How Do I Get My Baby off the Breast?!

I allowed my child to self wean at her pace - she didn't completely end it until almost 4.5 y/o. Babies and toddlers generally WANT to nurse until at least 2 years old. Co-sleeping is what made our household never lack for sleep... and I was a single Mom for 2.5 years - never had sleep deprivation due to my child nursing - tho I did from working full time and going to school part time!

I think you should relax, and go with the flow. You've gone this long (congrats!) and this may be your last one. She's not ready to wean yet.

She is getting PLENTY of milk from you. What took an infant 30 minutes to consume will take your toddler less than 10 minutes. She is definitely using her Mommy as a safety net, comfort blankie, loving cuddles and as a place to refresh and reconnect with you. That is what babies and toddlers - if allowed to do, WILL do.

I'm pregnant with #2 and my now 5 y/o is talking about how sweet it will be to watch baby nurse, how happy baby will be while nursing - because she has wonderful and loving memories of her nursing, as do I.

The thing that helped me was my babysitter. I work from home and had a sitter so I could get things done. She started putting my son down for his nap - so no nursing there. Once that nurse went away, it was easier to drop others - for both of us; I was more comfortable NOT nursing at that time, and he knew he didn't need to so it was easeir for him as well. It's important to work to replace the nursing for comfort with some other form of comfort during the day, because I think it makes things easier at night. Not EASY, just easier.

I wouldn't say she's not average - she's just not like your other boys. She had a tough time with the reflux, so she needs some extra lovin. Good luck!

Kudos for nursing this long :) "Why do I want to wean?" That's the biggest question you need to ask yourself, along with "Do I really want to wean?" If you want to wean because everyone's telling you to, then IMO, that's not a good reason to take something away from your baby that she obviously still needs and very greatly wants. It's not ridiculous that she wants to nurse all night long; it's what babies/toddlers do. They're born with an innate need to suck and need to almost constantly. Even my 4yo son (who weaned at 2 1/2) sucks on his fingers, and I feel like it's a constant battle, but I also recognize that he's a kid, and kids are very oral. Have you considered a pacifier? Is she teething? That's prime molar age... :(

The first suggestion to you would be to try to get your daughter to start napping in her crib (if she doesn't already). When I was ready for my kids to be out of my bed, I started napping during the day in the crib, so they could get used to it. Once they napped fairly well, I would put them to bed at night (after nursing) in the crib. Both my babies were very different sleepers, so this process took different amounts of time, but I have to say that my 4yo sleeps with Daddy every night that he can while my 15mo daughter is perfectly happy in her crib for naps and the first part of the night.

When she wakes to eat (and she still does once each night), I nurse her lying down in my bed, so that we can both fall asleep if I choose to. More often than not, I put her back in her bed, then go back to sleep in my bed. I would just let her stay with me, but I'm a very light sleeper and don't get the sleep I need with someone else in bed with me. Yes, I nurse my 15mo once during the night, sometimes twice. Yes, she's genuinely hungry, as she gulps for 5-8 minutes before slowing down to comfort-suck and fall asleep. I don't say that to criticize or mock; I say that for your benefit, so you can feel like your 16mo nursing through the night is NORMAL :) Adults don't generally go 12-14 hours without eating, so why should we expect a 16mo to?

As far as her getting no milk, you'd be surprised how much milk your daughter is still getting. Believe it or not, you're probably producing almost as much as you did when she was 9mo; it's just in different quantities because your daughter nurses less often :)

I agree with Pamela that you should relax a little, but if you need to wean to do that, that's ok, too. Weaning in your house probably needs to start with the nights, especially since you didn't mention how often she nurses during the day. A friend of mine's son just night-weaned at 18mo, and she told him that the milk goes night-night, but it'll be awake when it's light out. She said he's doing surprisingly well, but I don't think I would try this kind of logic with her right away, cold turkey. Just some ideas, but try not to do a sudden weaning, as it could lead to all the problems we all try to avoid throughout nursing: plugged ducts, engorgement, etc. Good luck :)

Maybe it's comforting to nurse from you because it's one of the few things that doesn't upset her sensitive digestive system. What about weaning her from the night (she's old enough...not a true hunger issue, just habit I assume) and let her nurse during the day? I nursed mine both much longer (almost 2 and 2 1/2) because it was a wonderful bond and much cherished one-on-one quiet time in addition to the health benefits. I read No Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley (or something very close to that) for great ways to get them to sleep through the night without the nursing/waking. Good luck!

Don't you love the responses that tell you to keep breastfeeding, like it's any of their business??
My DD is 14 months - still nursing. I have decided to wean her once the flu season is over since she has a big brother in Kindergarten who comes home with some type of germs twice a month.
Meanwhile, you need to take baby steps - pun intended! Get her sleep trained to sleep through the night FIRST, then move on to weaning.
Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child is a great book with more than one technique and has variations based on age. I had to go the cry-it-out route with both of my stubborn kiddies. Perhaps you feel guilty or sorry for your baby because of the acid reflux issue which makes it tough for you to set boundaries.
Anyway - I am a bit worried about weaning my baby too because she doesn't like milk but will drink water or juice from any type of cup we give her. My Pediatrician told me we could skip milk if we feed her enough dairy items like yogurt and cheese - however my hubby thinks that milk is mandatory....*sigh*
So, you are not alone. I would definitely get Babykins sleeping through the night first and then tackle weaning. Hang in there!
Does your baby have a "security item" like a teddy bear or blankie that soothes her? They help a lot!

Can you send dad in to comfort her at night? This will probably take few days but if you aren't available she can't nurse. I know she will cry and be upset but she shouldn't have been having nighttime feedings this long IMO. My son is 4 months and gets up once a night. I don't know how often you nurse during the day but I would sit and rock her or lay with her. You need to let her know you are no longer supplying her milk but will still comfort her in other ways.
Good luck!