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Please help me wean my 22 month old

KMEss86KMEss86
in Attachment Parenting

DS will be 2 in February, and I am 10 weeks pregnant. I am still breastfeeding, but it is only for sleep. Once for a nap, once at bedtime, and maybe once or twice during the night. He cannot go to sleep any other way, and never has. I have no milk left, but he doesn't care. And it is painful to nurse. I really want to wean. I have no interest in tandem nursing. 

The only thing I have done so far, is when I can't take it anymore, usually in the middle of the night, I'll tell him its all empty, there's no more. Sometimes he will roll over and go to sleep. Other times he throws a fit, but if I said that, I don't give in. This has resulted in us getting up at 4am more than once. I've offered him milk in a cup, juice, water, snack... He doesn't want anything else. 

I just don't know what to do/ how to do it. I don't want it to be traumatizing for him, and I am soooo exhausted that the thought of losing an hour or two of sleep seems like its not an option. But I want him to be done nursing long before the baby is born.

Any advice/ suggestions/ support is appreciated! 

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Re: Please help me wean my 22 month old

  • BeachMama7693BeachMama7693 member
    i wish i had advice for you but i am going to lurk this thread because i am going through this with my almost 15 month old- and im scared to death that we will be in the same position months from now. i nurse at bedtime and once in the middle of the night but to make up for the other times you nurse... my lo is addicted to holding my nipple and i desperately need to wean. i am worried cio is our option. 
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  • LoveEeyoreLoveEeyore member

    I started to wean my twins around then.  I cut out the middle of the night feedings first.  I had quit co-sleeping at 19 months, so I would sleep in clothes they couldn't get through and take them to the rocker and rock through the tears and protests until asleep.  DD stopped waking to nurse.  DS continued, but after a week accepted that I would just rock him.  So it was close to CIO, but I was still comforting and offering a sippy of water. 

    Then the nap one went.  Then miraculously one night DD asked for crib instead of rocking chair, so I put her in her crib and with a silent wish put DS in his and that was it. 

    SO long story short, I would pick the one that would be easiest to eliminate and be armed with a sippy, steel nerves, and snuggles and work through it without waivering for a week.  Good luck!!

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  • bandwifebandwife

    I weaned and we transitioned DS to a single bed at 19 months (prior to that was bed sharing).

    DH and I alternated lying with him in his bed. I wore clothes that he couldn't nurse through. He started putting his hand down my shirt or DH's shirt for comfort (we were fine with that). 

    It was only a few nights before he was over asking to nurse. We cut down to just night nursing around 14 months so I think that made it easier.

    Having DH take shifts really helped me and also got it across to DS that there would be no more nursing at night.

    So my advice: see if your partner can take some shifts.

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  • rmwt001rmwt001 member
    DD is 23 months old and I am 13 weeks pregnant.  I did night wean her a few weeks ago.  I prepped her for a few days telling her that now that she is a big girl there is no more milk during the night.  There were a few rough nights, I have to admit.  Now, even if she asks for milk in the middle of the night, she seems to accept that "Mommy doesn't have milk during the night anymore.  We'll have milk in the morning".  She still nurses in the morning and at night, and for nap when I am home.  I am working on phasing out the nursing to sleep right now.  DH has been putting her to bed in order to take me out of the equation.  Again, there were a few rough nights, but it's been better than I expected.  Her big girl bed is arriving soon, so hopefully that will be a distraction. 
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  • KMEss86KMEss86
    Thanks for all of your tips. I know it won't be easy, but from hearing from all of you, I guess I'm starting to realize that we will get there.
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