Weaning 15 Month Old - Palm Coast,FL

M.,
I am a total advocate for breastfeeding and like anything else everyone has their own opinion so here is mine hope it helps. I have four children and all were nursed exclusively absolutely no bottles or pacifiers I guess what you really need to ask yourself are you ready to stop nursing because once you stop that is not something you can go back and reverse. My third child who is now 4years nursed until she was 2and 1/2 years old and my fourth child is 3years and just in the last month gave it up on her own and like your story she only nursed at night or when she was sick so no one ever knew although I was never afraid to tell anyone if they asked. For me it is a bond like no other. So good luck and God Bless with whatever your decission is, you did the best for her from the start . Congrats!

if you want to go the more gentle route, try changing the bedtime routine...breastfeed first, with the light on, before reading books or whatever else you do. you might have to do this for several months until it becomes the new habit. remember, the current routine is the only one she knows. once she's accustomed to going to sleep without nursing, it should be easier to stop as she probably will not be so attached to it anymore. that said, my daughter breastfed until just after she turned 2, and my 2 1/2 year old son still breastfeeds every other night when it's "my turn" to put him to sleep. best wishes.

My 4 year old daughter will still nurse 3 out of the 7 nights in a week. The "don't ask, don't refuse" method is great. The 1st set of teeth are called milk teeth for a reason... the antibodies, enzymes and special lipids/proteins/carbs in breast milk can be beneficial for over 6 years... about the time the permanent teeth come in.

first, congrats for bfing this far!!! I don't have personal advice as I am still bfing before bedtime, but I was told to check out the sites/books of Dr. Jay Gordon, Elizabeth Pantley and Dr. Sears for advice on this matter....
GL and keep us updated on what works.

I hate to say it, but unfortunately you may just have to put up with the screaming for a little while until she gets used to the change. Babies get very used to routine, and routine is usually best for them, but when things change it's hard for everyone. You really have to be strong during this time and stick to your guns. It's very easy when you're very tired to just say "forget it" and go back to what works, but you'll just sabotage yourself if you do that. It may take up to a couple of weeks, but your baby will get used to it.

The most important thing is that your baby learns to put herself to sleep - this will pay off in so many ways not only for you but for her for the rest of her life. Many people have sleep problems that stem from childhood.

I have two daughters, 3 and 4, and we had major sleep issues with the first because we did everything wrong - she slept on me or my husband always and when it came time to transition her to her crib it was hell. Then I discovered The Sleep Lady, Kim West, and her book "Good Night, Sleep Tight" and it truly changed our lives. I actually wrote an article about it - if you're interested, you can see it here: http://hubpages.com/hub/sleep-training-good-night-sleep-t...

You don't have to read the whole book to put her ideas to work, and that's one of the great things about it. If you want to know more about it, feel free to contact me direct. I feel your pain because I was there, and I wish you the best of luck!

I agree you can keep doing it IF you want to. If not, start out slowly by nursing her but not putting her immediately in bed for a couple weeks. Nurse, then do your night routine- book, teeth brushing, etc. That will help her stop associating it with falling asleep, but you haven't taken it away yet. Don't move to a cup or bottle, then you will just have to get rid of that at a later date. If you can, have your husband put her to sleep. I had to do that with my son. I weaned from night feedings first, because I was trying to get him to sleep through the night. The only way to get him to go to sleep was to have daddy do it for a week or so. I am still nursing my son, but I was glad to get rid of the night feedings. At about 18 mos we were only doing morning feedings.

Like the others who answered your question, I'm curious as to why you're weaning your 15 month old. It's clear she is not ready to let go yet. I nursed my oldest until she was over 3 years old. It is okay to continue if you're concerned about what people might think.
Unlike a bottle, weaning so young is not required when you're nursing. Think of that night nursing session as a multivitamin for your daughter. It's good for her and it helps her fight off flu bugs.
Your daughter looks at it as a way to connect with you. If you are intent on weaning her for whatever reason you need to replace the nursing with some other method of connection whether that's cuddle time, bottle feeding, etc. The La Leche League would be a great source of information for you.
Good luck!

When I got to that stage with my daughter - I had a "don't offer, don't refuse" mentality - she didn't nurse even every night at that point - but I always let her when she wanted to - it was usually only nightime. She weaned at about 2 years and 4 months... and it was just right for us- it is time I will never have with her again.

If you feel very strongly that you want to be "done" - try establishing new bedtime routines -a warm bath, a cup of warm milk, a story etc. instead of nursing/rocking her to sleep. It might also help if daddy can be involved with rocking her and putting her down so she doesn't identify bedtime with breastfeeding...

Whatever you decide - you did FANTASTIC to nurse your baby girl for 15 months!! I am sure you will get a lot of "advice" on here - just remember that your baby will be FINE no matter what you decide to do!! She will survive weaning!

Well, my question is, why do you want to wean her? It doesn't sound like she's ready, and even the W.H.O. recommends breastfeeding for at least 2 years. Is it because you have been told it's time by other people? Or because you have been experiencing too much physical discomfort? Either way, contacting your local La Leche League will help you with experienced advice. Either by helping you wean, if that's what's really needed, or by helping you be more comfortable with nursing for longer, if it's what your baby really needs. You can find your local group by going to www.llli.org. Good luck!