Weaning my toddler

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post #1 of 4

9/1/11 at 8:45pm

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12 Posts. Joined 3/2009
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My DS is 23 months and I am interested in weaning. I work part time now after recently stepping back from my profession as a midwife, but he still nurses all the time. Some days he will refuse food. He is a small kiddo only about 21 pounds so I worry that the nursing is not enough calories for his active nature. He does not sleep well either and wakes up about every hour or two to nurse. He's super healthy overall and never gets sick and we are very well attached, I am just needing advise on how to begin this process gently and effectively. He is not talking very much for his age (only saying a few unclear words) and we are seeking EI for this. I'd love to think about another baby in the next year or so, just a little traumatized by the demands of nursing a toddler. I don't want to take the boob from him since he loves it so much, but I really feel at times like I am sacrificing what I want for him to continue and not setting or demonstrating good boundaries. Any kind advice would be greatly appreciated.

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For us nightweaning was the place to start. That was not easy, but it had to happen because her night nursing was affecting her sleep. About 6 months later, I dropped the "after work" session because she often got distracted and forgot anyway, so it was not a huge leap. It took about 3 weeks and still sometimes comes up, but bribery usually works (she gets juice or olives or graham crackers instead). Now we're down to only 2 sessions a day, wake-up and before bed. I know wake-up is the next to go, but am hesitant to start this close to dropping the after work session.

Good luck, it's hard, but not impossible!

post #3 of 4

11/11/11 at 6:14am

3,122 Posts. Joined 6/2006
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when I went to wean my first it was a mess. We were totally 'on demand' which meant 'all the freaking time' and he had no self-soothing skills and was a terrible eater.

I had to break the day up in my head and assign nursing to various times. So roughly we nursed at x y z times. It was hard to do b/c it was so often but I took our 'best' day (when we were out and about) and went from there.

So once I had us on a schedule I then cut one of those times every week. When he asked I would just say no and tell him when we could next ("Not now but before your nap!") and what we could do instead ("No nursing now but we could do a puzzle!"). Lots of hugs and affection.

The first one was very hard. He had never really been refused like that before. But I didn't waver because I knew I was 'done' (and pregnant!) and nursing was no longer a good thing for us on soooo many levels.

When we were done day-weaning I then nightweaned.

He adjusted v. quickly really. I do wish I had gotten him help with his eating though. He's 5 now and we've just in the past year talked to an OT and started various things to help him with his fear of new foods/textures. I wish I had called EI when he was a toddler but unfortunately I believed all the stuff I read that said that his eating was normal. Well, it wasn't. Lesson learned lol.

GL!

post #4 of 4

11/13/11 at 5:45am