Need Advice on Weaning My 13 Month Old off the Breast!

M.,

I personally have not weaned my son yet. He will be 1 next week. I know that La Leche League leaders are trained and have often weaned children themselves. You can find a local leader at www.lalecheleague.org. There also may be info on their website or at www.kellymom.com. Good luck

J.

tobasco sauce or something bitter or something not liked - green peas etc.
make that time a special time for reading or a special game where he need to talk so he won't want to breast feed.

You need to replace the bonding aspect of each nursing session with something else. It's not just about moving from one milk source to another. :) Be prepared to spend more time and energy on your son than you currently do nursing!

The book How Weaning Happens might be helpful. http://store.llli.org/books/product/56

I just went through this a couple of months ago with my youngest. I was ready to have my body back(that and all my nursing bras were worn down to nothing but strings and rags and I didn't want to have to buy new ones!!).

I started by taking away all the nursing that I knew were just for pleasure. Leaving the more comforting ones alone (for us it was at story time, after nap, and first thing after breakfast). Then I took away the after breakfast one knowing she had just ate more then her share of solid food!! After that was the story time feeding, and then the after nap.

You just have to prioritize the specific nursing times and slowly start taking them away! Replace the time spent with playing instead. One of my daughters favorites was playing with blocks, so every time she asked to nurse I got down and played with her. I usually offered her a cup of milk too... For my daughter it helped that I warmed up the milk and held her really close. As a side note(but use at your own discretion): When she finally accepted the warmed milk it was way warmer then what I would have assumed was safe for her!!

Another helpful thing is that I realized my daughter would ask more often if I was sitting, she knew I was still and my lap was free. If I got up and started doing something (cleaning or whatnot) when she asked she was fine and more distracted by whatever it was I was doing!!

And like someone said... If you say no to a nursing, mean in, don't cave in!

I weaned my oldest at 13 months too. We dropped one feeding every three days. The hardest ones, which for us were before bed and in the morning, I replaced with a snack of kix cereal. It wasn't long before he prefered the cereal to nursing. The key is consistency and not giving in however. When you say no nursing, don't cave in.
I know for some people it's a very emotional thing to wean, but if you get overly emotional about it, so will your son and he will fight harder. Make sure you are the one who is ready to wean, and approach is as a business decision. I have a large pool of friends with all of our kids around the same age. (They are now all 2) and when we compare, it was the more business like weaners that went quicker and easier. Just remember you are teaching him a new skill. Also, something to look forward too, most kids become more affectionate once they have weaned. Lots more interaction with hugs and kisses. It's great!
Just so you know, I have another son now, 6 months that I am now nursing.
Good Luck!

i breastfed my daughter and at about 12 months old i just stopped giving her my breast. it is just a comfort thing to them at that age. offer the sippy cup and just hold him a few mins or so he may cry but don't give it to him get his attention on something else if you can he will stop.

The ladies are O so right!!!! Weening is very difficult when it is you doing it, but when it is the child it is a snap decision.You will need to spend much much more time with him if you ween him.Dont get me wrong, I understand that you want your body back to yourself, but this is going to take time.If you are set in your way, then take a feeding away once a week. Doing this means that the first week cut down the time on the breast. The second week, cut out one feeding completely.Third week, cut another feeding in half, and then hopefully the breast feeding will be cut out completly. You are too going to go through some feelings. Feelings of confusion(just as your son), and hormonal central. Just make sure you still do for yourself. Hormones are going to take a toll, and if you at all feel sad or mad, call your OB.

Don't feel too bad about your son being 13 months & still wanting to latch on. I agree that it is more than the "milk" he is after. My daughter would still try to latch on for 2-3 mins once a day until she was almost 2. She ate regular food & was at daycare all day long so it was not like she breastfed all day long to want to continue for such a long time. Our pediatrician offered the advice of when she tries to latch give her a comforting toy or pacifier. It was an oral fixation more than a need for something to drink. I had to just cut her off where if she tried to lay across my lap I'd sit her down & walk away to get a toy to play with along with a cup of juice. It distracted her enough that she stopped asking for it. It is actually normal for kids to go beyond 12 months wanting to breastfeed. Just most people here in the states see it as a weird unatural thing when its not. I hope it gets easier for you soon.