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Weaning my 23 month old?

Cheryl - posted on 06/27/2012 ( 1 mom has responded )

57

18

My daughter is going to be 23 months soon. She has been breastfed and still is breastfeeding. I would absolutely love for her to wean. I love being close to her but it's just so much. She won't take milk at all, no matter what I try. She screams and cries and throws a huge fit on the floor. But I really need to stop breastfeeding. Esp because there is a chance I could be pregnant again. Please, I will take any tips or suggestions how to get her out of this habit. It's so hard for me to see her upset and crying and all she wants is her "boobie"!

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Lori - posted on 06/28/2012

1,092

9

You could try setting limits when she's breastfeeding. Such as only let her nurse for a minute or two rather than for as long as she likes. How often does she nurse each day? If you still nurse her throughout the day try to draw out more time between sessions. Ask her to wait 5 minutes, etc. If you're just down to 2 times a day such as before nap time and before bed time I'd start by trying to cut out the nap time one first.

Have you tried any other type of milk with her? There's goat milk, rice milk, almond milk, and coconut milk. You may find she prefers one of these. There is no reason why she has to have cow milk.

Also, don't worry about rushing the weaning because of being pregnant. In a healthy pregnancy you can continue to nurse your older baby all the way through your pregnancy. If you are pregnant though, you may find that your milk supply naturally drops and the taste changes. Many toddlers will wean naturally when mom gets pregnant again.

I weaned my first daughter at 23 months also. We started really working on it around 21 months old when I found out the reason it was hurting me so much every time she nursed was because I was pregnant again. By that point she was down to nursing before and after nap time, just before bed, and first thing when she woke up. For her, the favorite time to nurse was first thing in the morning. She was no longer falling asleep when I'd nurse her before bed time and nap time. So we dropped the before nap time feed first. I'd read her a story and sing her some songs in the rocking chair and give her a sippy cup with either water or milk. (Use whatever she'll take). Then we dropped the before bed time feed. Did the same thing.. read a story and sing songs. When she was OK with those, I dropped the after nap feed. I'd have to be ready with something really fun for her to do as soon as she woke up though because she really really wanted to nurse right after waking. But I'd distract her and she very quickly adjusted. Then it was time to drop the last daily feed. First thing in the morning. That was hardest for both of us because I was used to bringing her into my bed when she woke up in the morning and we'd cuddle and nurse and lay around in bed for another half hour after she woke up. I quickly found out she wasn't willing to lay around in bed with me if I wasn't willing to nurse her. So that meant I had to get up half and hour earlier each day. Being pregnant and getting up earlier wasn't fun... but it got her weaned. It took about 4 or 5 months after weaning before I could start bringing her into my bed again in the morning time for cuddles without her asking to nurse. And now her little sister is 19 months old and showing no signs of weaning. Not that I'm in a rush this time around. :) Good luck on your journey!

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