S/O breastfeeding

Vega77

Hey ya'll,

I'm a lurker in need of some advice. How did you know when it was time to wean your LO? DS is turning 1 next week, and while I previously thought I'd nurse him well into toddlerhood, I'm kind of feeling like I want to be done. He has been biting me for 6 months, which may have something to do with it. I cut his noontime feeding and he accepted that well.

So how did you know when you were done? Any tips on weaning?

Thanks!

missyishere

How old is your LO? How often do you nurse?

Vega77

missyishere said:

How old is your LO? How often do you nurse?

He will be 1 next week. He nurses (or takes a pumped bottle while I work) 4-5 times per day

missyishere

justAphase said:

When I really started weaning I was down to 2 sessions per day. I dropped the nighttime feeding first, then a few weeks later dropped her afternoon feeding. M was about 20 months old when she was completely weaned.

This is what we did almost exactly. Dropping the night feeding first made the other feedings significantly easier to drop.

MrsCodeMonkey

I tried weaning at a year. I didn't finish till 18mo. It was quite gradual and DD didn't want to let it go.

My advice is to leave the house a lot to distract. Don't sit down on the floor with your LO for too long. Get your DH to do bedtime if your bedtime ritual involves nursing.

Good luck! It will happen eventually. Also, be prepared for your hormones to go haywire before they level off.

Vega77

justAphase said:

When I really started weaning I was down to 2 sessions per day. I dropped the nighttime feeding first, then a few weeks later dropped her afternoon feeding. M was about 20 months old when she was completely weaned.

I had been coming home on my lunch break and nursing him then, but I cut that a week or two ago and just started offering more solids and water. I stopped his overnight feeding when he was 7 months. I am thinking of maybe just trying to get him down to twice a day. It would be a nice break, plus I'm pumping virtually nothing at work these days.

Vega77

MrsCodeMonkey said:

I tried weaning at a year. I didn't finish till 18mo. It was quite gradual and DD didn't want to let it go.

My advice is to leave the house a lot to distract. Don't sit down on the floor with your LO for too long. Get your DH to do bedtime if your bedtime ritual involves nursing.

Good luck! It will happen eventually. Also, be prepared for your hormones to go haywire before they level off.

Thank you for the advice!

Vega77

LovelyRitaMeterMaid said:

justAphase said:

I would start dropping one feeding per week if I were you.

That's what I did. It worked fine.

I will have to try this. I feel conflicted about stopping though! Ugh with all the emotions.

missyishere

I also didn't sit down at night with DD while I was dropping the feedings. She automatically thought it was boob time while I sat, so I stood and to rocked her while soothing at night.

Vega77

Oh yeah, I don't think I could go cold turkey.

Vega77

missyishere said:

I also didn't sit down at night with DD while I was dropping the feedings. She automatically thought it was boob time while I sat, so I stood and to rocked her while soothing at night.

This is good advice, too. Thank you

Vega77

Thanks for all your stories, ladies! I really do appreciate it!

FrickandFrack

DS1 weaned on his own at 13 months. DS2 is still nursing at 16 months. While I only nurse him in the morning and at night, I'm terrified to stop nursing because of bed time. I don't want to mess up the routine. He goes to bed awake but nursing makes him drowsy.

Vega77

FrickandFrack said:

DS1 weaned on his own at 13 months. DS2 is still nursing at 16 months. While I only nurse him in the morning and at night, I'm terrified to stop nursing because of bed time. I don't want to mess up the routine. He goes to bed awake but nursing makes him drowsy.

I understand about the routine. Along the same line I dread the day he has to give up the paci, because it makes bedtime and nap time so much easier. And self weaning sounds like a good scenario.

Gargita

We're still at 2x/day.  Around 1 year, I dropped 1 session per week until we got to where we currently are.  I was super emotional about the prospect of weaning, so keeping these sessions made it a lot easier on me.  Ironically, H is a very flexible baby and didn't seem to give a shit about dropping daytime sessions.  I'm hoping to completely wean in the next few months.  Because, teeth.

ETA: good luck to you - I hope you find something that works for both of you! 
ETA2: words

Vega77

Gargita said:

We're still at 2x/day.  Around 1 year, I dropped 1 session per day until we got to where we currently are.  I was super emotional about the prospect of weaning, so keeping these sessions made it a lot easier on me.  Ironically, H is a very flexible baby and didn't seem to give a shit about dropping daytime sessions.  I'm hoping to completely wean in the next few months.  Because, teeth.

ETA: good luck to you - I hope you find something that works for both of you!

Thanks! Breastfeeding is such an emotional process, isn't it? And OMG teeth are the WORST.

theseaword

I stopped when #2 was born. DS was 20 mos. I actually planned to tandem nurse, but I was too worried DS2 wouldn't get enough or it would mess up my supply, so I weaned him. I actually went cold turkey, which is probably not ideal. He was upset for about 5 days, then never asked again.

missyishere

When do you nurse during your daytime feedings?  DD would like nursing when she awoke from her naps.  In order for me to distract her while dropping that feeding, I would instantly put her at the kitchen table and give her a snack.   The last session I dropped was the one first thing in the morning.  I was so ready to be done with nursing, yet when she was genuinely done and didn't protest that last session drop, I was super sad she didn't fight it.  Hormones, man.

Vega77

@missyishere he nurses morning and night, then around 9 or 10 and 2 or 3. I will sometimes nurse him around 4:45 when I get home from work. On the weekend I tend to nurse before a nap because he'll sleep longer. He refused the 4:45 feeding last weekend and it made me feel so depressed. Damn hormones.