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What was it like as your older nursling got closer to weaning?  

post #1 of 21
1/30/05 at 12:01am
Thread Starter 
I'm curious what it was like for others that have btdt. Ds was an avid nurser right up to age 4 (although he nightweaned on his own at 2.5). Somewhere after turning 4, he slowed down to nursing mostly at bedtime - every bedtime. Shortly after turning 5, he began skipping several days in a row. I keep thinking I should mark when he nurses on the calendar so I'll know when "the last time" is. Experiences anyone?
post #2 of 21
1/30/05 at 1:21am
You know mine, but I'll post anyway.

Dd nursed every day (how many times depended on the day, but she always nursed at bedtime) right up until the final few months or so. Then she slowed down to every other day, every few days, then back to every day (ups and downs), then she started skipping more days (2.5 weeks was the longest) until she weaned.
post #3 of 21
1/30/05 at 10:41am
My first two gradually slowed down until they were only nursing at bedtime. We'd lay in bed reading and then they'd nurse to sleep. Then occassionally, they'd fall asleep during the story and we'd never get to the nursing. That happened more and more frequently until they were weaned. I don't know exactly when the last time was for either of them--it happened so gradually--one day I just realized, "Wow, he/she hasn't nursed to sleep in a long time."

My youngest still nurses to sleep and first thing in the a.m. ONCE he fell asleep on the couch without nursing. A few times he's fallen alseep in the car. Recently I mentioned that one day, he would just lay down and go to sleep without "night-nights." He laughed so hard, I though he'd fall out of bed! So, I guess we've got some time before the last time!
post #4 of 21
1/30/05 at 3:06pm
Thread Starter 
We call it night-night too - ds came up with it somehow.
post #5 of 21
1/30/05 at 11:06pm
At this point DD pretty much only asks at bedtime, IF she asks at all. She might ask to nurse in the afternoon, if she's tired and feeling overwhelmed for some reason. Some nights she'll show up at my bedside and climb in, she may or may not ask to nurse.

The only times I don't like her asking is when I can tell she's just looking for attention--and I'm in the middle of cooking supper or something like that. At 5 she is well able to wait. Other than that, it's her call and we're approaching the point of any one time could be the last. Of course I thought we were at that point this last summer too......

With DS, I didn't know which time was the last until the time he couldn't remember how to get milk out occurred. The taper down was That gradual.
post #6 of 21
1/31/05 at 11:11am
yeah, what they said!

Jenny sometimes nurses at bedtime, sometimes not. It's very gradually getting farther and farther between nursing sessions. I have a sneaky suspicion that I won't know she's weaned until it's been a couple weeks or a month and I suddenly realize she hasn't nursed lately. So far, the longest she's gone has been five days without nursing (posted about it last week, I think). But, as evidenced yesterday by the giant fit-for-no-reason she threw, she definitely still does need to nurse occassionally. It's just not as often as it used to be.
post #7 of 21
2/5/05 at 5:58pm
Thread Starter 
We're 11 days and counting now... I have the feeling this is "it"; time will tell. I have mixed emotions, but I'm glad my little boy is growing up at his own pace.
post #8 of 21
2/5/05 at 6:59pm
callmemama
post #9 of 21
2/6/05 at 12:54pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks Mother Sunshine
post #10 of 21
2/9/05 at 7:02pm
Thread Starter 
Its been 15 days, but I think he really is done and here's why: he had a tummy ache the other night. It didn't appear to be debilitating - he was chattering a mile a minute! We were in bed and he was trying to decide if he wanted a drink. He was wondering about rice milk or water, so I asked if he wanted to nurse. He said "No, I don't want night-night. It only comes out of those little holes and you're not making much anymore, remember?" :LOL (We had had a discussion a few days earlier about how the milk gets out of the nipple.) I almost always asked if he was still getting milk when he nursed and he always said yes. I'm not sure when all that changed!

So here's to 5 years, 2 months, 1 week and 1 day! :
post #11 of 21
2/9/05 at 7:06pm
Oh, how sweet!

Hugs to you both! A few tears , but mostly hugs!
post #12 of 21
2/9/05 at 8:54pm





That reminds me of when dd stopped too. She nursed after a long break and when she stopped I asked her if she was getting any milk she grumbled "No, all I got was a bunch of my own spit." :LOL That was her last time (except for pop-ons and offs). I felt bad for her because I knew she wanted more milk but because she had been taking such long breaks my body naturally stopped producing it. And she didn't want to nurse more to get it back, so that was it.




Isn't it a wonderful feeling to know that he was the one to decide to stop rather than you making him stop?
post #13 of 21
2/10/05 at 12:36pm
Congrats callmemama.
I love the grumpy replies you and mothersunshine posted...they crack me up. I like the way they both demonstrate how much this important decision was in the children's hands.

DD's last attempts at nursing were actually months apart. She always relied on nursing to help her deal with her intensity...her temper would wear her out, and she really counted on the suckling calming her down. She's a little lost right now finding a substitute. For a bit a few months ago, she tried finger and thumb sucking, but gave it up as pointless. "I know I like to suck, but I guess I like the sweet milk too," she mooned at me. So we're open to suggestions. If I'm available, I of course offer cuddles and smooth her hair, all those mommy things. Just wish she had something that was as much HERS as nursing was...

I'm struck by how bittersweet weaning is at any age...
post #14 of 21
2/10/05 at 2:08pm
Thread Starter 
Mother Sunshine, what a gem of a response! :LOL

Darlindeliasmom, it really can be a struggle, can't it? I love the "wisdom" we've learned by nursing our children beyond toddlerhood!
post #15 of 21
2/10/05 at 4:27pm
Darlindeliasmom, I thought that there would be no better person to ask than dd, so this is her advice....

"Try to imagine that you are nursing. Hug your Mom to feel the comfort. Or get a hug from one of your friends or something. That's what always helps me."


This makes sense because at bedtime she sometimes snuggles up close to my breasts. I always thought it was because she wanted to nurse, but when I'd ask her she'd say no. So she was imagining. Cool.

HTH
post #16 of 21
2/10/05 at 5:56pm
thanks, mothersunshine. That will help, coming from your dd.

[OT, Delia is hard at work on her mailing...the enclosures keep expanding...I think I'm just gonna say STOP and seal the envelope and send it this weekend!!]
post #17 of 21
2/10/05 at 6:27pm
Oh you just made her day! She's been asking about Delia ("when when when"), so she is so excited now.
post #18 of 21
2/17/05 at 2:01pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by callmemama
Its been 15 days, but I think he really is done...
One week later: it seems my statement was premature. And he says he got milk! I'll try to chill with the announcements! :LOL
post #19 of 21
2/17/05 at 4:14pm
:LOL

That's how it is, so I'm glad you keep announcing, to show others what to (probably) expect one day.
post #20 of 21
2/17/05 at 7:09pm
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