Breastfeeding moms--need your tips on weaning

[Reneemomto5]

Hi moms I was hoping for some of your input on tricks that worked for you to help your baby wean from breastfeeding. Mandy is my first of 5 that I have had success with nursing, so its been a wonderful new journey.

My baby girl is now 13 months old, I though she was self weaning until she started to really teethe, now she nurses quite often again. Something always brings her back to nursing so often, about every 4 hours. I am with her all day- so many time when I hold her she scoots down in my arms and whines so that I know she means she wants to nurse. I offer her the cup, but she very rarely takes it when she really wants to nurse. Though she does like drinking from a cup.

I hate to have her cry, and am now in no real rush to wean, just sometimes I think I had better have a plan. What did you do to help wean your baby. Please tell me your story. I am in no rush but am afraid of her becoming to dependant on me. I love this time we have together but in the same breathe ready to move on somedays.

Thanks reading,

[Kerina]

Congratulations Renee !!! You did it !!!! [cheer]

I think it's wonderful that you don't want to rush her to wean, either. I understand completely where you are coming from though, about being ready for her to move on.

When my older daughter was about your daughter's age, I started thinking about slowing her down. I never offered, unless she hurt herself, and I would try to tell her no and/or distract her. I personally can't tolerate whining, so I did my best to make that clear to her. I don't know how well I did, considering we are still working on that some, and she's 23 months old!!! :lol:
For the last 6 months, I'd say, I've not let her have anything, including nursing, if she whines for it. That has helped me tremendously! I don't enjoy nursing when it feels like she's demanding it and not that we are sharing time being close together. I also tried to put her down sooner than normal. Now she just nurses 1 or 2 times a day. She might ask for more if she's sick or when we're not at home and she's really tired. She goes to sleep at night and for her naps own, without nursing.

My second daughter is almost 6 months old, so she may be completely different.

I hope this helps. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask.
I know it's hard sometimes, but you're doing great ! :D

[jamma]

Yah, I'm not sure that I'm going to be much help here! My first I weaned at 7 1/2 months, my second weaned himself at around 11 months! Once he hit that 9 month mark, we started giving him whole milk with his meals, and he slowly weaned himself... toward the end, it was even like he was only nursing to get me off his back! :roll:

She will wean when she's ready, but if you're ready, try distracting her with othe rthings... a cup, even a bottle... a fun toy that maybe you keep just for distracting??

[Reneemomto5]

Thanks Kerina- you are so sweet. Thank you for your experience and what you are doing. I think its great you nurse 2. I look forward to the days of nursing only 1 or 2 times. She does nurse to sleep though, my bad, we travel a lot with our family business and know I have to stop that its a bad habit I've started. Glad to know other moms I can come to.

Jamie, thanks for you experience as well, I was kind of hoping for a self weaner by this time, maybe you're right she will stop when she's ready. Mandy is allergic to milk it seems, so we have her on a soy which she loves in a cup. I'm skipping the bottle completely. Again thanks, maybe more distraction will help.

[BlessedMom]

I wish I had advice for you, but I also have a 12 month old that I'm slowly trying to wean, it is hard though. Plus this is my last baby and that makes it even harder on me. I wish you luck though.

[Reneemomto5]

Blessed mom, we have a lot in common. Mandy is my last baby as well, true that makes it even more difficult I think. We can share and rely on one another for things that are working for each of us.

Good luck to you as well.

[Rach]

#1 and #2 were self led weaned. They just tapered off themselves as they got busier and discovered new tastes in the sippy cup. #1 was 16 mo, and #2 was 11 mo.

#3 is still going strong. Like you, he's our last planned baby, so I am in no rush. I have been limiting his daytime nursing because we are going to be going to the zoo and parks and on walks more often, and I plan to work in the Fall so I am trying to get him not to nurse from 7-4. I feed him a good breakfast and lunch and encourage him to use the sippy and the snack trap.

[Reneemomto5]

Thanks Rach, I'm trying your idea today. I'm starting small I'm trying 9-3 and I'll be interested to see how this goes. I am going to push the snacking part more when she gets irritable maybe that will work too.

Thanks again

[mamaroo]

My dd was about 18 months when I weaned her. I did it over a couple days. The trick was not sitting down...if I sat in a familiar place she would climb up on my lap. So I just kept as busy as possible. I gave her lots of snacks and her favorite drinks...and I kept her busy with toys or books. She would continue to try nursing for 6 months or so, (when she did I would just get up and do something else). Overall it wasn't too traumatic for either of us, good luck!