can i wean my 15month boy

Kelly - posted on 02/21/2011

For most moms at least in the States children are weaned from night time feedings by 6 months. they really do not need the nutrition beyond that and for me I was probably down to 2 night feedings by 2-3 months. At 5-6 months babies start getting cereal during the day. Like you and I they get their calories during the day and sleep at night. We all need a full nights sleep including your little one. You may wake up during the night and roll back over but yours is nursing for comfort and then going back to sleep. It is time to teach them to comfort themselves and go back to sleep. this is not a lesson they like to learn without big temper tantrums so you must make it through the tears and screaming and perhaps survive a horrible week of it but they will catch on. If you give in it just prolongs it and makes it more cruel. By 1 year all my kids were weaned from day feeding too. They were using a cup or sippy cup and sometimes a bottle but the bottles were gone by 15 months. Depending on culture i know that some places nursing goes on for much longer. Right now if your child is nursing at night and has teeth is will start damaging the teeth because they fall back asleep with milk in their mouth. Put the child to sleep in their own bed. If they wake up in the middle of the night go to them to reassure them and tell them it's night time, don't touch them or pick them up just let them know you are there so they aren't scared when they cry and you don't come. Then without touching them say good night and leave. They will get very mad but walk out. Chances are 10 mins later they will still be screaming so go back in and them them it's bedtime. Keep this up until they exhaust themselves and fall asleep. If they wake up again..repeat the process. This may take 5-7 days of hard work but then you will be sleeping through the night and so will they. It is not easy and it emotionally hard to do but then again you have a lifetime of teaching and telling your child "no" when it's appropriate. Time to start.

Doreen - posted on 02/21/2011

Thank you Louise for your beautiful advise. i have actually tried to put my boy in his bed and he has started picking and getting used to sleep alone but at least wakes twice in the night shouting and crying asking me for the breast. but guess he is doing well now, some time i wake up and sweet talk him back into his sleep with out any hurdle. thank you again

Louise - posted on 02/16/2011

There is no reason for your child to need a feed during the night now as he is over 12 months old. you have two issues here one that he needs to be in his own bed and two he needs to be weaned. I would decide which one is more important to you. I would start with getting him to self soothe without suckling and in his own bed. This is going to be hard as co-sleeping is a difficult habbit to break. Make his room look as inviting as possible and buy him a teddy that is soft for him to snuggle into. I would advise that you rub the teddy around your chest to put your scent on it as this seems to help a child settle if they can smell mum. Make sure he is well fed and has had a drink at bed time and try and settle him in his new bed. Don't give up this is going to be a battle. Eventually he will fall asleep. When he wakes do not feed him just give him the teddy and leave the room. Be prepared for a few hours of grizzling as you are changing his whole routine. This will go on for about three nights before you see a positive result and he should start to sleep through the night. The big thing here is that you do not give in, so ask for some help during the day so you can catch up on some sleep.

Once you have got him to sleep in his bed then you can work on weaning him from the breast onto cups and cows milk. Just remember this is a big transition in your sons life and it will not happen over night. No matter how tired you feel stick with it as you will be rewarded with a full nights sleep. Good luck!