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16 month old's constant demand to nurse is driving me nuts!

post #1 of 10
6/6/10 at 12:11am
Thread Starter 
My 16 month old DD asks to nurse literally every 5 minutes lately. We will have just nursed and a few minutes later she demands it again...says "na na" over and over until she starts melting down. I once said no after she had just nursed and it took both me and DH singing and dancing to cheer her back up after her fit. I usually just deal with it at home and she usually asks less while we are out. But lately she is asking a ton while out and I'm not ok with it. We were looking at a daycare last Friday and she asked to nurse 5 times in the hour we were there. After nursing her 3 times I didn't want to do it anymore. I often offer food or drink and she bats it away. Any advice? I'd also like to stop nursing out of the house soon....any tips on how to do that without her melting down in public? Or will we just have to deal with the meltdowns until she figures out that this is how it is now?

One last question. When she nurses at night now she wants both boobs out and switches back and forth from side to side over and over. Any idea why she would do this? She might do 2 sucks then switch, 2 sucks then switch.

Cindy
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post #2 of 10
6/6/10 at 1:49am
I am so happy to see this post! I'm logged on here tonight because I've been going through the same exact thing with my almost 17 mo old ds and was looking for ideas/encouragement! It's been getting worse over the past couple of weeks, and we're now waking up to nurse half hour after falling asleep, 11:30, 12:30, 2:30, 4:00, 5:30, and 6:00 am. I'm so tired and frustrated. We finally let him do an overnight with grandma last night just so I could get a break and he only woke up once all night, figured out I wasn't there and went right back to sleep with no fuss. But, if he wakes up at home and knows I'm there he'll work himself into a fit until he get his ma-mas. We've always nursed on demand, but I'm starting to feel resentful and almost like I want to reclaim my body!
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post #3 of 10
6/6/10 at 1:55am
Thread Starter 
Nice to know I'm not alone! I guess I should add that when I said at night, I meant the last nursing before bed. We are in the process of night weaning right now. Tonight is night #9. It's not going so great. When she wakes we can get her back to sleep but she won't stay asleep once we leave the room...so it usually means she is up for hours at a time, as are we. Though we have had a couple nights in the mix where she slept all night or only woke once and went back to sleep easily for DH. But that is a whole nother post altogether!

Cindy
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post #4 of 10
6/6/10 at 12:58pm
A few months back we tried night weaning using Dr. Jay Gordon's method (http://drjaygordon.com/attachment/sleeppattern.html). It worked REALLY well, until more teeth started coming in. Now we're back to square one. I've tried to get back into it, but DS is having none of it this time.

I'm hoping it's all just a relatively short term phase and trying my best to maintain patience. And now my sleeve is being pulled and I'm being screeched at...time to nurse AGAIN!
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post #5 of 10
6/6/10 at 11:18pm
OP - I think you have my 15 mo DD's twin! She's been going NUTSO with the nursing the last few weeks and the back and forth is driving me INSANE. I know mine is cutting a molar right now, so I'm trying my best to keep up with her. I feel drained.
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post #6 of 10
6/6/10 at 11:40pm
I don't have any advice, but I feel for you. I have a 23 month old who would do nothing more during the day and night but nurse if I could sit all day long. Even when we are doing something fun like at the park or swimming she wants a boobie. Her new name for them.
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post #7 of 10
6/6/10 at 11:54pm
Thread Starter 
KatieT: Oh no - say it won't still be like this at 23 months! Though I don't see why it wouldn't be. She's been a fiend since around a yr old.

Ps4264 - molars coming in here too.

I so wish she was one of those kiddos that cut down nursing on their own! We went to lunch with my friend and her 5 week old twins last week. The twins didn't need to nurse at all while we were together but M needed to nurse 3 times! I'm getting so worn out. I love nursing her and would be heartbroken to ween right now but I so don't want to continue at this pace!


Cindy
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post #8 of 10
6/8/10 at 12:09am
I have days when I think to myself it would be nice if she didn't nurse 24/7 but then I think that someday I will wish she was still nursing. I try to enjoy every time.

I also have a almost 2yo that nurses more often than any of my friends babies who are all much younger. lol

I can't believe she is almost 2 and that she could wean pretty much anytime and it be "normal" the thought makes me so sad. (At the rate she is going I don't really see it happening but I have heard of toddlers suddenly stopping) Anyhow, hang in there and try to enjoy it as much as possible. Put whatever limits on it you need to. Remember it is a relationship and your feeling deserve to be respected as well. (Gently of course)
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post #9 of 10
6/8/10 at 12:19am
Thread Starter 
Thank you for reminding me to enjoy it. While I wish it were less frequent, I do think it would break my heart to ween now!

Today she started saying and signing "please" (or "peez") whenever I tried to say no...who could say no to that?? Too cute!!

Cindy
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post #10 of 10
6/8/10 at 1:05am
That is too cute!
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