Any ideas from others on how to wean an 18 month old breastfed baby?

Question

He takes a bottle of milk while I am at work, but never from me. He does not have a pacifier, and is very attached to my breast. He even sleeps with me (which is the problem because he breastfeeds off and on all night and I can't sleep very well) Just curious about other ideas or suggestions.

Answer 1

My son is almost one and I am encountering the same thing.  The first thing we did was get him out of our bed.  It was hard but we used the Ferber method and got him sleeping in his crib (most of the night, he usually comes into our bed around 3:30am until around 5am)

Next, I am trying to eliminate his breastfeeding.  He usually nurses right when I get home, I have tried having someone else hold him as long as I can to distract him from nursing, he now waits about 2 hours after I get home to nurse.  Also, sometimes I have my husband give him a bottle rather than nurse him.  I think that gradually I will cut out one feeding at a time until we are down to the last night feeding (which I have heard is the hardest to eliminate).  Then slowly I will try to replace that feeding with a cup of milk before bed.

Good Luck!

Answer 2

I only breast fed for a few months, due to no milk supply. My sister on the other hand breast fed until her daughter was 2. She started putting vinagar on her nipples and told her daughter that her milk had gone sour cause her daughter was to big for breast milk now. By 18 months he really shouldn't have a bottle he should have a tippie cup. As soon as my daughter turned  she was weaned off the bottle. It's bad for there teeth and it will be much harder the longer you wait to wean them off the bottle.  

Answer 3

The best way I know how to wean a baby is by slowly changing. Try offerfing pumped breastmilk when you feed him. There are specific bottle nipples made to be similar to the breast.  HOld hte baby close as if it were nursing when you begin the changes.

Also contact your local le leche league

good luck

Answer 4

why are u enabling a toddler to use a bottle?  and breast feed?  

just stop doing it. give him a sippy cup and also put him to bed in his own room.  he will throw a fit for a few weeks but it will get better in time.

Answer 5

Dont be the one to hand him the bottle - let someone else give it to him, and if he just throws a tantrum, go into a room with a door and close it until hes done eating...as for bedtime, put him in his crib...the only way he will learn that he needs to sleep there is to put him there...if hes in a bed, and he gets up, put him back, over and over again, he will get the point...otherwise he may be sleeping with you until hes 30...

Answer 6

We started weaning at about that time and it was also because she kept wanting to feed at night and it kept me awake.  All I can tell you is what worked for us.  I did have to partially wean her from my bed, and I did it by having her nurse to sleep in her own bed at first.  She'd sleep fine until after midnight or so, and I'd get all of that sleep uninterrupted.  Then I started going to get her and bringing her to my bed but telling her she couldn't nurse until 2am.  Then after a few weeks it was 4am.  Then eventually, I had the nights all fine and she was only nursing before bed and in the morning.  I broke it off after a trip to meet a new baby cousin and had her do a lot to "help" with the baby.  We talked about what a big girl she was and how she didn't need to nurse anymore because she is a big girl now.  We substituted nursings for what she calls "bellies," which is pulling up our shirts and she lays belly to belly on me.  It gave us both continued skin contact and she had something comforting to replace the nursing with.  After she stopped nursing in the night, she started sleeping longer and longer in her own bed.  Now she's been weaned for 6 mos or so and she usually comes and gets in bed with me around 6am a couple of nights a week.  The rest of the time she just sleeps all night in her bed.    

Answer 7

Wow, 18 months of breast feeding, I breast fed both my kids until they where 9 months, or walking, and started them on regular milk.

Go to this website... http://www.adiri.com

they have bottles designed to look like breast. I'm pretty sure this will work out for ya. Good luck

Answer 8

First thing is first STOP letting him sleep with you! You are only giving in to what he want's and not what he need's. You may be letting him sleep with you because you feel guilty for making him sleep alone or it may be something else, I don't know your situation but he need's to sleep in his own bed. I know it will be hard but feed him before he goes to sleep, my sujestion is feed him a jar of baby food and a 1/2 a bottle of warm milk and rock him to sleep. Once a sleep, gently lay him in his own bed and leave the room. Leave a night light on so as to not kill yourself in the middle of the night if you do need to go in to the room. But never the less leave him in his own bed, if he wakes up in the middle of the night wanting to "eat" don't go right in and pick him up ( this is the hard part) let him cry for about 25 to 30 minuets. Then go in and (still don't pick him up ) comfort him with touch (a hand on his back or tummy) and a soothing voice of mom (put some soft music on in the room)., after he calm's down (if he falls asleep again great, leave him to do just that) or if he is still freaking, make him a warm bottle and feed it to him, again rock him while feeding him. When he is finished put him back in bed and leave the room. He may cry and fuss a bit but Don't go back in, let him cry it out, he will soon be crying himself to sleep. Do this for about 3 to 4 weeks then stop the feedings at night all together, when you stop the feedings don't stop going in the room because he may need that comfort of knowing your there, so if you can don't pick him up (after you stop the feeding's) just gently touch him and sing or whisper to him (he will soon sleep). After about 3-4 weeks of this you will be free of getting up at all and going in to sooth him (if your blessed).

Answer 9

I had some problems when I weaned my son at 14 months too. If I were you I would try giving him milk from a sippy cup. He might like it better than a bottle. As for him sleeping with you, it has to change and it won't be easy. Try putting him in his own big boy bed. 18 months isn't too young. My son was in one at 19 months. Just get some cool bed sheets (trucks, dinos, fish, something he likes) and make him sleep there. Trust me everyone deals with this. It will take a few sleepless nights but the pay off is worth it, believe me! I had to take my son back to bed probably 30 times the first night and he screamed constantly, but after a couple of nights of that he began to get the picture and two weeks latter he was snoozing in his own bed like a pro. Just be consistent. I think the easiest way to wean him is to make him more independent, starting with the all important move into the big boy bed. Good luck and don't give up. You can do it!

Answer 10

i weaned my daughter about that time. what i did was i gave her apple juice in a sippy cup (she never used a bottle, and i didn't want her to get dependent on another nipple) to get her used to using it and she took to i like a fish to water

Answer 11

drop one feeding a time.  

at night wear somthing thick that so that he can't latch on.