Weaning a toddler

Re: Weaning a toddler

• Pandril19 member

  September 2013

  Man - if you don't know, the rest of us are screwed.

  Around 10 months we moved E to nursing morning and night, bottles during the day.   I dropped the morning nursing around 11 months because I was consistently having to wake her up for it (I leave for work at 5:30am).  I decided that was silly at this point and would just nurse in the evening.  

  So that's what we did.  Only some days she seemed really distracted and just plain didn't want to.  But I kept offering.  Then we switched away from bottles cold turkey shortly after her birthday.  For about two weeks she was REALLY interested in the evening nursing session.  I think it's the only milk she was really drinking.    And then she went back to some days yes, some days no.   I kept trying to offer (like you I'd gladly do morning/night until much older), but her interest was erratic and often times we'd be out so the best chance to really offer she was just interested in bed, etc.  It got to be where I didn't feel like maybe nursing once every other day made sense for either of us.

  Just recently she sometimes grabs at my shirt, but I don't think it's because she truly wants to nurse.  I think it's just because she's grabby.

  I could be totally wrong though.

  
   

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• DeniseRN member

  September 2013

  I weaned Caleb at 20mon. At that point he was nursing at 5am only and I was sick of it. So instead of nursing him at that time, I rocked and soothed him other ways. It took 3 days and he never asked again.
  
  Hunter was down to AM and PM nursing only and then started wanting to nurse a lot out of the blue. Come to find out he popped all 4 molars in 3 weeks. He has also started at Montessori, so a big change for him.
  
  Do you do "don't offer, don't refuse"? Can you distract her or soothe in another way? At this point in their life, they are eating well and you can start putting limits on nursing IMO. It's a relationship not a dictatorship

  
  What just happened in my diaper?!
  
  

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• SallySunrise member

  September 2013

  Thanks girls! @Pandril19, I know, I definitely feel like I should know this stuff! To be fair though, my training was for newborns, which I completely different. Still...
  
  @DeniseRN there are a lot of times I catch myself offering it out of habit and then think DAMMIT! She didn't ask, why did I give it??!! So I need to watch that. I do think she's getting a molar too, so there's that. I do need to take more control of the schedule. I do say no a lot, but there are a lot of times I say yes (naptime, or MOTN) just because I want her to go right to sleep and I know it works. Obviously if my goal is to stop, then I am holding myself back in a lot of ways. Ugh it's so complicated!

  

  
  

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• ashleynaka member

  September 2013

  I can't add much, but I think you just have to go with the flow.  Like @DeniseRN said, it could be teething or just the stress that is present because of the goings on.  Either way, I would just try to go off of her cue for now until you are settled in your new routine.  If it still continues once you are settled, I would try to put limits on all, but the feedings you are happy with.

  
  

  FWIW, I am still nursing 3-5 times a day depending on the day.  Naps have been getting challenging, so that is usually one surefire way to get her to go to sleep if she is tired, so I just go with it.  Other days, she wants nothing to do with nursing at naptime and only wants it in the morning and at night.

  
  

  Good luck and just go with what feels right and works for you.  Either way, you have done an amazing job continuing this long!

  

   

  
  

  
  

  
  

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• SallySunrise member

  September 2013

  Thanks girls. I'm still not real sure what to do, but it's so nice to have the support an encouragement. I'll try a few new things and see how it goes. I appreciate you all!

  

  
  

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