Sugesstions on how to ween my one year old from the breast.?
First off let me say that I think breastfeeding is the best thing a mother could do for her child. However, I believe that I am now ready to ween my second daughter. With my first daughter I simply put lemon juice on my breasts before she would nurse. She didn’t like it and stopped nursing with no problem. The one that’s nursing now likes it. I don’t know what else to do to ween her. I guess you could say she is addicted to my breasts! I have tried everything I know to ween her, but NOTHING is working. She refuses to go to sleep for naps or at bedtime without nursing. She also nurses all through the night and pitches an extreme fit if I don’t let her nurse! I NEVER get a break! No one can keep her for me to do anything. She will cry for hours on in making herself sick. It’s almost asif she starts to hypervenilate and there is nothing that anyone can do to calm her down. I don’t know what else to do other than let her keep nursing. I am open to suggestions that may help.
Okay…..I bet you’re exhausted, both mentally and physically.
The best way is to gradually cut off your daughter. This may take a few months, so be patient. Cut out 1-2 feedings per day for a week. The 2nd week, knock out an additional feeding through the day. Also, try to limit the amount of time she is feeding. The hardest feedings to stop are the early morning and night feedings, so those should be the last to go. This way, your breasts won’t feel so engorged when she’s finally done. Also, she really doesn’t need to be feeding through the night. She should be sleeping. So you gotta do the same thing, as if she were just crying for your attention throughout the night- let her cry. After a couple of nights, she’ll get the hint. It may take longer, because she’s also learned to rely on the act of breastfeeding as comfort. You don’t have to feel bad. If you don’t do it now, can you imagine trying to break her at 2, or 3, or 4 yrs old?? This is the best thing for both of you.
At this age, they are starting to think they know what’s best for them. You gotta put your foot down. When she’s throwing a tantrum (Cause that’s what she’s ultimately doing- screaming because she’s not getting her way.) let her cry. Put her in her crib/playyard, and let her scream for 15 minutes. Take her out to reassure her, but do not give in and feed her. If she starts crying again, put her back and repeat. She’ll either eventually stop crying, or fall asleep. It won’t be like this forever, but if you don’t start breaking it now, you’ll be like my aunt, who breastfed her daughter until she was 3. And *not* by choice!! My niece would climb up on her lap and rip open her shirt in public!!! Buttons flying and everything!!
Co-Sleeping (what we do- Part 1)