How Do I Wien My Son of Nursing?

Updated on April 18, 2007
E.R. asks from Ogden, UT
7 answers

i have a 1 year old son, and its getting almost unbearable to nurse him now that he has over 7 teeth. he bites, but i know he doesn't mean to, and it just seriously hurts. he's made me bleed a few times, and i just know that its the right time to start getting him off the nursing. i just don't know how to do it.

another problem i'm having is how do i get him out of our bed? he ended up being a bed baby when he was a few months old, which i thought at the time was a bad habit but whatever. now that he is a year old, he refuses to sleep in his crib in his own room and its putting a lot of stress on me and my husband's relationship. we hardly remember when the last time we cuddled in bed was. we haven't fallen asleep holding each other in a real long time. its something that has been bothering me for a while, and i just ignored it at times. but now that we are thinking about maybe having more children, anthony needs to be in his own room sleeping. are there any ideas of getting my son to stay in his crib the whole night? he will start off in our bed, we will move him when he is sleeping, then he wakes up in the middle of the night and won't go back to sleep until he is in the bed with us. i just don't know how to do it and what to do. please help.

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C.T.

answers from Denver on

I understand your situation completely. I have two children and go with Dr. Sears philosophy. We loved having our children in our bed with us and it made nursing really easy. Please don't feel bad or feel you have to excuse doing this as in a lot of peoples opinion that is just a natural thing to do.

I wouldn't try and wean and move him to his own bed at the same time. I would get some of the books by Dr. Sears and Martha Sears (she is a mom and lactation consultant.)

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K.W.

answers from Salt Lake City on

Gradually start skipping a feeding, and decrease the amount of time he spends at the breats, he will still feel like he is getting something and you won't get engorged. Get him his own big boy cup.
About sleeping in his bed. Start putting him in his bed when he falls alseep. Then gradually start putting him in bed before he falls asleep. Start a new bedtime routine!

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A.O.

answers from Denver on

Babies are the most beautiful thing that a family has; but your hubby and you need to make the rules. Your baby will cry and it will break your heart, but it won't be forever. Our son has had a hard time getting used to his new bedroom. We are trying to spend more time on it, so that he can relate it to a nice place to be instead of just being the awful place where we leave him all by himself.

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K.D.

answers from Salt Lake City on

I weaned my daughter by first either delaying or skipping a nursing session (replace it with a sippy cup of milk). Every 2-3 days skip another that way he won't really realize what's going on and you won't become engorged. Most babies have one or two nursing sessions they are attached to (morning or bedtime) so leave that one until the very last session to be cut. My daughter was particularily attached to her morning feeding so we got down to only nursing once in the morning, then one day I just skipped it and then the next day I was uncomfortable so I nursed her. Then we went two days, then three and that was end of it. It took about a month and a half to totally wean her.

I don't have any advice on getting your son out of your bed, but I think it's best you do it now while he's still young.

Good luck!

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J.

answers from Salt Lake City on

I remember weaning my son at 14 months, and it was a little sad but a really important stage of our development. It gives your child independence and gives you back your body! This comes at a time when you need to re-connect with your husband too, so that will be good for everyone.

I would probably not try to wean and move him into bed at the same time, unless you're wiling to go cold turkey and have some sleepless nights while you're doing both. I would probably move him to the bed first, using the nursing to calm him and get him back to sleep. This may take some time, but you can also cut down on your nursing during the day (just cut out one feeding at a time, gradually going down to just nursing at night and then finally eliminating that. You will have to pump during this time but eventually your milk will decrease and stop). But I don't think I would get down to one nursing at nignt until you have him in his own bed for at least most of the night.

As for getting him into his own bed, just be patient and know it's going to take a few weeks at least. Start by staying in his room while he goes to sleep, no matter what it takes--nursing, laying with him on the floor, letting him fall asleep with you there, whatever you have to do to keep him there rather than in your bed. Then do the same when he wakes up at night. I have a friend whose 18 month-old wakes every morning at 4 and they bring him into bed, where he sleeps until 6:30. That may be your schedule for awhile, and then you can try to get him to sleep in his own room full time. This is worth doing for your own sleep and sanity, especially if you plan more kids!

My main advice is to be patient and take your time, don't expect it to change overnight since he has been doing both these activities for a full year! Give yourself 4-6 months and go slow. You may be surprised how quickly it goes, even with that kidn of a deadline.

Good luck!!

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M.C.

answers from Denver on

Hi,
There are 2 great books that can help you with weaning-
one is "The Thinking Woman's Guide to Nursing" and the other is "How Weaning Happens."
"The Brestfeeding Answer Book" is also a great source of information if you want to continue breastfeeding but stop the biting. You can teach your child how to breastfeed without biting.
See if your library has these books or if you can get them inexpensively on ebay or amazon.

There are also great books on the family bed and most of them devote at least a chapter to maintaining an intimate relationships while having a family bed. Doing a search on amazon for "family bed" gives a lot of great results for books.

Good Luck,
M.

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M.J.

answers from Salt Lake City on

Hi again,
Sounds like you and I have paralell universes! My son still sleeps in our room, but in his own bed. He is our last child, but loves to be near us. Maybe you can sneek in a quickie while he's in his own bed. LOL I've given in to the fact that he is most important and sex comes second(by choice!). I feel confidant that what love my hubby and I have will survive this!
Please write, M.

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