What is the easiest, fastest, safest way to wean my 22 month old from breastfeeding?

Question

My daughter is 22 months and loves to breastfeed and i'm having a hard time weaning her. Not really sure how to. HELP....

Answer 1

The fastest, easiest, and safest way to do it is not to do it. Cut her off cold turkey. Give her a sippy cup (she's too old for bottles) of regular cow milk when she wants to be breastfed.

Answer 2

when i wanted to start working again i had to ween my 16 month old son from breast feeding.  it was not an easy process.  his md suggested i start limiting the times a day i fed him, since i did it when ever he wanted to eat it was kinda hard.  he would cry non-stop.  it took about two weeks to get him down to 2 feedings a day, once when he laid down for his nap and the other when he went to sleep at night.  eventually over the next month i stopped the mid day feeding and only feed him at night.  soon after he was able to go to sleep without feeding.  he would however still cuddle underneath me and  rub my breast until he went to sleep.  the whole process took a month and a half.  

hope this is helpful.

Answer 3

She is old enough to know boundaries.  Breastfeeding is not about nutrition at this point it is a comfort for your daughter similar to a pacifier.

Start by only nursing at night when she goes to bed.  Set boundaries and stick to them!  It is time to take back your b***s mom!  Dont feel guilty when she want to nurse or throws a tantrum.  Find other ways to nurture the close bonds you have developed by nursing so long.

P.S. Great Job mom!  Now take back those b***s!

Answer 4

My daughter was about that age when she weaned, my son was older.  We used the 'don't offer, don't refuse" method.

I made sure that they had lots of snack foods offered freely during the day, we played games, read stories, and made sure that they got lots of attention in other ways besides nursing.  The whole process  took a couple of months, but it wasn't traumatic and stressful, either.  Definitely felt more natural.  I didn't offer them the breast, but I didn't refuse them, either...at least not all the time.

Answer 5

Here's a link to a page on kellymom that might help you:  http://www.kellymom.com/bf/weaning/weani...

My daughter self-weaned at 22 mos b/c I was 7 mos pregnant and my supply apparently tanked then. I'm still nursing my 20 mo old son and I don't have any helpful tips for you. I know it can be tiring nursing an over zealous toddler.

You daughter is still receiving nutritional benefits from nursing at this time. There have been few, if any, studies done on EN past the age of 3, but up until then, there are nutritional benefits.  

Answer 6

My son and I quit cold turkey. He never took a bottle or a pacifier-straight to the sippy cups. I had to take medication and could not nurse so there was no weaning involved.

After a few days, he was okay with not nursing as long as he could still hold my breast. He also liked the idea that he could have a popsicle.

Cuddle with her and let her know that she is getting to be a big girl and that big girls don't need booby anymore.  Don't go back and forth though, it only confuses the issue.

Answer 7

Well, why do you think she needs to be weaned?

Weaning is a process and she's been in the process for most of her life.  The best way to move toward being totally weaned is to take it gradually.  It's better for you and it's better for her.  Work on only one feeding at a time, start with the one that's the least stressful for her, or that she's the most easily distracted.  You can shorten the feed or, replace it with another milk for some feedings and gradually eliminate them one at a time.

Easiest and safest are in contradiction with fastest.

Answer 8

she doesn't need the milk for nutritional value, so it's for comfort only.  refusing to feed her is the best way, but continue the special one-on-one time that breastfeeding allows.  redirect her attention when she focuses on the breast.

Answer 9

everybody tells me to do it cold turkey and let him cry it out but i can't stand the sound of crying and my children are spoiled because they know i hate that sound. it drives me nuts.