Help with weaning my son from breast feeding

Koryn - posted on 10/22/2009

It's been a week today since I stopped breast feeding my son and I have to say that, even though he is sleeping better, I miss it! Like Julia said it's an amazing bonding experience, I guess all good things must come to an end eventually! Savor the time until you stop :)

Jennifer - posted on 10/21/2009

I am not going to lie. I am going to miss it a lot too. It was an amazing bonding experience. Congratulations on your next pregnancy. Enjoy it. I miss being pregnant too. I just loved it both times. It is going to be a challenge weaning him but it's got to be time soon. I know some people think it's crazy that I am still nursing him. Oh well, my pediatrician and I are fine with it. I just need to quit soon. Thanks again everyone for your advice. I am so glad I posted this to hear from other wonderful mothers like yourselves. You are all too sweet.

Julia - posted on 10/21/2009

I just weaned my daughter. We cut out feedings until she was down to just feeding in the morning and sometimes at night. I'm pregnant with my second, so I was having a lot of pain when I nursed. She didn't nurse for over a week and one night when I was putting her down, she was trying to pull up my shirt. So I let her nursed, and cried the whole time! Not only because it hurt, but because I miss it SO much! If it wasn't so painful, I don't think I would've quit. Good luck to you! I'd just keep dropping feedings and distract him when he wants it. The night feeding will probably be the worse. I let her daddy put her down when possible.

Jennifer - posted on 10/21/2009

Thank you for the advice and the story. They are all so appreciated. My son is definetly slowing down a little but we need to work a little harder on this.

Rebecca - posted on 10/20/2009

Quoting Beth:

Jennifer,
I recently weaned my son. I just slowly fed him less. At about one year old I took away one feeding per week. Then he was down to one feeding before bedtime for quite awhile. I gave him a bottle of water to take to bed with him, because he never seemed to get enough. After a few months he just got fussy about doing breastfeeding and one night he just refused alltogether. He was 16 months when he was finally done. Each kid is different though, so I would just say do what you're comfortable with.

I am at the same place as Beth was right now.  My goal was to completely wean my son by the time I had to go back to teaching in Aug.  However, we did so much traveling throughout the summer that the breast feeding just continued.  He was also pretty clear about his wants.  When we got home, we were down to three feedings a day, two seemed more about comfort than anything.  I started school that way... first thing in the morning, just after we got home from daycare, and bedtime.  By Sept., we were down to two, morning and bedtime.  A couple of weeks later, I started giving him his milk in a sippy cup when he got up in the morning.  He still occasionally tries to go back to the morning feeding, but I have stuck it out.  Now, I am looking for the least stressful way to wean him from the bedtime feeding.  He's just so stubborn about it.  I think it's that comfort and connection with Mama but, when he gets tired (usually around 8 o'clock), he starts rubbing the eyes, wanders around the room for a bit, comes to me and says "up," points at the pillow that I lay him on to nurse, grabs his little rag that he messes with, and...whines if I don't start fast enough.  I still have high hopes of weaning him within the next couple of weeks, but my pediatrician put me at ease about still doing it.  She confirmed that it was, at this point, more about the comfort and connection, but said that as long as it was working for us, it was fine.  So, if it doesn't happen in a couple of weeks, I'm not going to push him.  I've been working on getting a real strong comforting routine in place so that it will come naturally to him.  We take a bath, brush our teeth, read books... 

Jennifer - posted on 10/20/2009

This was so good for me to know that there are other mothers out there in the same boat and that I am not alone. It truly helps. Thanks to everyone for responding. Good luck to us all.

Achsah - posted on 10/20/2009

oh man I thought I was the only mom in the whole world that was still nursing a 15 month old. I am getting tired of it. I don't get much sleep at night and during the day she still wants to nurse a lot. I know she is using me as a pacifire but I don't know how to wean her. She does tend to cry and scream if I don't nurse. We would like to have one last child but I want to quit nursing first. She does eat solids and take a cup but it's just not the same for her.... I need help....

Koryn - posted on 10/18/2009

No problem! You are definitely not alone! I'm am not one for letting my kids cry it out, it really broke my heart the first two days and I was in tears a few times but now things are good. My son actually slept from 10pm til 5am last night - that's the longest he's ever gone without waking up and I know it's because I stopped nursing. Now if I could only get my milk to go away LOL! Hang in there :)

Jennifer - posted on 10/17/2009

Thank you so much Koryn. It makes me feel so much better knowing I am not the only Mom that isn't on a schedule. I also stay home with my son. You and I have VERY similar stories. I just feel better knowing I am not alone. I wish you the best of luck your adventure of weaning your son. I have to get strong and let him cry. I have such a hard time with that. Once again thanks so much for sharing your story.

Koryn - posted on 10/17/2009

Jennifer I'm going through the same thing right now. I stay at home with my kids, I didn't nurse my daughter for long at all she was on bottles by 4 months. My son was a champ at breast feeding and I never had him on a schedule, he never took a bottle but he does drink from a sippy cup too. My son is a terrible sleeper, he's up 4 to 5 times a night and wants to nurse back to sleep, during the day it didn't seem as important to him. I tried weening him before, eliminating one feeding per 2 weeks (saving bedtime for last) and it never worked. It almost confused him more, I don't think he understood why he couldn't do it during the day but it was ok at night. So on Wednesday I stopped cold turkey - which I know they say never to do - but he was starting to prefer nursing over eating food. I would have a hard time getting him to eat meals, he would just take a few bites and refuse more but then after an hour or so he'd want to nurse because he was still hungry.So far he's been doing pretty good. The first day was the hardest, he cried a lot and I just comforted him the best I could. He still wakes up at night but the number of times has decreased and instead of nursing I give him a sippy cup of water. He usually takes a few sips then goes right back to sleep. Since I stopped nursing him he's been sleeping with me, I thought it might make the situation easier. He doesn't "ask" to nurse anymore but it is a lot harder getting him to go down for a nap during the day. I wish you the best of luck, I don't think there's any right or wrong way to do things - it's whatever works for you and your family.

Jennifer - posted on 10/15/2009

Thank you for the response. I wish I would have had him on a better schedule so this wouldn't have been so hard. Some days he wants to nurse a lot the next he doesn't need to nurse very often at all. I am so anxious about this but I have to start soon.

Beth - posted on 10/15/2009

Jennifer,

I recently weaned my son. I just slowly fed him less. At about one year old I took away one feeding per week. Then he was down to one feeding before bedtime for quite awhile. I gave him a bottle of water to take to bed with him, because he never seemed to get enough. After a few months he just got fussy about doing breastfeeding and one night he just refused alltogether. He was 16 months when he was finally done. Each kid is different though, so I would just say do what you're comfortable with.