Weaning 15Mo Old

I agree with PP, think about just nursing the one time a day. I BF my youngest son till he was 17 mos. old. When he was that age he just dropped it on his own with my substituting whole milk, mixed with a couple tbs. of cereal he drank straight from a cup. He was ready at that point. If there isn't some immediate reason to wean, consider waiting on dropping that last feeding and most likely she will drop it when she is ready, in the mean time you can try every now and then.

Have you considered just continuing to nurse her that one time a day? The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding past a year for as long as both mother and child desire (the World Health Organization recommends two years or more). If you are weaning because you just felt done, reconsider now whether you would be okay with just once a day. If you're weaning because people have told you you should, just don't tell them you only partially weaned.

I'm sorry, I don't have any advice for how to do it if you do need to completely finish weaning right now. I know friends have done the "no more milk" consistently for a few days, and after that the child is fine, but in the meantime they threw fits every time.

I think you are on the right track with having dad get her up in the AM. You need to establish a new AM routine that doesn't involve nursing. Perhaps dad reads her a story while she sips on juice . . . in a different area of the house than where you used to nurse. It will take a week or two. (With one of mine it took forever! I couldn't sit down and hold her for the longest time!)

Another idea . . .there is nothing wrong with nursing once a day for a few more weeks. Your milk supply is likely to slow and she may become less satisfied with nursing. She may more easily give it up at that point.

One of mine I switched to the bottle when I quit nursing, but then you have a whole nother issue down the road! Been through it 3 times and each one was different. But I have learned - no need to rush, they all get weaned eventually!

I would wait another month or so and then try it. I have found that with all of my kids, 14-16 months is NOT the time to try to take something away. Upon questioning others, they have the same problem during this timeframe.

There's no law that says she HAS to be completely weaned. Mostly weaned might still work. She'll give it up eventually. She may still need that bit of connection with you, and that's really ok, if you're ok with it!
T. - mom of 4, all breastfed (all eventually weaned!)

I breast fed two babies. The first, I had to quit nursing because I got an infection in my breasts when she was a year old (Cold Turkey). My second, I had to go on a business trip for a week when he was 16 months or so (Cold Turkey again). I really didn't have any problems from the kids when quitting, but I was a horrible emotional wreck. It was much harder on me than them. I can imagine if you are with her all the time, that it would be difficult for her. But, Cold Turkey, I think, is the best thing to do if you are ready to call it quits. Of course, I had to be forced into it, otherwise, I would have had a horrible time with it. GOOD LUCK !!!

I breastfed both my children until they weaned themselves. As they got older, if it was at an inconvenient time or place, I would suggest other things to distract them for a short time. I followed the La Leche League's advice, "Don't offer, don't refuse." They both needed nursing less & less until they were weaned. No stress for them or me. I highly recommend it! By the way, my daughter is now 21 years old and my son is 10 years old. They grow up so fast, I figure, why rush it.

~A.