to more. It soothes him. My son is 26 years old as of last week. We are still VERY close and I believe it was that bond that did it. Also, some another advice is~ never stop hugging him (even when in junior high & high school~ always say~ I need this.)There will be a time when he doesn’t want to during teenage years but continue hugging discreetly (not in public or in front of his peers) & always give him undivided attention. One day, hopefully, he’ll surprise you as an adult and come for his hug first. My son always does now & he’s married! (to a beautiful woman who I hug too!) my son called me nites during the time he was at college, too. I sincerely believe that our bond all started with breastfeeding. Best of luck to you.

I found that before I was a parent, I had a lot of opinions about the way that I would raise my child. Many of those opinions were either unrealistic or based on what I saw in other people's kids, and did not work for my kid or my situation.

I suggest that you let go of what you thought you would do and "goals" that you set. Focus on you and your child now - what do you think is the right think to do, for him and for you, now that you are actually in the situation? Do you mind nursing him? Does it bother you and you want to stop? If so, then read up on weaning and start cutting back (kellymom.com has great resources). Or are you OK with it but want him to start using his words and not just grabbing you? Are you OK with it, but want him to keep to a schedule - in which case you might start to show him a digital clock and tell him "you can nurse when this number (the hour number) is a 2." or something like that when he asks for milk. Or, if your only concern is public perception of extended nursing but you are really OK with him asking you for comfort in this way anytime he needs it, that is ok too. Think about what you really want right now, forgetting about arbitrary goals, and work towards that.

My sister in law breasted her daughter until the age of 5. She came up with a rather unconventional method to wean her: put bandaids on her nipples and said they were hurt!

I weaned my kids around 14 months, but they were ready. I first limited feedings to only morning and bedtime, and later only at bedtime. Eventually, we stopped altogether.

I don’t think there’s a right or wrong way to do it. It’s a very personal decision.

Hello, let me begin by saying that it’s great that you were able and willing to breastfeed, not everyone can. For me, breastfeeding was something I truly enjoyed, I was nourishing my child with my own body, wow! And the closeness I felt! It was magical . With that said I know not everyone feels the same way, this is only my experience. I decided to breastfeed as long as possible, probably two years, but as it turned out it went on until my son turned four. I use to feel embarrassed to admit to anyone that he was breastfeeding, feeling I HAD to give explanations to people but I now realize, I did what felt best for my son and for me, every case is unique and you will know when to stop, people are all different and they all have different beliefs, opinions, experiences, so... listen to your own inner guidance, I hope this helps a little 💕

Not sure this will make you feel better but I nursed my youngest daughter until the age of 3. I broke my wrist and was on narcotic pain meds and told her I couldn’t nurse her anymore because I was on meds. At 3, I could reason with her.😉

I weaned around one but mine had lost interest.

Mine were never obsessed or frantic for breastfeeding - so I can't comment on that. However one of mine was obsessed with soothers and had a physical need to suck for comfort around age 2.

He had fluid in his ears and would become frantic if he couldn't find his soother. He actually had sucked his soothers so much he'd made holes in them - that's how we weaned him off them actually by saying they were broken. So if you put bandaids on your nipples, that might just actually work (as someone suggested below)!