How do I wean my 14 month old baby from breast feeding?

Question

My little girl is 14 months old and I prob . will wean by 18 mon. She is really attached to it now and I cry just thinking about weaning . Everyone is bugging me about needing to wean now but she is not ready and I am not either. She will only go to sleep by nursing. She has never took a pacifier and I don't want to give her one now. What do I do I know I can't just quit cold turkey.

Answer 1

First of all...ignore all the idiots who are bugging you about weaning. You are giving your child the best start and it's none of their business how long you nurse for.

Ideally it's best to let her wean herself, but if you want to do it, just go slowly. I think i read a breastfeeding association thing somewhere about weaning and it's: 'Don't offer, don't refuse'.

I started weaning my daughter at around 18 months, by slowly dropping one feed at a time. She was fully weaned by 22 months. I left the bedtime feed till last as that was her favourite/most comforting.

Good on you for breastfeeding so long. You just keep going for as long as you and your daughter are happy to do so.

Answer 2

If neither of you are ready, there's no reason to even be thinking about it yet. It isn't 'everyone's' business -- only yours.

If you are tentatively hoping/planning to wean by 18 months, you have another 3-4 months before you have to even be thinking about it ... and if you aren't ready at 18 months, there is no law that says you have to wean at that point anyway. (I had 'planned' to wean around a year. Ended up going to about 14 1/2 months ... just didn't get around to it before then.)

When you and/or baby feel ready to stop, just begin to wean gradually.  If it's SHE who opts to wean, she will begin nursing less and less, eat more food ... and one day you'll probably wake up and realize that she didn't nurse yesterday.  If you decide to take the intiative, just gradually drop feedings.  At times when she usually wants to nurse, offer a snack, or a fun activity, or have Daddy do something with her.  You'll eventually get down to just nursing at bed and naptime.  If you wish, you can continue those feeds for as long as desired. (There is nothing wrong with nursing to sleep.)  If you feel you want to wean completely, I'd have Daddy then take over bedtime routines for a while.  

Whatever and whenever you opt to do this, she WILL wean.  She won't go to kindergarten still needing to nurse to sleep.

Answer 3

what you do in the privacy of your home with the baby is your business.

words of wisdom I am learning. keep your business to your self, and no one will have an option to give you..

If you arent ready, and she isnt either, dont stop her. breast milk is the healthiest form of milk for your baby anyway. Just make sure that u offer her milk from a cup/sippie cup everyday. when she is ready she will stop..

beleive me...

Answer 4

How about you ignore other people.  :-)  People shouldn't be bugging you.  I'm sure it will happen to me too, though, with my next baby and I plan to just tell them that it's none of their business.  :-D

One thing that you can do to encourage self-weaning is to give her more whole cow's milk in the daytime and don't offer but don't refuse your breast.

As far as bedtime goes, maybe her father can start rocking her to sleep so that the breast isn't even an option for her.

Not sure... I haven't had to do this myself but I have friends who have done it.

Good luck to you!

Answer 5

I just weaned my 15 months old baby when i found out i was pregnant with baby#2. ignore people comments and do what is best for you and your baby . now i only remember those days when she will only go to bed after sucking the heck out of me .( even when i think she is done and i am about to put her down , she will pulling it as if it was a bottle )



  anyway this is what i did . i cut back little by little . there was none for her during the day . only at night . also give her milk ina sippy cup  right before bed.  after she settled into that i put some band aids over my nipple and i pretend i am so scared i cant touch them . i usually cream boo boo when i point at them . she wanted to touchthem the first day and i said . BOO- BOO arent you scared? and she pulled back . 3 days after she will look at the band aids and smile .  what i did to settle her in is read a long story to her at night , put some music on and i gave a sleeping buddy . she now calls it BIBA.  

   During those days i stop drinking milk and would express it with my hands while i shower to stop my breast from producing . also as soon as you cut back on the days you will make a lot less .

  Good luck . the first days are a bit tought but you could do it . it took as 2 weeks to settle into our new routine  

Answer 6

it's never a good idea to let your child fall asleep breastfeeding. i did it for ages but had to stop and teach baby to fall asleep without it. once you've done that then i think you will find it easier to stop all together.

my son is also 14 months and i will, as you, stop around 18 months. i find it easier to get him to stop breastfeeding if i have a book to read afterwards. when my son comes off "naturally" to have a look at something i offer to read to him and then he forgets he's feeding. after that i let him turn the light off and turn the night light on and then i tuck him in with musical toys. doing this he feels like he's in charge of bedtime and will usually go down without a fuss.

don't let people pressure you though. my man wants me to stop too but i just tell him no and he knows not to argue this one. tell him you'll stop in a couple of months. i've been saying that since baby was 6 months and i'm still saying it lol. i know i'm lying but i prefer this little white lie than a fight that i'll win anyway ;)