XP: Weaning Toddler from AM/PM Nursing

bgf1

I originally posted this on the Breastfeeding board but the focus seems to be more on younger babes.  I am hoping some of the AP ladies have had experience with this.  TIA I weaned my son down to AM and PM nursing when I returned to work 4 months ago.  In the last couple of months evening nursing sessions are a wrestling match.  He wants to nurse but he pulls, tugs pinches and fusses.If I stop him from nursing when it starts to get too uncomfortable he is soooo sad, and has a meltdown and then is hard to get him to sleep.  He still nurses well in the morning.  Lately I have been thinking about cutting out the evening session, but I am not sure how.  Weaning during the day was much easier, but the evening session is so much a part of his bed time routine, that I don't know what to do.  He usually nurses until he is drowsy and we lay in my room and snuggle till he is almost out.  I've read suggestions to gradually decrease the length of the evening session but when I cut him off he becomes distraught and is so worked up that it is hard to settle him down enough to sleep.  I work late one night/week and my husband puts him to bed with a bottle, but I am not sure I want to make that part of bedtime when we should be thinking of getting him off bottles soon too. Any tricks or tips for taking a toddler from partially weaned to fully weaned are greatly appreciated.