Toddler Only Wants to Nurse Doesn't like Regular Food.

My son didn't eat much, until I took him off formula. I weaned him off the bottle at 12 months, because he had to eat something. Sometimes, kids only want what they know. Sometimes, we have to force their way a bit. It sounds like you are ready to wean, and he really needs to learn other feeding habits. I think a woman can breastfeed as long as it's a mutually desired process. To me, it sounds like you don't necessarily want to...and he doesn't necessarily need to. (As far as him using it as a crutch, rather then really eating.) Have you talked to your doctor about the weaning process, and the best way?

Really, the only way for him to not breastfeed when you want him to eat...is to not give in and breastfeed him. It's YOUR body, not his. He is kind of owning your body right now, so it might be best to start weaning.

ETA: Penny, I'm really not sure if your condescending jab was aimed at me...but it was inappropriate no matter who you aimed at. First of all, I didn't produce a DROP of milk, so please don't assume I (or anyone else here) doesn't value nursing. Secondly, I specifically said "I think a woman can breastfeed as long as it's a mutually desired process." She said she wanted to wean. Lastly, GET OVER yourself.

Its too bad a few answers have talked about there not being a benefit to extended breastfeeding. Consider the sources: mostly women who didn't see the value in breastfeeding at all (hence, they formula fed).

If you are ready to wean, then you could pump and give him "mommy's milk" from a cup until he can transition easily. But ti really sounds like his diet is pretty normal for a toddler. The foods you listed sound similar to what my toddler eats.

Lastly, I nursed one of my sons until he was two. Wasn't the plan at the time, but he just wasn't ready to wean when I was, and a couple of times, there appeared to be a "window" where I could have weaned him because he was disinterested, but I wasn't ready. We MUTUALLY agreed at 2. The other 4 kids have only nursed to between 16 and 18 months.

Its a decision you just need to consider after making sure that your son has other comfort items, and your nursing relationship isn't his "main" comfort item. It IS your body, but as we who nurse extended understand, we willingly make the sacrifice for our children, because it is in their best interest, emotionally and physically.

Good luck. You will be able to find the window for both of you to make it a smooth transition. Even if you just start a dialogue with him about how "mommy's milk is almost all gone..." etc., the same way we all do with potty training. You don't just put a 2 year old in undies and expect all to go well, right? It takes a period of transition, and dialogue.
Good luck!

ONe thing that pops to mind.......do you have any friends or family with little kids his age or a little older that could come over for lunch? Seems like little kids always want to do what older kids do, u know? Maybe if he saw johnny eating something it might peak his interest more - throw in the "big boy" lingo and praise the other child for eating so well, good manners, etc.????

You know, in many if not most cultures, this would be considered perfectly normal and healthy. Physiologically, in terms of his nutrition, it's fine. You're just running into a cultural barrier.

If you really want to wean, though, I think the thing to do would be make yourself scarce at mealtimes. Is there anyone else who can be around when he eats?

What I would do is slowly change it from on demand nursing all the time to nursing more on your schedule. I weaned DD by picking a target nursing session - in our case breakfast - and offering food and distraction to get her to forget that's what she did first thing in the AM. Naps and nighttime were last to go. Teach him manners like "no lifting Mommy's shirt in public" or "No more public nursing". You probably went through some of this with your older son.

My DD is not a milk drinker, unless it's sweet. Consider a little bit of flavoring, but also offer him other sources of calcium and protein. Maybe he is just going to be vegetarian that eats cheese. My DD still drinks a lot of water and, frankly, I'm not a big milk drinker, either. I give DD something she will eat, something she won't eat, and a wild card. So I'd offer him a banana, some cheerios and a glass of water for breakfast (example). Remember, too, that toddlers need less food than we think they do. While this discusses infants to 12 mo, it might help you think of a menu for your son and how to get from A to B.

http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com/babymenub.htm#.UXl...

Also: http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com/babyledweaning.htm...

(FWIW, I nursed DD til 2.5 yrs old so I don't think nursing a toddler is odd at all.)

ETA:
B has a good idea. When DD was tiny, she wanted food from my plate, so I'd prepare her food on my plate and pass it to hers, and make her feel special. If it put it on her plate first, she still wanted mine. Try that?

My little one was 15 months when he was fully weaned but he ate lots of foods. Have you tried other types of milke besides cows milk? To me cows milk is discusting. I can't stand the taist. My boys could not drink it either. So when they where real young they got soy milk and now almond milk. That's what I woudl sugest trying. They are mush sweeter. And probably closer to breast milk than cows milk. Don't let anyone tell you when you should stop nursing. That's between you and you child.

It sounds like he does hit quite a bit, just not a wide variety.

I can understand why he doesn't want regular milk, it tastes different, and it is cold. Maybe you could warm it up a bit before putting it in a cup?
Perhaps if you pumped and placed the milk into a cup?
Only nurse at bedtime.

Since you want to wean, try eliminating one nursing session at a time.
Then after a few weeks on the new schedule drop another session.
Many will keep the nap time and then bed time nursing as the last to go.
He gets plenty of calcium from cheese and other calcium enriched foods so I wouldn't worry about him not liking cows milk.
Toddlers often go through phases between growth spurts when parents are convinced they are not eating enough.
Remember - his stomach is about the size of his fist (it's smaller than you think) and it doesn't take much to fill them up.
Just be sure to offer him healthy foods and he'll eat when he's hungry.
It's ok for him to be hungry sometimes (but try not to do major outings if you know he's been hardly eating - the hunger will be a trigger for tantrums/melt downs - and every 2 and/or 3 yr old has them at least some of the time).

My son at first didn't like foods off his own plate.
But he'd eat almost anything that I had on MY plate.
I'd give him a taste of my food and he'd want more.
A lot of the time I had to have seconds because I never had a chance to eat my first serving.
Eventually he ate off his own plate but it took time.

Remember all this when he's finally a teen and eating everything in sight!

I personaly think thats to long for a child to be on the boob. Try changing milk. And keep trying on the foods everyday. And you have to put your foot down and tell him no about nursing. You nurse so much, then he wont want food, becsuse nursing him is filling him up. Try cutting down, untell he is off the boob.

Good luck!

You need a new pediatrician. Your child is TOO OLD to not want to eat food. There is a difference between breast feeding a toddler who EATS and allowing breast feeding to take the place of food for a child this old.

I believe that you need to not only go to a new ped, but also have your child work with a feeding specialist. This COULD be an OT or a speech therapist. I think that what you are looking at is a sensory issue. He needs HELP from a specialist.

Look, I had a friend whose son drank milk to the exclusion of everything else for a LONG time. She didn't go get him help. Instead, she let him eat what he WOULD, which was bread, french fries, pancakes, candy, yogurt, certain fruits, juices, and soda. And that's IT. He's 20 years old and this is STILL all that he eats. She puts amino acid additives in his yogurt because he doesn't get them in his diet. She puts Citrical in his juice because of his terrible constipation. He lives at HOME while he goes to college because of his food aversions. Rather than being 25% in weight, he is obese and pre-diabetic - AT 20 YEARS OLD. I don't see him ever getting married, and he'll probably always be at home. He's a great kid - smart as a whip and has a wonderful personality, but this food aversion of his should have been dealt with as much as if he had a terrible childhood disease, Momof2. It has touched every single facet of his life since then. Instead, his food issue ruled the family.

Go get another ped and get help. Just do it. Really.

How long after you try solid food do you breast feed? If you immediately go to the breast after he refuses table food, then of course he's going to reject table food. I do believe it's easier to wean from a bottle than a breast and that is what I had to do, but I still would wait a good 20 minutes or so after offering food before giving a bottle. This way they couldn't reject the food and immediately get what they wanted. It worked for my kids. Also, the foods you said he likes are all foods that he can feed himself. That also helped with my kids, giving them food they could feed themselves. Also, at 19 months if you haven't already start having him try to use a fork. Taking control of his eating may also help. At 19 months they don't really need milk, so you can look for other foods with calcium in it. Just keep offering him food and give some time between offering food and offering breast.

Your son is a smart cookie,it's a good thing he doesn't like meat and milk.
Cow milk is for calfs not humans. Do some research on milk and meat and you will see. The things you listed that he does eat, there is nothing wrong with that. Water and your milk is the best thing for him. If you continue to force him to eat things he does not like, he will soon stop eating all toghter, he will not even want to come to the table and eat, in fear that you will force him to eat something he does not want. If the Pediatrician is not concerend, let him be. You say he drinks from his sippy cup, can you put your milk in the sippy cup?

My firstborn was on formula by that age (nursing issues) but he also preferred his bottle to solid foods of any type. He outgrew it and his doctor said just keep offering but not to worry so long as he was healthy and growing.