Weaning a 2 year old

Sarah - posted on 10/13/2011

I got the lemon juice trick from my mom, who used it on my head strong and stubborn little sis... lol and now I plan to use it for my daughter, i'm just worried about quitting cold turkey and dealing with engorgemnet...? Any tips there? But you know it might not work with her, she likes lemons... today she ate a whole lemon wedge :S

Kayla - posted on 01/18/2009

lol I know exactly how you feel! my 25 month old son still loves to nurse quite regularly! He is very big for his age but I love the closeness we have when he nurses but it does get to be a little much when I'm busy doing something and he wants it or if we are in a store and he starts saying "want boob" The only thing that has worked for me is to tell him that its all gone. I dont want to stop nursing all together till he is ready but the times when I just dont have time to I tell him its all gone come back later. He really thinks there is no milk right then so he will go play or stop asking for a while. Or you could try distracting her. Sometimes when my son says "boob?" I'll say okay and open my mouth like I'm the one nursing. It makes him start giggling then I'll keep him distracted by tickling or something till he forgot that he asked for boob.

Chrystal - posted on 01/15/2009

Quoting Jenelle:

I had heaps of trouble weaning my 22mo little girl. I was having pretty much the same problems as you are having and we were having huge tantrams when i said no.  Someone told me to put lemon juice on my nipples which i thought was a bit weird but i gave it a go. The first time she went to feed after i put the lemon juice on she was off the boob quicker than she went on. She looked at me and said yuck - i told her qently that maybe mommy's milk had gone bad and she was happy with that. The next day she wanted boobies again and i had put lemon juice on again and again she didnt feed.  I let her keep trying every time she asked ( another 3 times) and we have succeeded in weaning and now she doesnt even ask. Apart from weaning the other positives we are having are sleeping all night with no waking and she is much happier during the day and her food intake has picked up so we are having heaps of positives. I hope this helps. 

Wow!  I wouldn't have even thought about this, LOL!  Maybe I will do this during the night.  I don't mind nursing her before bed or naps on weekends (I work during the day) but maybe I will do it during the night.  That's my biggest problem is the nighttime feedings.  I have been sometimes successful when I just ask her to snuggle (my breast) and not feed but sometimes she's on it, no lie, all night long.  So if I can cut at least those and just nurse 1-2 times a day that would be ideal.

I also try to avoid the spots where we nurse but (for example) the other night I walked in from work and started dinner immediately.  She hung on my leg and screamed and cried until I was done preparing dinner (20min or so).  When I sat to nurse she nursed for about 2 minutes and got up and walked away.  I was so ANGRY but I figure nursing must be when she feels closest to me and when I am at work all day, she just wants to be close when I see her. 

Thank you so much!!!!!!!  I will update when I can = )

Jenelle - posted on 01/14/2009

I had heaps of trouble weaning my 22mo little girl. I was having pretty much the same problems as you are having and we were having huge tantrams when i said no.  Someone told me to put lemon juice on my nipples which i thought was a bit weird but i gave it a go. The first time she went to feed after i put the lemon juice on she was off the boob quicker than she went on. She looked at me and said yuck - i told her qently that maybe mommy's milk had gone bad and she was happy with that. The next day she wanted boobies again and i had put lemon juice on again and again she didnt feed.  I let her keep trying every time she asked ( another 3 times) and we have succeeded in weaning and now she doesnt even ask. Apart from weaning the other positives we are having are sleeping all night with no waking and she is much happier during the day and her food intake has picked up so we are having heaps of positives. I hope this helps. 

Laurel - posted on 01/14/2009

I have almost completely weaned my 21 month old daughter.  I started weaning her about 4 months ago and at that point she was nursing 6 times a day.  I took away a nursing session every few days at the start, but had to start weaning all over again almost when she got sick about a month and a half ago.  We are down to nursing every other morning.  She never really nursed at night after the first few weeks, so I can't help you there.  My best suggestion is to just be consistent and redirect with other activities.  One thing I have found particularly helpful is to not spend much time in the places I nurse around the time I would be nursing her.  (Does that make sense... for instance, I nurse her in my bed in the morning, so I avoid her even seeing my bed on the mornings she is not going to be nursing.)  Good luck to you!  

Nicole - posted on 01/13/2009

I am still nursing my son who is almost 25mo. so I don't know about this... but I was able to stop nursing at night and transition my son to his own toddler bed at the end of our bed by just talking to him and telling him what I needed from him. I tell him too that mommy's boobies have to sleep at night to make the milk needed for him during the day. So it's time to nurse to sleep and then that is it until morning as the boobies are still sleeping and making milk. He seems to do ok w/this. I keep water handy to give him if he wakes at all in the night and I rub his head and shhh shhh shhhsh him back to sleep. For the most part he's doing great in his own bed and sleeping through the night... like 10-11 pm until 7ish AM. Best wishes!

Nicole - posted on 01/13/2009

Some helpful links:

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/weaning/how_w...
http://www.drjaygordon.com/development/a...