Advanced Search

ADVERTISEMENT (learn more)

  Browse   Categories   Ask the Nurse! » Ask the Nurse | General Que...    

Forum
Discuss and share thoughts and interests
Ask the Nurse! » Ask the Nurse | General Questions

weaning my two year old.

Topics: 4   Posts: 13
My daughter just turned two last month, and I have been fortunate to have been able to breastfeed her since birth. Of course, we have decreased the amount of nursing that happens on a daily basis over time, but I feel that it is time to come to a stop. I am not sure where to begin. I am looking for any suggestions about how I might go about doing this. I know that naptimes and bedtime are going to become a challenge, but I really need some positive support and some ideas about the healthiest possible way for the both of us to make this huge transition. Thanks so much in advance.

Topics: 4   Posts: 916

Congratulations on breastfeeding your daughter for over two years! Your milk has nourished and protected her, and the closeness you have as a nursing couplet is giving her the best possible start in life.


The best advice I can give you is to let your daughter lead in the weaning process. It sounds as if both of you are coming to the point where she can be a little more independent and you are ready to gently end the breastfeeding relationship. A mantra for weaning could be: slowly and with love. Here is some information from kellymom.com:


"What is child-led weaning like?


Child-led weaning occurs when a child no longer has a need to nurse - nutritionally or emotionally. It's relatively unusual for a baby younger than 18-24 months to self-wean if they are not being encouraged in that direction (though things like mom's pregnancy may also affect the timing).


A child who is self-weaning will almost always cut down on nursing very gradually over a period of months, one session at a time (anything abrupt is most always a strike). Many children will continue with only a nighttime, morning or naptime nursing session (or a combination) for months before weaning. When a child self-weans, she will also have been drinking well from a cup and getting the vast majority of her nutrition from solid foods for a while.


My daughter's weaning story is pretty typical - she self-weaned when her little brother was 14 months old. Before he was born, she was nursing mainly at naps, night and wake up, and she continued this after he was born (except for 6-8 weeks of increased nursing right after he was born - typical for tandem nursing). She cut out naps several months before she weaned, so that nursing went by the wayside. About a month before she weaned, she started falling asleep after (or during) bedtime reading with her Dad, so that nursing was cut out. She may have cut down on the wake up nursing session a bit, but it wasn't really noticeable. When we went on vacation with her cousins for a week, she was too busy to nurse in the morning for the last few days. After we got back she nursed maybe twice, about a week apart, and that was the end. "


Check out  http://www.kellymom.com/bf/bfextended/toddlernursing.html#selfwean


http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/weaning_toddlers_from_breastfeeding.html




Moderators: NurseAnne, MommaPoco

ADVERTISEMENT (learn more)