Am I the only one to breastfeed this long?

Mari-Ann - posted on 02/24/2011

My daughter stopped bf three weeks before her baby sister came along. We told her the baby needed the baby milk and she accepted that. Up until then she always wanted to feed once or twice per day. Gradually we moved from no night feedings, no day feedings, just morning and night. But with maturity and a baby on the way, she was ready. I never wanted to tell her never again, I waited for her to do that.

Layla - posted on 02/23/2011

There is nothing wrong with her still nursing. She is still benefitting from the antibodies in your breastmilk and from the comfort and closeness. If you are both happy, then by all means, continue. I nursed my daughter until she was 3 and my son until he was 2 1/2. Both of my kids also shared a bed with us this is also normal and healthy. Please google James McKenna mother/infant sleep research.
When you are ready to completely stop nursing, you can throw a no more nursing party. This worked great for both my kids. Cake, ice cream, a few friends - we talked about it for a couple if months beforehand, that we would be having a party to celebrate no more nursing and went cold turkey on that day. Since each child was still bedsharing at the time of weaning, it made it easier.

Ethel - posted on 02/23/2011

I AGREE MY BABY IS 27MONTHS AND SHE LOVES THE BOOB! SHE EVEN SAYS GOODMORNIG AND I LOVE YOU TO IT! HOW CAN I TEAR HER AWAY FROM WHAT SHE CLEARLY LOVES... AND I CANT STAND THE THOUGHT OF HER CRYING FOR IT! ITS A SACRAFICE I'M WILLING TO MAKE.

AND YES I ENJOY IT TO!

NAdia - posted on 02/23/2011

Good Day,

I breastfed my daughter until she was 2 years and 4 months then I weened her off because I was pregnant again and had to stop because it hurtlike hell when she would drink... It was not that bad weening her I just refused to give her my breast and instead gave her her bottle or a glass to drink out of when she would wake up in the knight. The bed story you can try this this is wat I did. When she will fall asleep in my bed i'llwait and put her in her own bed before we go to sleep, in the begining she would wake up and get back into our bed but now she only gets back in my bed if she gets cold.

Your truly

Heather - posted on 02/22/2011

The replies in this group were awesome! My DD just turned 2 and she nurses to sleep and throughout the night. She nurses when she wakes and usually one time during the day (unless she is sick). It is so beautiful and she loves it so. I feel outside pressures to stop but I am letting it run it's course also. Thank you all for your wonderful words of wisdom and experience. It's nice to not feel so alone on this issue.

Natalie - posted on 02/22/2011

Well, I bf my daughter until she was 27 months old, then she became obsessed with my breast and it was just awkward, she wanted to bf everywhere ALL the time, then I knew it was time to stop. At the same time, she was old enough to understand the reasons why we should stop:
Babies breastfeed all the time and use a diaper because they are small. "Big kids" like her, eat ice cream, pizza, lollipops, ride tricycles, drink milk out of a cup and use the potty because they are older and smarter.
We stopped bf without screaming, crying or bad moments. I would've hated myself if after 2 years of beautiful memories we had to break it off badly. She understood perfectly, still knows babies are supposed to bf but also knows she is a big kid and if she ever complained about not being able to bf I could offer her an ice cream or a lollipop and she'd be perfectly happy!
Good luck, hope it works for you!

Rachael - posted on 02/22/2011

I am still breastfeeding my son at 2 as well. I am not in any hurry to wean him because right now, my focus is for him to sleep in his own bed. Whatever you do, don't try to wean and get her to sleep alone at the same time. That amount of separation all at once could damage any progress you have made. I would choose to focus on one or the other, and go with that. I have a blog resheridanspace.blogspot.com and I will be going in-depth with my steps towards getting my son to sleep in his own bed. As for the weaning thing, if she's only nursing once or twice a day, I wouldn't worry about it. If it's that infrequent, she's probably on the way to weaning herself anyway. Remember, you chose to breastfeed and it's for the child, not for you that you do it. So, when she's done with the boob, that will be it. Otherwise, you're looking at just a batle of wills and it's better to spend those few minutes a day nursing than arguing over whether or not to do it. hope that helpd and good luck. -Rachael

Shannon - posted on 02/22/2011

I can so relate to this post. My son turned 2 in October and is the EXACT same way. He sleeps in my bed, and does night nursing as well as wanting to nurse as soon as we come in from our days at work and daycare. He will simply say "sit down mommy". I spend a lot of my time standing up when we are home so that he does not get comfortable in my lap. But at somepoint he gets overly irritated with me and I give in. I have read posts on this board that have made me feel a little better (letting him "self" wean) but then I get comments from family and family friends that may me think otherwise. So, I am up in the air on what to do and realize the co-sleeping has a lot to do with it. I am hoping a combination of self weaning, me traveling and having to stay w/grandmom, and repeating the big boy statements will wean him by summer time.

Sarah - posted on 02/22/2011

I nursed my son until a few weeks after his second birthday. First I night weaned, then replaced his daily nursing session with a cup of milk and held him while he drank it. I think, in the end, it was harder for me to let go of "our time" than it was for him.

Veronica - posted on 02/22/2011

Dear Shaya, I breastfed my daughter until she was 1 yr6 months on the day..stopping was very easy she got used to the concept of food being finished when i gave her solids and then one day i told her that milky is finished as well... she moaned for a couple of minutes but she was so tired she couldn't care less plus she wasn't hungry because she was on a healthy meal plan. I guess the question is...are YOU ready to stop breastfeeding her, is it about her or about you? When i stopped that was the only thing that kept me from stopping earlier because i didn't want to break that bond we had together. take care and best of luck :)

Julia - posted on 02/22/2011

I bf until my son was 2 y and 9 mo. I weaned him by slowly bf less and less. If he was upset and really wanted me to bf I would but if he was in a better mood the next day I would take advantage of that and explain that there was no more. It's easier to negotiate when they are a little older. I tried weaning before this but he kept getting sick so I would go back to bf as much as possible to make sure he was getting fluids.

Michelle - posted on 02/22/2011

I am a mom to 5 and am pregnant w/number 6. I am also a doula. I have successfully breastfed all of my children, but only to 18 mos, when they self weaned (because I was pregnant, most likely!). The World Health Organization recommendation is actually to breastfeed for 2 years. So what you're doing is quite normal. Are you wanting to wean? I've found it easier to skip feeds in the daytime, i.e. cut out one feed for a few days and then perhaps another after a few days and so on. As for co sleeping, it can be tricky denying the breast when they are co sleeping. It's helpful if you can get your partner on board and bub can actually sleep next to him rather than you. He can then act as a barrier to you in bed. There will be a period of transition, regardless of what you choose to do. Bub is in a habit of feeding through the night, and you are wanting to alter that behavior. Be kind to yourself through all of this. It's a tough time! Please be careful of using controlled crying, especially of your instincts are telling you that it won't work for you. Much love to you and respect for being so committed to breastfeeding!!

Amy - posted on 02/21/2011

Kara just turned two last month, Thomas will be one in April. I breastfeed them both ( though Kara is now only at night ) People have told me it is unhealthy, gross, weird etc, but it's my babies and my life. Is was not Kara's fault that her parents had another baby so soon after her, and she is not ready to give it up quite yet. Until recently she slept with my husband and I, we started our son in his own bed immediatly, Kara has her little bed beside ours and this cut out her waking up to feed. I know in my heart that if I had stopped her when Thomas was born she would not be close to him and would have taken it out on her little brother. They hold hands while nursing all the time, and are like twins. She calls him Bubby and I know someday soon she will be ready to stop just not yet.

Sara - posted on 02/21/2011

no its perfectly fine i breast feed for 2 years until my daughter weened herself off .

Madilyn - posted on 02/21/2011

my son will be 2 in may and still nurses 2-6 times a day. I have many friends who still nurse their older children even up to almost 5 years old. My son still sleeps in my bed but the last time I nurse him at night is 1030 I tell him that's the last time til morning and he sleeps through the night

Cassandra - posted on 02/21/2011

I BF Scarlett until she was 2 1/2 (actually a little bit over). In order to Ween her your GP is right, she will be upset for 2 - 3 nights, then after, it will be smooth sailing. Can your husband sleep on the couch for these 3 nights, so that you are consistant and successful. When your daughter crys, take her a drink of water. At this stage, as I am sure you know, she does not need the milk, she is just used to waking for it. It is more of a comfort thing and habit than anything else. Scarlett has ONLY just started to sleep in her OWN bed and she will be 3 in June. Don't fret, just keep trying to put her to sleep in her own room. Make it a fun routine for her and eventually, she will sleep in her own bed, not yours. Hope this has been helpful.

Angie - posted on 02/21/2011

my daughter just gave it up at 21 months, she weaned herself, so it can happen on their terms at this age

Heather - posted on 02/21/2011

I am still nursing my 19 month old daughter. She nurses 2 to 3 times a day and sometimes once in the middle of the night. I would put her in her bed for nap times for a few days, leave a fan on low, something that makes noise or a sound machine on the waterfall setting, this has helped both kids with having some white noise in the background. Nurse her, then put her down for a nap, and walk out of the room. Make sure to leave a baby monitor on so that you can hear her, if you need to. Then let her fuss a little bit, it's not going to hurt her, she's almost 2 years old. She might even have a tantrum, I would let her. It's tough, but it's time to move her crib into her own room. Naptime was great for starting our son sleeping in his own crib in his room at 6 months old for naps for a few days before I put him in there at night. He did cry, and we had to let him. I went in every so often to rub his back and to lay him back down in his bed. After a little bit, about 35 minutes, he calmed down and went to sleep. After that, the second night, he fussed a little bit, and then went to sleep. Ever since then, he is now 2.5, he goes to bed without any issues. My 19 month old daughter slept in our room in a crib until she was 10 months old. We moved her into her bedroom and she had no issues what so ever. She actually slept better! Make sure to plug in a little night light that doesn't put out too much light, in her room. This will help her to not be scared because she will be able to see a little bit in her room, and you will be able to see her if you have to go in there at night! Good luck.

Ju - posted on 02/21/2011

Hi Shaya, I breastfed my son till he was about 26mo. As I am a working mother, from the time he was 6-7 months, I only fed him once in the morning and evening/night and dropped to one night feed when he was 1.5yo. When he became to 2 yo, I too panicked coz he didnt seem to want to wean though it was obvious that he wanted the comfort of nursing since he was very happy with solids and formula milk. I also felt stressed nursing him then so I decided that it would be better for me to wean him. What I did (he still slept with us), was give him a bottle and lots of hugs and singing before he slept. I also put a pillow between us and wore and extra long T (something inconvenient for me to nurse him so I myself wont be tempted). He cried a bit and I distracted him with books and songs and gave him lots of hugs... before long, he forgot all about it. He's now 2.5yrs. It took about a week for him to sleep without it, and after another week, he did "try his luck" once or twice. Now that I look back at it, I still miss nursing him... it's been 6 mths. Now I am looking for how to get him out of our bed :)

Michele - posted on 02/20/2011

Darling why panic over nothing.......believe me in 10 yrs your going to look back and wonder why you felt you just had to rush this! My first I had age age 22, I breast feed her for 1.5 years, then my second I had at age 42, she is now 6 yrs old, and she was nursed for 4.5 yrs! It's all for comfort and convience once they are past finger foods...but this is simply one of the two best Gifts we can give our children, Birth and Breast!
**Breast = Comfort, Confidence, Intimacy, Security and Trust! Once you yank away the Breast and let the poor little soul scream their guts out n suffer you destroy what you built up with your baby since birth, the biggest is trust. I use to nurse her to sleep every night for 4.5 yrs, nursing, stroking the hair, soft words, songs...till they drift off, pick her up put her in bed and you go back to your bed, naps work the same way. I also used an mattress in the babies room on the floor, we would both lay on it, she'd go to sleep and wake up in her crib. As they get older teething pain will require more nursing from you to sooth the fussiness. Be patient and enjoy this time, because it is the Only time you will ever have to really connect to this new little soul you brought into this world. And it's the one and only chance of this little part of Motherhood you get to Perfect! Peace~

Jennifer - posted on 02/20/2011

I breast fed both of my children until they were 2 1/4 for my son--I had to stop him because I was 5 months pregnant with my daughter and I got that Sciatica and i was in terrible pain) and then I nursed my daughter until she was 2 3/4--she just stopped 10 days before this past Christmas!
Don't feel bad..it's perfect normal and healthy for them to be nursing! Most countries, besides here in the US, nurse their kids until 2-3 years old.
And I had no screaming--I talked about it with both of my children and we started with a little cup of rice/coconut milk that they would sip on before bed. I laid by each of them and told them stories until they fell asleep.

My little ones slept in our bed too, but I started by getting a "special" big girl/boy bed, a toddler bed, and put it right next to my side of the bed. Then I'd move it as far as I could to the other side of the room. Then in the hall or in their own room. But I would lay there with them until they we're sleeping...I still do this and my son is 51/2...we have the best conversations at that time and they truly love the stories!
My daughter still walks in our room most nights and it's usually because of a wet diaper or a scary dream. I just change her and put her back in her bed.
Hang in there...it was hard at times, but it is getting easier every night.
I'll be praying for you.
Jennifer Polimino
www.prayforyourbaby.com

Nayyara - posted on 02/20/2011

I weaned by son when he was 2 years old. He used to nurse day and night whenever he wanted. And then I explained to him that he is big boy now and should eat his meals and drink milk by cup. The trick worked for us was I kept him busy with other kids (his cousins), provided him meals and snakes which were his favorite and made sure he is really tired and sleepy from his physical activity in day time when go to bed. After two days of all this, he never asked me of nursing again. And yes we still co-sleep. This was my way to avoid screaming.

Jill - posted on 02/20/2011

When I night weaned my oldest I would nurse him right before bed laying in our bed, then I would tell him that its time for bed and he needed to go to sleep in his big boy bed in his room. Id give him a sippy of water and Id go tuck him in. There were a few fussy nights. But he would soon tell me he was all done and that it was time for bed. lol and thats from co-sleeping and night nursing until he was 2 years old. He nursed until he was 2 1/2 years when his brother was born. He was ready, so I told him his brother needed mommys milk. He was fine with that.

Sara - posted on 02/20/2011

actually while I don't produce milk anymore when my daughter is feeling in need of comfort or reassurance she will still want to suckle...much like I did with my mom although with her being a wet nurse she was still producing. but any doctor that advocates the extreme measure as yours just has no heart or concept as to the bond a mother and child have.

Marsha - posted on 02/20/2011

...Kristi Lee has a good point too, they grow up so fast. Don't rush it. I had to stop nursing my first daughter at 18 months because she was very sick... I didn't want to at all - enjoy this time, it goes so fast.

Marsha - posted on 02/20/2011

I still nurse my daughter, just at night before bed, and if she wakes up and I bring her into bed with me. Which I do not always do.
I don't think it is too long. Two isn't very old really, if you think about it.
As for sleeping. You may have to go thru some sleepless nights to help her adapt. What I did to get my daughter into her crib is at first nurse her until she fell asleep, then I would nurse her but before she fell asleep I would put her in her crib. I stayed in the room with her, this helped her to settle most of the time. Not always of course... :p
I would also let my husband put her to bed too, she knows there is no nursing then!
Maybe your husband should sleep on the couch for a bit until you can get your baby's sleeping habits changed.
My hubby had to do that!!

Kristi - posted on 02/20/2011

Wow, your ped is ignorant and uninformed. You've nursed this long~ taking it away cold turkey is not a very gentle approach to weaning, and could actually have long lasting effects on her psyche... You can still co sleep and night wean, gently. Explain to her than nums (or whatever you call it) go ni ni when she does, and she can have it at whatever time you guys get up in the morning, whatever time you are comfortable with. And from that point, when she wakes to nurse, rock her, love her, but don't offer her the breast. There will be a few tears, but nothing near as traumatizing as cold turkey weaning.

She'll only be little for so long, enjoy this time while you can. Trust me, she won't need you to nurse her to sleep when she's 16 lol

Marcie - posted on 02/20/2011

I nursed my son to nearly 4 (by 3 he was really only on comfort nursing and generally at night - I began to fear for his teeth as he would nurse to sleep after brushing his teeth so I finally stopped. I only nursed my first son for ~7 months but this was due to the fact I went back to work & he choose the bottle & it became a fight to get him to nurse when I came home =( , but my 2nd son was a natural nurser from the start - so we nursed a long time. Total time between the 2 boys I nursed for ~4.5 yrs, now with breast cancer on my mom's side- I'm extremely happy I did I'm hoping for the protective benefits. They say you should nurse for at least 2 to 2.5 years , from what I've read once you get to 2 years it's very hard to stop before 3 yrs old. There's nothing wrong with it & it's still very healthy for the child, I had a dr. once tell me he wasn't getting anything anymore & that's simply not true.

Olga - posted on 02/20/2011

Hi, the best thing to do as some moms have already said is to let her sleep in a separate room.... She can still smell you and smell the milk even though she won't be hungry she will want to feed for comfort.. I have 3kids my last she us 11months I still breastfeed her she has never had any other milk.. Apart from breastmilk..and I will keep going as long as it takes it's very good for her. Speaking for myself I was breastfed for 4years.:)),you need to break the habit of her sleeping on your room first. Then depending on how you feel about continuing to breastfeed.. Try substituting to cows milk. If the flavour is strong try half water half milk bits by bits see how she goes,or formular whichever suits. But there is nothing wrong with breadtfeeding it's good for you and your daughter:) my kids never took paci! Never liked it ,all 3 of them! Just kee breadtfeeding her you have nothing to loose but definately put her in a separate room. Good luck.

April - posted on 02/17/2011

I breastfeed my daughter until she was almost 3 she would'nt take formula or any form of bottle.She latched on right away in the hospital and would not except different nipples.She didnt even take a pacifier.I tried to get her to wean everytime she hit a milestone but it didnt work.She also slept with me and did so after she stopped.My mother helped me wean her off by telling her no more mommy has no more milk for you.It was the funniest thing because she was very vocal and spoke her lil mind at 2.She would say mommy I want milk and didnt care where we were.It was a great bonding experience and im glad we had that time.I was lucky with her that she took the weaning well.Slowly stopping the night feeding which was the hardest part helped also.She is now a very healthy 11yr.old.

Kathryn - posted on 02/17/2011

As you see, you're far from unusual! I aimed to feed both mine til 2 years, in line with the WHO recommendations (of "at least 2 years"). In the event, stuff was going on that meant I weaned DD1 at 26 months and DD2 at 30 months. Without screaming. I actually think it's easier at this age, because you can explain, make deals, offer incentives... With both my daughters, I started the PR campaign about 6 months ahead of action, introducing the idea that they would not need "Mummy milk" (renamed "baby milk") for much longer and that "when you're big and don't need baby milk any more...." When we got near to the date, I started talking about what we would be doing instead, ie. cup of "moo milk" at bedtime, and after 7 days with no baby milk, then there would be a Special Present as a reward for being such a big girl. DD1 was mostly only night feeding once by 24 months (and sleeping thru), so it was just a case of sayign "tonight's the night, Daddy's putting you to bed tonight" and getting out of the house so no one could weaken! In the case of DD2, she had still been waking 3 hourly, she co-slept and she fed 2x a day. First I evicted her from my room into a single bed in "her" room (with Mummy squeezed uncomfortably alongside for a couple of weeks, increasingly escaping back to my own room); then I dropped the day feeds one at a time by distraction and being busy and never sitting down LOL! Having her in her own room in her own bed lengthened her sleeps gradually to about 5 hours, and I wouldn't feed her when she woke. So that just left the bedtime feed, and poor old daddy got the short straw and grumpy baby again! Both got their Reward in 7 days with no problems, and accepted the end of feeding with few arguments. Which considering they argued about most things since birth is quite remarkable! Hope this helps give you ideas about how to plan an exit strategy, IF you are really ready to do so.

Marcy - posted on 02/17/2011

I nursed my son until he was 4. We did the whole don't ask, don't offer thing. If he did ask, I would offer up milk or a snack or try and distract him. Night feedings are the hardest. As they get older the nursing gets less and less. I used to do the count to 10 thing with my son...he would climb in my lap and I would count to 10 and that was it. He wasn't thrilled with that set up. At 3 we tried to stop and he wasn't ready....So at 3 1/2 years old I started making a huge deal about him turning 4 years old. I told him that 4 years old just don't nurse and that on his birthdya there woud be no more "Boo"(what he called it.) I made him a certficate that he graduated with honors from Boo U and gave him a little present. it was harder for me than it was for him. he would sit in my lap and I would just start crying...hormones for sure. He looked at me and said "Mommy, I sure do miss the Boo." and I told him I missed it as well but we could still cuddle and hug. It took about a month for him to stop asking and its been over 6 months since we've stopped. I love the idea of making it a celebration. Start talking about it with your daughter and discussing together how you are going to stop...its a group effort in my eyes. Ask her to help you and then give her enough room/time to make the transition. Slowly cut back on her feedings, try and distract as much as possible 'We can't have XXX (whatever you call it) right now honey but how about we have special snack and some milk instead and cuddle?"



Don't listen to the pediatrician...that is horrible advise. Sorry, but I am so against the concept of just taking away the thing that she loves most. Mark the calendar off for 3 months from now and circle it and with lots of starts/glitter etc. Ask your daughter to help you makr off each day. Again, this only if you are interested in stopping. We did this as my son turned 4 so he was a little older. Then, when that day comes and you have reduced her feedings and feel that she is not a reliant on you make it a special day and acknowledge that she is going to be upset but stick with it. If you can however continue to nurse and its working for you....go for it.

Sara - posted on 02/17/2011

you are fine as you see there are many out there that are in the same situation. I bf my daughter until she was nearly 5 1/2 and I was bf even longer. Now my mom was also a wet nurse for several of her sisters who could not produce milk (guess my mom got all the milk producing genes lol) so her milk was available past my actual need to bf but mom believed that if the child wants to feed there is a need there. I can't believe the horror of inflicting nights of emotional trauma to my own child just for convienence or appearance sake. Everyone in my family was bf well past the accepted public norm and we are all pretty good I think, several lawyers and two doctors (not me unfortunetly I was more arts inclined) so it doesn't do any harm to allow a child this one thing of security and bonding. Oh and as for the sleeping I was raised and am raising my daughter in a communal bed home so can't help you there.

Mary - posted on 02/17/2011

I still breastfeed my 29 month old nce a day. I moved her from my bed to her bed when she was 19 months old, only because I had our second baby and there was no way to fit all of us in the bed, so she got moved into a toddler bed in our bed room. it was hard the first month but now she won't even consider coming to lay down with us. She has her "big girl bed"
I've been slowly trying to wean my 29 month old. I want to get her to 30 months then stop. She's only nursed once this week. I try to direct her attention to other things when she asks to nurse. (Examples: Sorry baby I'm making lunch, would you like to help? Do you want to go play outside? etc.) It has been working very well. Most days I can distract her without causing a melt down, but if she does go to fit throwing usually I cave and let her nurse. I also limit nursing time. (Example: She can only nurse for 5 minutes.) I also limit nursing to one side only. It's been very easy on both of us so far. My having a 10 month old is a double edged sword. I don't get engorged because I have another nursling but then again my older is always reminded of nursing.

Candice - posted on 02/16/2011

I'm still nursing my boobie troll at 2yrs 9 months.So I'm keepin' on keepin' on until she's ready.I 'm going to be away from her for a few days so I bet she'll wean then. I predict a boobsplosion for April 30th. :D
Co-sleeping has so many benefits,just wait really.She will get tired of you lol. Even though my babe is still nursing she has taken it upon herself to sleep else where until about 7 am. We have a bed,not put together. *le sigh* I suppose it could be time to set her up in her own room. I want my baby back! QQ

Christine - posted on 02/16/2011

I bf my daughter until she was almost two and every time I tried to wean her I failed until call it crazy, but I put band aids over my nipples and told my daughter I had boo-boo's. It took one LONG night and then she was fine. However, it took about 2 weeks until I could completely remove the band aids because she kept wanting to see my boo boos. GL!

Elizabeth - posted on 02/16/2011

Why are you trying to wean your baby? Two years old? That is still rather young and who cares if you still breastfeed once a day, geez. Maybe get in contact with some positive holistic moms in your area they will commend you for breastfeeding for so long.

Millie - posted on 02/16/2011

I nursed my 3rd child until she was 2 1/2 and had to stop because I got pregnant with number four. She cried but only briefly. My nipples got so sore and the milk had dried up. But i nursed the fourth until he was 3 1/2. Doc says if i would not have nursed him he probably wouldn't have survived since he was so allergic to everything. So sometimes babies know best. OBTW, they all slept with us but stopped at about 2 when they became more independent. Their choice.

Ami - posted on 02/16/2011

Ok, so my daughter will be 2 in May and we still breastfeed. She also sleeps with us in our bed. I weaned her from night-time nursing b/c the pediatrician said it was bad for her teeth (and i was getting NO sleep). It did take 3 nights BUT not 3 whole nights of screaming. She cried for like 20 minutes? I just wore her out during the day, then we did tubby and bed...I did talk to her about it before it happened so she wouldn't be blindsided, " ok, so tonight after we brush our teeth and go to bed we aren't going to nurse anymore, so lets nurse now, ok?" And I give her a sippy cup of water to take to bed. Sometimes she still asks for "num-num-nummie" but I just say, nope, remember we brushed our teeth? We're going night night like big girls! And it's all good. I think the key is to just do it and stick with it. If she knows she can wear you down...she will :p They are very smart that way. Oh she still sleeps with us, too....I think that is way harder to end than the nursing thing... *sigh*

Cass - posted on 02/16/2011

I'm having a hard time of my own too....BOTH of my sons are still breastfeeding... 4 yrs old n 1 yr old. I'm tryin to wean my 4 yr old but he just dont wanna stop. I'm enjoying bf my children, it makes me closer to them. But I can only bf 1 child. If i breastfeed both of them I won't have enough milk to express for my baby when I go to work..

Moryn - posted on 02/16/2011

You are not alone!
My daughter is 2yrs, 2months. she still breastfeeds seriously. she doens't take packet milk at nite and during the day she takes very little of it.especially when I am home, she never takes packet milk. She feeds well on other foods. We still sleep in the same bed (3 of us). I wanted to stop her from breastfeeding but just realised that I would punish her for no good reason, @Shaya; just be patient with her, give her her time and very soon she will stop by herself.
maybe her body (immunity) still needs the breast milk. kids are different and lets handle them differently.

Moryn

Farah - posted on 02/16/2011

My baby is 11months and still waking up every 2 hours at night to breastfeed and he prefers to sleep in my bed. I am not considering this a problem at all.I will continue in this routine until he decides to imitates his elder brother of 2.5years.this thing will not last all ur lifetime, u know when they grow up u will miss these periods that they were very near to u.

Gretchen - posted on 02/15/2011

If you're co-sleeping, start by having her nap in her crib to get her used to it. Once she's out of your bed, she may have an easier time associating night time with sleeping. A friend of mine just went through this with her 18mo son, and she used portions of the No-Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers & Preschoolers. She said the biggest thing is getting the child to get the idea that when it's dark, "milk/nummies/whatever you call your breasts" go to sleep, too :) Wanted to keep it short, so hope that helps.

Allison - posted on 02/15/2011

Wow, lots of great advice! I didn't see a story quite like ours, so thought I'd share.



My son wanted to nurse about every hour while sleeping with us, and I kept doing it for 2 years b/c I liked the closeness (I worked 10 hour days from the time he was born). It didn't really "work" for us, b/c I was exhausted all day, but I kept doing it...will do things a little different next time :)



At 2 he nursed 2-3 times during the day, 1-2 times during the night. We moved him to his own bed, and he slept MUCH better. It only took a month or so before he stopped waking to nurse. He also potty trained at the same time, and wanting to do things "for himself" - he was clearly in a transition to more independence.



At about 25 months, I started the LLL method "don't offer, don't refuse" along with fun distractions during the daytime nursing times. Within 2-3 months, he only nursed before bed.



At 2 1/2 I asked one night if we could just read a story and have no milk, and he said "OK". Sweetest transition EVER!!! NO crying AT ALL. And he only asked for it a couple times since - I just told him we were done with that and he was fine with it!



It wasn't exactly child-led weaning, but a joint decision between both of us, just gently encouraged by me and SO easy! Good luck :)

Karina - posted on 02/15/2011

My son stopped breastfeeding directly from the breast when his teeth grew in, at about 8 months old, but he still wanted the breast milk, so I pumped and continued to give it to him via a bottle that mimics the breast. He still loves it, and it is his favourite. We do give him maybe one bottle of 100% juice a day, and now that he is over a year old, he also gets soy milk (he cannot have cow's milk as he appears to be lactose intolerant), but his favourite is breast milk, which he gets two or three times a day. I pump before I go to bed, and he gets that first thing in the morning when he wakes up, then when I wake up, I pump again before breakfast and give that to him either at breakfast or before his morning nap. Then in the afternoon I pump again. He gets that in the evening. I plan to continue as long as he wants breastmilk. Although he does not nurse directly, when he gets his bottle of breast milk, I do hold him extra close, cuddling him, so that he still gets the bonding feeling with me that he did when he was nursing. He really enjoys it, and I make sure that I am the one holding him when he drinks the breast milk, so that he continues to have the association between Mommy and breast milk. For his sippy cups and other bottles, someone else can give that to him or sometimes he wants to hold the bottle by himself. I am hoping that he will continue to want breast milk until he is at least 18 months old to 24 months old. The longer he has it, the better, and he rarely gets sick, because of breast milk. When he does get sick, I just give him breastmilk more frequently, and he usually has a mild case and is better within a day or two.
I also appear to be unable to conceive as long as I am keeping up my demand for breast milk. I don't mind, as I want my son to have me to himself for a bit longer still before he needs to share me with a sibling. When both he and I are ready to stop the breastmilk, then we will, and hopefully it won't be too long after that before I'll be able to get pregnant again.

Andrea - posted on 02/15/2011

Lots of little ones nurse well into toddlerhood/young childhood and it is wonderful for them. My two both stopped around 2.5 when we moved them from a crib to a "big boy bed". They wanted to be "big" and were so excited about their new bed that they didn't even think of it.

Courtney - posted on 02/15/2011

I still nurse my 3 yr old twice a day...I can't see a problem with it and I also love that it means she has a 2-3 hr nap in the arvo :) I am pregnant with No.2 due end March and I guess I will be tandem feeding :)

Jen - posted on 02/15/2011

Shaya, you are not the only one. Unfortunately I don't have any advice, but just wanted to let you know that you are not alone. I bf all of my 7 children but this last one does not want to give it up and she is almost 2 1/2 (our oldest is 25). She really wants to go to school next year so I keep telling her she can't have "B" and go to school. I too could use some advice. I can tell you that she usually sleeps with her older sister, but there are plenty of times that she still sleeps with us, as we have to travel often while my older son competes. I do not allow her to nurse DURING the night anymore, Before she started sleeping with her sister I told her she had to wait until the sun came up. There were a few nights I had to threaten (and then follow through - at least for a few mins) to put her in our walk-in-closet where I had put a night light and her crib mattress. I do nurse her in in the morning and then again before a nap in the afternoon. Have you considered having her sleep with one of her older siblings?

Teresa - posted on 02/15/2011

Keep nursing! She will wean when she is ready. It is perfectly natural. I take pediatricians advice with a grain of salt. Have you asked anyone from La Leche about this? I would wait until she is deeply sleeping & then take her into her bed. She is still very young & needs to be close to mom.

Erin - posted on 02/15/2011

My son just turned 2 and I breastfed him up until 2 weeks before his birthday. He was mainly breastfeeding at night for bed or when he was sick or upset and I finally just said no more. I just stopped giving it to him. I started giving him the option of his sippy cup at night and he would refuse at 1st, but if he wanted a drink bad enough, he would take it after throwing a fit for a few minutes. He still tries to grab at my shirt some nights to breastfeed but I just tell him "no, we dont do that anymore" and he usually fusses for a min and rolls over to go to bed. I am a single mom and have had little success getting him out of my bed so I can't help you on that aspect. I can recommend trying to put her to sleep in a different room and then carrying her into her crib. I've had to do that with my son on many occasions. My son also didn't really cry for more than about 10 minutes at night when I wouldn't breastfeed him before he went to bed either. He does cry for hours however if I try to put him in his own bed. I've heard it takes a few nights of lots of crying for that to get better. Good luck! I hope you have tons of success!