Okay so I swore when my daughter was 6 months old , I was going to stop nursing, but then i heard how beneficial it was to keep going to she was 1 year old. Well she is now 1yr and 2 weeks.. and i dont even have a clue where to begin....to stop nursing.. I nurse her in the am, lunch/nap and bedtime.. pretty much for her to sleep.. Ive given her cow's milk in a sippy cup (she has never been a bottle baby) and she is not a big fan yet.. tried both cold and warm.. neither made a difference. HELP! I do not want to be one of those mom's who nurse till the kids 3! lol! j/k any suggestions/ideas are welcome and appreciated!
Kellymom.com has info on weaning. I nudged DD toward weaning but it was a slow process. DD is not a fan of cow's milk so she drinks fortified oj and eats lots of cheese and yogurt. Her doctor isn't worried. You won't nurse her til 3 if you don't want to. Be aware that nighttime might be the last session to go. It's perfectly normal.
I weaned all my kids between 12 and 16 months due to milk supply very low or I was pregnant again and couldn't handle all the nausea, vomiting and nursing too. Weaning was never a battle for any of my kids, because I very gradually eliminated feedings over 4-7 days. The whole process took from 2-4 weeks and I never felt engorged with milk or any discomfort. I attempted to wean my first child at 13 months, but she just wanted to nurse more. There was a lot of stress in our house at the time with my husband having an emergency appendectomy and getting rid of a dog that was agressive with our little one, and having to travel out of town all in the same week. I had to stop the process for 3 weeks and restarted it after things were back to normal. It went smoothly after that. The key is go slow in elimination of feedings, eliminate the baby's least favorite feeding first, and replace the feeding with another drink or snack/ meal. Best wishes! Weaning doesn't have to be unpleasant. Nurse Midwife Mom of 3
You either stop it, when YOU feel ready.
Or you stop, when SHE weans by herself.
Both my kids self-weaned.
My daughter did so at about 2.5 years old.
My son at about 1 year old.
Our Pediatrician had no problem with that.
Her kids also self weaned.
Because it was a natural weaning, I did not get engorged and my kids did not battle about it.
At sleep/nap times, this is usually the last nursing session, to end.
It really is up to you.
But, the reason for whole milk... from 1 year old until 2 or so... is because the "milk fats" in whole milk, is an essential nutrient for brain-growth.
Just keep trying different sippy's, to see which one she will take.
Or just try give her a toddler straw cup. Some kids like straws better.
There is nothing wrong with nursing past 2 years old. If anything, it'll save you grief and sleepless nights staying awake with your very sick toddler (daycares and such are germ factories and they are constantly sick... breastfeeding really helps keep them healthier), it will help you calm their frazzled meltdowns, soothe every hurt and allow them time to relax, re-charge and enjoy "me and Mommy" time.
Why would you give your child another species's breastmilk when yours is perfectly fine, available and better for her anyways? I'm so proud and happy for you that you passed the 1 year mark - and encourage you to continue!! Your daughter wouldn't want to nurse if she didn't feel strongly about needing that from you.
To get her used to the milk start by mixing small amounts in with mostly breast milk to get her used to the taste over time. Slowly increase the cows milk and decrease the breast milk. As for weening, it sounds like she is just using you as a comfort to fall asleep, so start helping her find new ways to comfort to sleep.
