[diamond lil]

<p>My DD self weened at 21 months. By this age, we had gradually slowed our nursings and were down to only 1 per day: the night nursing. Then she started sleeping thru the night and it was over. I was hoping to get her to nurse as long as possible, but I was also glad in a way to have my body back. I stopped making milk. Occasionally, she would ask to nurse, and I would tell her that there was no more milk and she would put on her pitiful little cry face, so I started telling her that nee-nee (our name for nursies) is still there for her in other ways. She can lay her head on the nee-nee, pat the nee-nee, and say hi to the nee-nee any time she wanted. That seemed to make her happy and she was fine with that for a while.</p>
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<p>She is now 25 months old and she seems to be relying on nee-nee for comfort a lot. She is no longer content in simply laying her head on the nee-nee while she sits on my lap. She demands that I "unwrap that nee-nee!"  (lift my shirt). The first time she said this, I nearly fell over dead from laughing. She is just so darn cute. So I am thinking she misses the skin-to-skin contact. Normal, right? So I unwrap the nee-nee and let her lay her head on it if she really insists.</p>
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<p>That was good for a little while. Now she wants to kiss the nee-nee and put the nipple in her mouth. I allowed this to happen only 2 times when she slipped and fell down on our hardwood floors and hit her head and was crying and upset. Now she wants to do that all the time. She likes to poke at the boob and she tries to stick the nipple in her ear (!), both extremely annoying behaviors (to me) which I keep telling her to stop doing.</p>
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<p>Have I completely sabotaged her weaning process now? She is such a little boob addict! If I am holding her or carrying her, she will contort her body into unbelievable positions to get close to the nee-nee. Sometimes its funny, but most of the time it is annoying. I wonder if this is normal. Is this behavior totally weird? Is this the most bizarre weaning story ever? Please help!</p>

 

[TiredX2]

<p>Based on her age, I would guess that she was not actually ready to wean.  I'm not sure how you got down to once a day, but "don't offer, don't refuse" is actually a common <strong>weaning</strong> technique.  It sounds like she has been telling you, in many ways, that she is not yet ready to be weaned.</p>
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<p>Since the age of biological weaning for humans is 2.5-7 approximately, so I think her desire to still get comfort from nursing is totally normal biologically, emotionally, mentally, in every way.  Personally, I would hope that I would allow and even encourage a child of that age to nurse.  Are you uncomfortable with the idea of her nursing?  There is a chance that you could relactate if that interests you.  Otherwise, many children are happy to continue comfort nursing even if there is no longer milk available. </p>
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<p>Good luck with your decision.</p>

 

[Yaliina]

<p>nak</p>
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<p>My now-5-year old son weaned himself at about 2.5 years, but continued to derive comfort from his "ninnies" (our word for it) by resting his head, and (somewhat annoyingly-to-me) putting his hands on them and patting/stroking them.  I asked him why he likes to touch the ninnies a few times, and his answer was "because my hands think you're their home" or some variation of that and "because it makes me happy".  Now, at 5, he still occasionally tries to sneak a hand on the ninny while I nurse the baby (usually while we're all cuddling in bed), and I usually just give him a big kiss or pat his hand and tell him I love him, which seems to be all he needs. </p>
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<p>My boy is a very well-adjusted, happy, securely-attached kid, so I would say don't fret too much.  Maybe you could try letting her nurse again (with or without supply), or maybe just let her derive her comfort however she gets it.  She's still pretty young yet, some "neenee" time may just be her "home".  </p>