Idea's on Weening a Child from Breast Feeding

I am dealing with similar issues with my 14 month old. She used to wake up in the night to eat and it was so easy to feed her and she'd go right to sleep. But I have succeeded in weaning her except for the before bed feeding. I found a little stuffed animal she likes and keep it tucked with us as I stand up (that is key, not sitting in the usual nursing spot) and rock her a bit and then lay her down. I sing the same song to her every time and she instantly has begun to rub her eyes as soon as I start. She rarely tugs at my shirt anymore and is drinking milk out of cup, she likes the ones with the straw. I offer it alot during the day, but don't try to at naptime. Just the singing and standing to rock. It has helped with the comfort nursing, just have to cut out the bedtime one now. She doesn't wakeup at night anymore and if she does she may cry a few minutes but goes back to sleep on her own. Hope this helps, good luck.

Hi! How great that you have breastfed this long!!!!! I don't have any experience (my son is just 3 months) but I have 3 suggestions.
The LC's at my support group talked about it with another mother one day and said that giving a time limit helps, "You can nurse for 5 minutes and then you have to stop". I guess they start to do it less and less. Also, giving her something else like water, juice, milk, every time before nursing will decrease her need to nurse. Or distract her with a toy for a while.
The Breastfeeding support groups at Community are open to anyone whether or not you delivered there. They have a group on Tuesdays designated to "been there, done that" over the age of three months and I'm sure that could help. Many of the moms are second time plus moms and the LC's are helpful. Send me a message if you want info on the groups.
Try a Le Leche League meeting. Don't know where you are, but Broad Ripple Meets the second Friday of the month and Castleton meets the 3rd Monday. Let me know if you want more info on those meetings as well.

Good Luck!

I'm glad to see a couple of AP responses since earlier this morning. I just don't believe in CIO if it's possible to avoid it. I have a 24 month old, and he still nurses at night. He also nurses more often than your DD - I'd be content with only 1-2 wakings every night!

Since you've gotten this far, I wonder what is motivating you to want to wean. Is it because of your in-laws? Is it because she's being rough? You have to be the one in charge of this - you can explain to your in-laws all the good reasons for nursing, or you can just tell them that it's your decision and you'll wean when you (or DD) are ready. As for the roughness, that's just something that you have to teach your DD not to do. We still deal with that occasionally.

I have thought of nightweaning on several occasions, especially when DS woke several times a night, every night. But I hung in there, because he needed it. Some children don't sleep through the night even when weaned, so I was afraid I'd find myself with a screaming child who couldn't be soothed any other way. You're going to go through some hard times if your daughter is unwilling to give up nursing. Someone else mentioned Jay Gordon's nightweaning plan - I would probably try that first if I were really determined to do it. Good luck. :)

Hi! I know what you are going thru! I nursed my son until he was just over 2 and my 3.5 year old daughter still nurses at night about twice a week for a "count to 5". First, don't feel like you have to wean because of outside pressure-this is a relationship between you and your child and no one else. If you are dissatisfied, definately do something but if both of you are happy I would perhaps just tell your child that you are only going to nurse at home or only when your are laying down together etc...A great website on weaning is Dr. Jay Gordon. He methods are very easy-going. I would google weaning and jay gordon. I would never ever let a child cry it out. They just don't understand why you are so loving and comforting at some times and then not at others. Your child needs you and sure they will learn to sleep thru the night but I believe that they also learn a sense of distrust. Both of my children (5 1/2 and 3 1/2) sleep beautifully from 8 to 8 and they never cried a single tear.
For what it is worth, I thought that nursing actually picked up at the 18-24 month age. It was like they needed more during that age range. I think it's because they are so busy during the day and learning so many new things and the need to return to comfort and what's familiar by nursing.
A nursing relationship is so much more than providing "food". As you are well aware, it is much more than that-the comfort that you offer a child at the breast is an amazing thing!
Let us know how it goes! And, definately check out the jay gordon stuff. Good luck!

First of all-Congratulations for continuing to nurse your little one! As a Lactation Consultant...and more importantly mom to two girls! I see and talk to moms all the time-who like you-are feeling conflicted about weaning. Breastfeeding is so easy and so good, but yet your ready for some independence. So, the best approach-IMO-is don't offer-don't refuse. Whenever your little one wants to nurse-go ahead. If you are somewhere you don't want to nurse, offer a nice alternative...sometimes at this age-they are hungry or thirsty and nursing is easily communicated. So offer some juice or a snack when you are at the in-laws or out shopping. At home, especially bedtime..perhaps Dad can step in, change the night time routine entirely..again perhaps out of site-out of mind! Lastly, this is VERY common at this age and it will pass all too soon. Most toddlers, if left to their will, will indeed self wean..and before kindergarten! Good luck!

I recommend joining BabyFit.com and going to their breastfeeding support forum (under "community"). The women on there are INCREDIBLE and so supportive. Many of them are dealing with these things or have done it before. They will be able to offer a lot of help! Congrats on your success!! That is so amazing that you have gone so long! WOOHOO!!

I also breastfed my son until he was 18 months old (he is now 3) and I am breastfeeding my daughter who is 11 months old. When I went to my last doc. appointment I was asking about why my daughter eats in the middle of the night. My doc. told he is was not for nutrition but for comfort. She told me after 6 months when they eat at night it is only for comfort and I should let her cry it out. We finally put her in her crib and she cried for about 3 hours but now 3 weeks later she sleeps from 11:00 till about 8:00 alone in her crib. So, my advice is to try to cut down to only feeding once before bed and then not again until morning, do that for a few weeks, then cut out the morning and then a few weeks later cut out the night time feeding. It is the hardest feeding to cut out with my son we had to make sure he didn't fall asleep eating so that he could get used to falling asleep on his own. It is important to start something else in its place like reading a book, cuddling, etc.. I hope this helps. I know I went on a little but its a topic that I enjoy and I applaud all women who continue to breastfeed after a couple of months.
Good luck!!

I am getting ready to wean my little one. So far this is what I've been doing... I have cut her time down nursing at one sitting. (This will also help your breasts adjust to not needing so much milk for each nursing.) I am going to be having my husband take her at night and give her a bottle instead. We also have begun a new "habit" to help her adjust... we stroke her head/cheek while singing to her. You will need to change the routine like someone else suggested, just find something to take place of the nursing. Try cutting down how long the feeding is first, then work on switching up the routine (just don't adjust it too much!).

I wouldn't think that an almost 18 month old child should still be waking in the night for feedings. I would suggest (if you're not doing it already) introducing solids into her diet to help ween her off. That could be part of the reason she is waking in the night to feed. At eighteen months, she needs more food intake and liquid is just not enough anymore. Find things she likes and encourage her to eat it. You could also try giving her Vitamin D Milk when she asks for milk. That's about all I know, good luck.

I had to wean my 13 month old last year because I was pregnant again and it was extrememly painful. Here's what I did.

Do is gradually. First remove one normal feeding with whole milk in a sippy cup. (maybe the naptime feeding) Then remove the morning nursing. Then the Before bedtime. And lastly the middle of the night feeding. Don't do it all at once.

Also, at her age don't wean her to a bottle.

Goodluck!

Hello, I also have a child who is still BF and he is 22mts today. I wait until he wants to BF and he only does it to get to sleep. During the night I would wait until he got totally awake before letting him nurse, I would rub his back and try to sooth him that way & if it didn't work then let him nurse which took about 2min before he was back to sleep. In a week or so he was not nursing during the night. But he does still nurse to go to sleep during nap time and bed time. I am still trying to wean him.. everyone has told me that he will stop when he is ready. I am now 6 1/2 mts pregnant and he still wants to nurse (just to sooth and get to sleep). just try cutting down on the feeding time and as soon as she falls asleep take the breast from her. Congrads to you on how far and long you have BF. GREAT JOB!!!

I weaned my DD at 20 months with no problems. I just started a new bed time routine that included nursing then I stopped the nursing, gave her a sippy of water and still did the bedtime routine. I started with nursing her just in the a.m and p.m and giving her a cup the rest of the time then took the a.m nursing away and then the p.m. She didn't even seem to notice. She enjoyed the new routine so much that she didn't miss the nursing. I would make sure the new routine includes some sort of snuggling because I think that's what they crave the most. We would sit in a rocker and read a couple of books together.

i weened my baby at 4 months. the daytimes nursings gradually switced to more bottles, and then the right before bed nursing was replaced by a bottle, then the middle of the night and eventually the the morning. if she's never had formula, try pumping and giving her breastmilk in a bottle, or if she's drinking cow's milk, giver her that in a bottle at bed time, just don't let her take it to bed with her...it can rot there teeth. just make it a gradual transition, so she is not traumatized and also you will not get so engorged as you would if you just went cold turkey. just make sure she is full before bed and she will also start sleeping better too.